Codependent Collegian

Her bundle of joy will have an equine moniker

(Ann Arbor) University of Michigan junior business major Erin Harrison, six months pregnant with her first child, said that she was so moved by the life and struggle of champion horse Barbaro that she will name her baby after the Kentucky Derby winner.

"Barbaro enriched us all in the brief moments that he flashed like a lightning bolt across our desperate world," she said. "It's only fitting that my child should bear the name of such a great American hero."

Harrison said that the reaction from her family and friends has been "really supportive," despite choosing a horse as a namesake for her child.

"My mom looked at me funny at first, but said that she understood why this was so important to me," she said. "My step-dad thought it was pretty cool, and he thinks I should give the baby the middle name of 'Seabiscuit,' but I think that's a bit too much horsey stuff. I was thinking of something more like 'Barbaro Capone Harrison' if it's a boy, or 'Barbaro Destiny Harrison' if it's a girl."

Harrison: dreaming of the champion within

Unfortunately, said Harrison, the child's father will not be a part of the birth of Baby Barbaro in a few months, reflecting a growing trend in the number of single mothers.

"Tre is not really into the whole 'father' deal, and he told me I could name the baby whatever I want, so really - I didn't even bother to ask him for his opinion," she said. "He's always trippin', and he don't want to just let it be, you know? Sometimes I'm like wrecking my brain, trying to figure out how we even came to this, how we even came about, you know? But me and Baby Barbaro are going to make it, just fine."

Labels: baby daddy, baby names, Barbaro