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Robertson Selling Horses
By BILL FINLEY
Reacting to criticism from followers who did not approve of his involvement in horse racing because of its connection with gambling, the Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson has decided to disband his racing operation.
"I am sorry that my fondness for the performance of equine athletes has caused you an offense," Robertson said in a letter this week to those who had expressed their anger over his participation in racing. "Therefore, for your sake and the sake of others like you, I have set in motion the necessary plans to dispose of all my thoroughbred racing and breeding stock between now and the breeding sale in Kentucky in November."
If you don’t back up your hard drive immediately... don’t blame us!
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Robertson owns a small stable that had operated largely outside the limelight, but his racing interests began to attract attention after he spent $520,000 on an unraced colt at a 2-year-old sale last year. The horse, later named Mr. Pat, has yet to race but showed enough potential that Robertson nominated him to the Triple Crown. Robertson also spent $125,000 to breed one of his mares to the top sire Saint Ballado.
Robertson argued that his only interest in racing involved the sporting aspect and that he was morally opposed to gambling. "I don't bet and I don't gamble," he said in an interview last month. "I just enjoy watching horses running and performing."
But according to Robertson's personal assistant, G. G. Conklin, Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network began receiving letters "from people in all parts of the country voicing concern about Pat's involvement in horse racing" after an article about Robertson's racing interests was published last month in The New York Times.
"Some were kind but firm in their dissatisfaction," she said yesterday. "Some were extremely upset. Most individuals misunderstood his participation in this sport, as they did not understand his lifelong love of horses."
In his letter, Robertson expressed again his longstanding passion for horses and tried to explain why he got involved in racing.
"When I was a youngster, we used to challenge one another to races over country roads or rolling pastures," he said in the letter. "Very frankly, none of this brought any sense of embarrassment to me because I felt then, and feel now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with contests of skill, either between human athletes or equine athletes.
"As a Virginian, I am proud of the fact that the number one athlete born in Virginia was not a human being, but a horse named Secretariat whose 31-length win at Belmont was considered the greatest athletic event in history until Tiger Woods' extraordinary golf victory in the PGA Tour at Pebble Beach."
But Robertson's letter continues:
"The Apostle Paul set the standard when he made clear that he was free to eat whatever was offered to him, but that `If meat causes my brother to offend, I will eat no meat while the earth stands.' "
According to Conklin, Robertson's decision was received "within our organization with much inner turmoil, as most of us understand the biblical reason he's taking this direction, but have such a sense of loss for him that he will no longer have this enjoyment in his life."
Robertson's involvement in thoroughbred racing began in 1997 when he purchased a few horses at a sale dispersing the stock of Buckland Farms. Among the horses he bought was Tappat, who earned $236,275 and competed in small stakes races.
Robertson's horses ran under the name of Tega Stable, and Tega's trainers were told not to discuss Robertson's ownership, which went virtually unnoticed. As Robertson began to buy better bred, more expensive horses and professed his interest in winning major races like the Kentucky Derby, he became more open about his racing operation, even naming Mr. Pat after himself.
By BILL FINLEY
Reacting to criticism from followers who did not approve of his involvement in horse racing because of its connection with gambling, the Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson has decided to disband his racing operation.
"I am sorry that my fondness for the performance of equine athletes has caused you an offense," Robertson said in a letter this week to those who had expressed their anger over his participation in racing. "Therefore, for your sake and the sake of others like you, I have set in motion the necessary plans to dispose of all my thoroughbred racing and breeding stock between now and the breeding sale in Kentucky in November."
If you don’t back up your hard drive immediately... don’t blame us!
A floor lamp that spreads sunshine all over a room.
Robertson owns a small stable that had operated largely outside the limelight, but his racing interests began to attract attention after he spent $520,000 on an unraced colt at a 2-year-old sale last year. The horse, later named Mr. Pat, has yet to race but showed enough potential that Robertson nominated him to the Triple Crown. Robertson also spent $125,000 to breed one of his mares to the top sire Saint Ballado.
Robertson argued that his only interest in racing involved the sporting aspect and that he was morally opposed to gambling. "I don't bet and I don't gamble," he said in an interview last month. "I just enjoy watching horses running and performing."
But according to Robertson's personal assistant, G. G. Conklin, Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network began receiving letters "from people in all parts of the country voicing concern about Pat's involvement in horse racing" after an article about Robertson's racing interests was published last month in The New York Times.
"Some were kind but firm in their dissatisfaction," she said yesterday. "Some were extremely upset. Most individuals misunderstood his participation in this sport, as they did not understand his lifelong love of horses."
In his letter, Robertson expressed again his longstanding passion for horses and tried to explain why he got involved in racing.
"When I was a youngster, we used to challenge one another to races over country roads or rolling pastures," he said in the letter. "Very frankly, none of this brought any sense of embarrassment to me because I felt then, and feel now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with contests of skill, either between human athletes or equine athletes.
"As a Virginian, I am proud of the fact that the number one athlete born in Virginia was not a human being, but a horse named Secretariat whose 31-length win at Belmont was considered the greatest athletic event in history until Tiger Woods' extraordinary golf victory in the PGA Tour at Pebble Beach."
But Robertson's letter continues:
"The Apostle Paul set the standard when he made clear that he was free to eat whatever was offered to him, but that `If meat causes my brother to offend, I will eat no meat while the earth stands.' "
According to Conklin, Robertson's decision was received "within our organization with much inner turmoil, as most of us understand the biblical reason he's taking this direction, but have such a sense of loss for him that he will no longer have this enjoyment in his life."
Robertson's involvement in thoroughbred racing began in 1997 when he purchased a few horses at a sale dispersing the stock of Buckland Farms. Among the horses he bought was Tappat, who earned $236,275 and competed in small stakes races.
Robertson's horses ran under the name of Tega Stable, and Tega's trainers were told not to discuss Robertson's ownership, which went virtually unnoticed. As Robertson began to buy better bred, more expensive horses and professed his interest in winning major races like the Kentucky Derby, he became more open about his racing operation, even naming Mr. Pat after himself.
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