Okay, so today I decided to mess around with creating something related to Barbaro the racehorse. I’ve always been fascinated by his story – such an incredible athlete with a tragic end. I wanted to see if I could build… well, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to build at first, but something to honor him.
First, I gathered some information. I re-watched some videos of his races, especially that amazing Kentucky Derby win. I also read a few articles about his injury and the efforts to save him. It was all pretty emotional, to be honest, but it helped me get in the right mindset.
Getting Started and Fumbling Around
I initially thought about making a simple webpage. I’m not a coder, really, but I can handle basic HTML. I started a new file, typed in the basic structure, and… stared at it. Blank. I had no idea what to put on it!
Then I considered trying to create some kind of interactive timeline of his life. That seemed cool, but also way beyond my skills. I spent a good hour just looking at different JavaScript libraries that might help, but it was all gibberish to me.
Finding My Footing (Sort Of)
After feeling pretty frustrated, I decided to scale back. Way back. I remembered I had messed around with creating simple image slideshows before. That seemed doable. So, I gathered a bunch of pictures of Barbaro – some racing, some just being a beautiful horse. I found a free online slideshow maker and uploaded the images.
I played around with the transitions and timing. I added some simple captions – his name, his birthdate, the dates of his major races. It wasn’t fancy, but it was starting to look like something.
Adding Some Music
The slideshow felt a bit… empty. I wanted to add some music.
I remembered a song I’d heard before that always made me think of horses running.
I found the track, I added the music to the slideshow, and… wow. It made a huge difference! Suddenly, it felt much more emotional and impactful.
The Finished (For Now) Product
It’s not perfect, not by a long shot. It’s just a simple slideshow with some music. But it’s mine, and it’s my way of remembering Barbaro. I spent the rest of the afternoon just watching it a few times, feeling a mix of sadness and admiration for that incredible horse. It might not be much, but I feel like I created something today, and that’s a good feeling.
