Eight Belles

Eight Belles exercises at the Kentucky Derby.

My hero is a horse named Eight Belles. Eight Belles was a filly, or girl horse, under the age of five. She had just turned three when she was one of the lucky fillies to enter the Kentucky Derby 135. May fifth was the race day and the favorite, Big Brown, was feeling good. Eight Belles was bigger than him though, so both horses had a good chance of winning.

Eight Belles at the Kentucky Derby.

Eight Belles was one of the first fillies in history to get 2nd place. She was a good teacher and hero because she never gave up. Eight Belles had bad heart problems but that never stopped her. She just kept going. Eight Belles showed bravery because during the race on the last turn she pulled up lame, but she kept running even though the jockey tried stopping her. She passed the finish line, getting 2nd, but a couple yards later she fell. She had heart failure and broke her front ankles. She was brave enough to try and get up and keep running but the veterinarian held her down.

Eight Belles at a post parade

Eight Belles is my hero because she never gave up and she always had a good spirit. She never let anyone down and she did whatever she could to please her owners. She was always happy and she never let anything get in her way. “She never looked sad. She always look so happy and cheerful,” said Eight Belles trainer, David Correll. Her owner, Rick Porter, said, “She never let anyone boss her around. Not even if they were meaner or bigger.”

Eight Belles gets a bath.

The qualities I look for in a hero are love, bravery, steadfastness, and someone who keeps moving forward. These qualities can make a difference in a person’s life. From these, knowing yourself will help you understand if you were born to sing, or born to save lives. This might tell you how you can be a hero too.

Eight Belles passes Cool Coal Man at Saratoga.