A letter to Derby’s new owner, Jill O’Roark, of Whinny for Me Farm, in Spotsylvania, VA.
 

Around midnight, Dakotah started having contractions and getting up and down as we watched on the observation camera.  Once we arrived outside her stall, her water broke and the delivery began… all the signs were typical and normal, everything was textbook… out came the sac with the first obvious hoof and leg… it seemed to be extending longer… no nose following, no other legs… I went in to inspect and sure enough as I felt around we were going to have problems!

Jennifer immediately called the vet… it would be a 45-minute trip for him…we called some friends that have seen this before, they’re ten minutes away and speeding towards us now… at least five minutes have expired… time is the critical factor… Dakotah strains more with each contraction… we try to calm her… I try to gently return the protruding leg to perhaps allow for another attempt… she squeezes my hand and forearm as I push slowly… I feel no nose or other leg… she wants me to leave her alone… I keep trying with no success… she tires quickly… ten minutes pass by, our friends arrive, he tries the same with no luck either… then he mentions needing some type of lubricant… vegetable oil is the best I can offer… after ¼ of a bottle, everything gets slippery… I make it in enough to feel a knee, she contracts and wants to break my arm off… inbetween her pushing and contracting, I slowly advance… I make it to his chest… 20 minutes have passed… the mare starts sighing and giving out… she starts relaxing more in between pushing… I desperately search for his nose as we know the baby is dead and we are trying to save the mare… I find his jaw, I try to determine where its located and its position… 25 minutes have passed… I follow his jaw to his nose, his chin is tucked downward to his chest… in between the laboring and pushing, I reach in and pull the nose upward to its proper position… I can’t feel the other leg anywhere!

I go ahead and position the nose; in the next shove, it’s visible… 30 minutes have passed… here he comes… as we help him out we discover the other leg tucked underneath his chin – thank goodness!  The delivery comes quick now, like it’s supposed to!  The mare grunts and out he comes… blinking his eyes immediately… we realize, he’s alive and in perfect condition!

But all of our attention turns to the mare… we do not want to loose her now!  40 minutes have passed… the foal is a colt and starts nickering and wanting up to see mamma… he makes it up before she does.  We hear the vet approach… we feel much better now!  He is surprised we got him out alive… he inspects them and determines my birthing methods are not the most aseptic so he cleans the mare and flushes her out, then doses and antibiotic… she finally gets to her feet and loves her new miracle… such a tear jerking moment when mamma and baby initiate the first bond and recognition, so precious especially after all of that!

The name came easy… we were looking forward to watching the Derby and this blessed event filled in the blanks… hence the name Triple H Derby Day Miracle!