Horse riding is often, unfortunately associated with animal cruelty. Over the years, we have seen many horses succumbing to the brutalities of the sport. Take the example of Bye Bye Beautiful, the 2-year-old filly, who was euthanized at Santa Anita in 2019. This was the 36th horse casualty at the track that year, raising question marks over the sport and the track. Now years later, trainer Eric Kruljac has made a heartening move, which impressed many fans.

Just to briefly rewind, the death of Bye Bye Beautiful prompted PETA to release a statement questioning the state of affairs in the sport. “It’s time for the people responsible for the deaths of race horses to be locked up,” the body said. They also added in their statement, “Santa Anita has taken extraordinary measures to protect horses, but it can’t criminally investigate trainers and veterinarians for the deaths of Bye Bye Beautiful and the other horses. Law enforcement must do this.”

Now there have been some positive steps taken since then, one of them being the aforementioned heartening move. Earlier today, it was revealed that The Chosen Vron has retired, according to co-owner John Sondereker and trainer and co-owner Eric Kruljac. Interestingly, he was recently voted California-bred Horse of the Year for a second consecutive year (2023 and 2024) and ended his career with a long haul of achievements. The 7-year-old has won an astonishing 18 stakes, which also includes a couple of wins at the G1 Bing Crosby Stakes.

Explaining the decision to retire The Chosen Vron early, Kruljac explained, “It’s just wear and tear. We just don’t want to risk any further injury, especially since he’s 7. He’ll be going up to Katie Fisher’s ranch up in Solvang.” The Chosen Vron had suffered an ankle injury last fall, and a new MRI revealed that training was out of the question.

“We came to the conclusion that continued training and racing would not be beneficial to the horse at this time,” added Sondereker. This amazing move went viral on social media, and the comments were filled with praise for his co-owners and trainer. Fans were happy to see that the horse was not being pushed beyond his limits, and had understanding owners.

Fans share heartfelt reactions after The Chosen Vron’s retirement

During the years of his service, the horse delivered many amazing wins for his trainer and owners. While the fans were in awe of his achievements, they also expressed gratitude to the people behind him for taking care of him. One of the fans said, “THANK YOU, HORSE LORDS, WHAT MORE COULD THIS MAGNIFICENT HORSE DO FOR HIS PEOPLE? INCREDIBLE HORSE. DESERVES LONG BEST VACATION AVAILABLE.” This reiterated the fact that the fans are first and foremost concerned by the well-being of their favorite horses, and moments like these just warm hearts up.

Similarly, another fan thanked the horse for delivering unforgettable moments during his racing career. “I don’t even have words for what this horse has done all these years you belong on Union Ave with the other greats love ya buddy enjoy retirement and credit to his people for doing the right thing,” a fan wrote, as he was grateful to see the injured horse stepping out of the racing circuit and prolonging his lifespan.

While the news about his retirement came as a relief to fans who were concerned about his health, a section of fans also expressed sadness as they had already seen the last of The Chosen Vron. An X user commented, “I will certainly miss The Chosen Vron!
He had great heart and spirit!” Nonetheless, it was mixed feelings for the fan, as he was also worried about the horse’s well-being and was happy that he could now enjoy his retirement.

Furthermore, some of the fans already laid out retirement plans for the 7-year-old. One of the fans suggested, “Great news! Connections doing what’s best for them their 7-year-old champion. Hoping he either goes to Old Friends or if able he can be retrained for a second career.” However, given his ongoing injury struggles lately, it is unlikely that he will start a second career anytime soon, though Kruljac did mention that he would be continuing rehab and expressed hope for a second career, according to Paulick Report.

Lastly, a fan reminisced about years of unforgettable memories that the horse had delivered while racing. “So happy for The Chosen Vron, here’s hoping you have a long and happy life, thanks for the memories of all your great races,” read a fan’s comment, wishing the horse a happy retirement life.

While the horse racing community will surely miss The Chosen Vron on the track, his well-being comes above everything else, something that the co-owners and trainer rightly identified. “He’s such a sweet horse to be around,” Kruljac said to Bloodhorse. “It’s been a great ride.” Here’s wishing the legendary racehorse a happy retirement and hoping that his rehab journey goes smoothly.