Meeeeerrrrrrryyyyyy Christmas!!!

I don't know about the rest of you, but if this was MY Christmas present, I'd be pretty darn happy:

No, he's not a grey TB, but that's okay. It's the thought that counts, after all. ;-) Here's a link to the story behind this photo, if you are interested (although, call me confused - that horse sure doesn't look black to me...and I can't quite see his naughty bits to tell if he really is a stallion, or some journalist got carried away with images from Walter Farley).

Of course, I would like my other present to be an extremely large check designated solely for his upkeep for the next 10 or 20 years. As we know all too well, "It ain't the buying, it's the keeping!" Unless you are purchasing an equine who costs at least in the upper five figures, that is definitely the most expensive part of horse ownership. Heck, my darling doggie initially cost the best $700 I have ever spent, but I shudder to think of the thousands upon thousands we have poured into her since (besides food, treats, toys and grooming equipment, since I do it myself, there has been knee surgery, teeth cleanings, mass removals - all benign, thank goodness, a back injury, etc.). Absolutely worth every single penny but I'm glad I just have the one!

I will take this opportunity to say I truly appreciate all of you who have read this blog, commented, listed it as a Favorite, linked to a post, or added it to your Reading List/sidebar. It's different than all the other "horsey" blogs I read in that I don't actually own a horse, and you haven't even heard about the riding I do get to do. I may go all to pieces and take some lessons in the New Year - if that happens, I promise I'll write about it. I haven't found a blog of an adult re-rider who is simply a lesson student, either, so I will continue with my "uniqueness" if I do!

I started this blog as a way to record some of my favorite equine-related memories and exercise my need for creative writing. If I have amused, entertained or informed anyone along the way, I am indeed glad. It has been my pleasure and I look forward to continuing on. I think it is appropriate to end this year with my 50th post, too! (I know I'll be way too busy next week to post)

I truly wish all of you a most wonderful and blessed Christmas or Chanukah, with lots of horsey gifts, and the very happiest of New Years!

I told you I had Secretariat everywhere... including on the Christmas tree! If you look at the bottom you can just see a brass ornament with a horse head. That is a prize possession; it's a limited-edition portrait of Big Red and it looks JUST like him. I bought it from eBay about 10 years ago to benefit a horse charity in VA, I believe. As far as I'm concerned it's GOLD-plated!

Another horsey ornament of which I'm very fond. It's made of china and extremely delicate - the rider's head has had to be reattached a couple times.

Ho-ho-ho, Santa hunting on horseback! If you pull the string below the horse's legs move. It's great. :-)

Shades Of His Father

Where do I start? This guy is my hero. I expect you will recognize him:

To me (and a lot of other people), Secretariat was like God reached down and designed the perfect horse. Incomparable beauty, blinding speed, poise, class, presence, you name it - Big Red had it all. When I get around to doing a little photographic tour of my home, you will find that I have Secretariat stuff all over the place. He's in a place of honor on the mantel, he's in the living room practically life-size, he's in the dining room - you get the idea. I love, adore and worship Big Red. Unfortunately, I was a big fat idiot and did not make the trip to Claiborne before he died. I guess I thought I would have time... nobody expected him to go at age 18. It's a huge regret of mine. Therefore, when I found out that a son of Secretariat, much less a red one, had moved to Old Friends, I was pretty darn excited. (Truth be told, I planned this whole trip with an eye on seeing him.)

His name is Tinners Way. He stands 16.1, was born in 1990 and is by Secretariat, out of Devon Diva, by The Minstrel. He was out of Red's last crop, and is considered to be one of his best sons. In fact, he is the very last surviving champion racehorse sired by Secretariat. Here is his race record and a race photo, taken from the website of the farm in TX where he used to stand.

Tinners Way retired as the richest horse in Texas

Multiple Grade 1 Stakes Winner of $1,847,734

* WON - Pacific Classic [G1] twice, Californian S [G1], Golden Gate Fields Budweiser Breeders' Cup

* PLACED - Hollywood Gold Cup [G1], Californian S [G1], San Bernardino H [G2], Goodwood H [G2], Mervyn Leroy H [G2], Bel Air H [G2], Arcadia H [G3]

* Equaled Track Records in both the Pacific Classic [G1] and the Californian Stakes [G1]

Not too shabby, eh? Tinner ran on both turf and dirt. Bobby Frankel trained him, and his complete record says a lot:

In all, Tinners Way led the way to the finish line 7 times in 27 starts, and placed or showed in an additional 10. He ran successfully (top 3 finisher) in 6 of 10 starts on grass and in 11 of 17 on dirt. He participated in 22 graded competitions completing 14 among the first 3 finishers with 4 firsts. He was considered one of the best handicap runners in the U.S. in the mid-1990s. His progeny have exceeded $3 million dollars in track earnings. (From this website)

Here's his stallion photo:

Definitely a resemblance to Dad... I see a bit of The Minstrel in there, too.

But enough of the racing stuff. What was Tinner like now, in retirement at Old Friends? I could hardly wait to find out. When I was with Wendy, I mentioned to her that I was really excited to meet him. She and her husband go fairly often to OF to photograph horses, so I knew she would know him. Wendy told me, "Well, you better be ready. Tinner doesn't look very good. He's a neurotic horse; he runs the fence line incessantly and they can't keep weight on him. They had to take him off the tour because he was upsetting visitors." Oh dear, I thought... what was this guy going to be like? Would I even be allowed to see him? You can imagine my distress at the thought of finally getting myself thisclose to Big Red's DNA, only to be told he was off-limits.

You can bet that as soon as our volunteer tour guide at Old Friends asked our group is there was any horse in particular we wanted to see, I spoke right up and said, "Tinners Way. Please?!?" FORTUNATELY, Melissa and her friend were also interested in seeing him and said so, too. The guide looked us up and down and I guess he decided we looked "horsepeople" enough because he said, "Ok. When the tour is over you guys can go up the hill and see him." Thank heavens.

Accordingly, as soon as the rest of the tour was done and the other people were dispersing, the three of us made tracks towards Tinner's paddock. I had strained for a glimpse of him all along, and I'm afraid I rather left the other two ladies in the dust in my haste to get there. I guessed which paddock belonged to Tinner before I really saw him or read his name on the fence; the ground was very torn up from his hooves. Tinner was standing quietly, lipping some hay off the ground near his waterer. A smallish-looking, NOT too ribby, slightly-hairy horse, modeled in bright chestnut. He turned to look at me. I called his name, and over he came.

Well, HI THERE Little Red!

I was quick to give him some of the cookies and carrot pieces I had stuffed in my pockets. He was a perfect gentleman, accepting the treats gracefully and chewing away. The way the paddock was situated on a hill, we were at a disadvantage since the ground fell away and the fence was really high. I was not able to get a really good photo of him (or hug him around the neck like I really wanted to do) because of that. I did breathe gently in his nostrils and tell him that I loved his daddy and was so very glad to meet him. Tinner and I visited alone like this for a while before Melissa and her friend arrived. All I could think was, I love this horse. He is fine. He is sweet. He's a good boy. Why is he stuck up here by himself? This horse is lonely! (Note: he isn't really alone, Williamstown's paddock is right across from his and they interact with each other. I mean for human company.)

Compare that photo of Tinner to this one of his dad, in a playful mood:

Photo by Steve Haskin, Bloodhorse magazine columnist/blogger and all-around TB racing guru

Maybe I am full of it, and projecting too much of my desire to "know" Secretariat better, but I truly did feel like Tinner and I bonded. I rubbed him all over, as much of him as I could reach. Yes, I could feel his ribs and see them a little, but he wasn't nearly as thin as I'd expected (I know what a really underweight TB looks like and it ain't pretty). Tinner was perfectly happy to let me do all this. There was no sign of hyperactivity, no nervousness on view. Yes, I believe he is that way - hence the chewed-up ground - but with me, he was perfectly alright. I spent a total of at least fifteen minutes with him. 

Here are the best photos I got of my friend Tinners Way :

I wanted to open the gate, lead him out, load him in a trailer and take him home. I had to tear myself away from this horse - oh yes, I kissed his nose, too - and as I finally walked away I could hardly see from all the tears running down my face. I think Tinner is beautiful and special and misunderstood...

I heartily encourage you to visit and otherwise support Old Friends. Besides the stallions, they also house some very deserving TB mares and geldings (including Sea Native/Rhett, who belongs to my friend and reader of this blog!). They get the bulk of my miniscule charitable dollars, and I can't imagine a better use of my money. It's a unique facility and a shining example of what a really top-notch rescue looks like. Zenyatta's owners, Jerry and Ann Moss, are enormous sponsors of the place and have done much to publicize Old Friends in the racing community. Several top jockeys, such as Calvin Borel, are also big supporters of Old Friends. I wish I could remember which one visited and climbed right aboard his old mount bareback - believe me, I thought about that when I was standing there with Tinner. Oh, to feel the wind in my face from the back of Secretariat's son... 

I will leave you with this great photo of Tinners Way that someone took of him, shortly after he arrived at Old Friends. I think you can tell why I like it so much - he looks happy and so much like his dad. 

Fun Times With Old Friends

Finally.

I have finally arrived at the phase of my KY trip that I've been looking forward to writing about the most. I probably should have just skipped ahead, but I feel driven to record things in chronological order. Maybe that's goofy but I have so much disorder in the rest of my life, the least I can do is try and keep this blog shipshape!

On Monday morning, the day after the Maclay and the National Horse Show ended, I had made a reservation to tour a facility very near and dear to my heart: Old Friends Equine Retirement. Before I went there for the first time two years ago, I had spent much time perusing their website and acquainting myself with some of their fabulous Thoroughbred residents. If you have never heard of Old Friends, that's okay: here is an article that pretty much sums up how it got started and some information on the wonderful person who is the founder, Michael Blowen. I had a fantastic time on my first visit and the place more than lived up to my expectations. All the residents, both human and equine, and all the volunteers could not have been more welcoming, friendly and HAPPY. I was very excited to go back on this visit!

I love old animals. The wisdom and acceptance in their eyes, their joy in the simplest of pleasures, their (usually) calm and patient demeanor, everything. It makes me feel murderous when I read about geriatric equines or canines who have been dumped at shelters or abandoned because they were simply too much trouble, or someone wanted a "newer model." That just blows my mind (it should not surprise me, however; Lord knows enough old humans get parked in a care facility and are never visited by their families).

Old Friends came about because Michael (Blowen) realized that old or simply retired Thoroughbred stallions in particular were meeting with a bad end, often because they truly had nowhere else to go. Rescues do not like stallions, which need to be housed separately and are viewed with suspicion by many. TB stallions in particular are often thought to be nasty, vicious, wild and crazy beasts. Yep, they can be real man-eaters, alright. Take this one, for example:

Watch out, you might be nuzzled to death and mugged for treats! Allow me to introduce you to the late, great Black Tie Affair. I had the honor of meeting this splendid Breeder's Cup Classic champion and winner of +$3,000,000 the last time I was at Old Friends in 2009. "Blackie" was the dearest, sweetest fellow imaginable and still handsome, once you got past his shockingly huge melanomas. When Michael got him he was severely underweight and practically immobilized with arthritis (he'd been at a farm in WV, where they were still trying to breed him in that condition at age 22 - nice, eh?). The TLC he got at Old Friends resulted in him being able to get up and down to roll, gain hundreds of needed pounds and generally enjoy life for the little time he had left before they lost him to laminitis.

On this visit I joined a group of about 10 other people in front of their headquarters building, a tiny converted house (a somewhat larger home on the main property is Michael's residence, which is also operated as a B & B). One thing about this nonprofit that I can vouch for - they do NOT waste money on unnecessary luxuries. There is hardly any paid staff and most everything, including tours, is carried out by an army of dedicated volunteers. As soon as my group headed down the path towards the first paddock, I noticed a lady wearing stirrup earrings and equestrian attire. The rest of the crowd looked like "horse-likers" but not serious horse folk. The lady also noticed me and we started to talk. She turned out to be named Melissa, and she was down in KY for the Breeder's Cup, the National Horse Show, and other attractions. About the first thing she told me was, "I live in New York but come down here to visit Mecca whenever possible." I laughed because that is exactly what I tell people when I'm off to the Bluegrass, too!

We proceeded along the farm path to the first paddock, where we were greeted by the beautiful Kiri's Clown:

Doesn't this boy have a really Arab-looking head? My friend Wendy's horse Ollie does, too. I think it's neat when TBs harken back to their founding fathers! 

At least I think that's who this is. I was going to take down the names of all the horses we saw, but there was too much going on to be tapping away on my phone. Carrots and cookies to hand out, noses and cheeks to be stroked, etc. Plus, I was busy talking to Melissa and her friend about racing, bloodlines and other horse topics.

I didn't get too many other good pictures, so I'll just share the ones that did turn out. Here's one of my favorite horses, Bull In The Heather:

From the OF website:
Bull In the Heather is the greatest son of Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby winner whose death in a slaughterhouse in 2001 helped drive the formation of Old Friends. (One of my better photographic efforts!) 

I remembered from my first tour that "Bull" simply adores having his back scratched, so I climbed up on the bottom fence rail and went at it. He leaned into my fingers, groaning in pleasure and flapping his lip. I tell you, these nasty 'ole TB stallions... I wound up with filthy hands but he was very happy. The filthy part actually didn't bother me; one of the cool things about OF is that the horses are allowed to be, well, horses. They live in roomy paddocks with run-in sheds, are unblanketed, and are free to get as shaggy and dirty as they like. They are groomed occasionally and feet/teeth are done, of course, but basically it's back-to-nature livin' for these guys.

Post back-scratch. We were definitely buddies.

This fellow was brand-new to the farm and I thought he was just gorgeous! This is You and I:

I can't tell you much about him, other than that he was sweet and handsome. He was too new for our tour guide to know any fun facts.

The famous and now sire of very famous racehorses Gulch declined to leave his grazing to come greet us, but we did get to pet and hang out with Clever Allemont, Ogygian (rescued from a slaughter pen), Popcorn Deelites (he played Seabiscuit in the movie) and many others, along with catching a glimpse of Marquetry, who was recovering from colic surgery. I was disappointed because I wanted to see his nifty splash white markings. However, all of these great horses were merely a preamble to the one horse I was really there to see. And he wasn't even on the tour...

TO BE CONTINUED!

Want To Win A New Hunt Coat?

[Note: No, I'm not dead, just crazy busy working my two jobs and trying to get ready for Christmas. Typical multi-tasking female! I'm supposed to ordering some last-minute gifts online right this minute, and instead I'm reading blogs and posting this 'cuz I'd really like to win this coat myself. ;-)]

Check this out:

http://www.getmyfix.org/4092/the-emperor-has-new-clothes-and-they%E2%80%99re-from-hayward/

In return for something as simple as "Liking" Hayward on Facebook (which I'm off to do as soon as I'm done typing here), or posting the above link to your own blog, you are entered to win a gorgeous semi-custom hunt coat from Hayward (retail value $450).


Pretty nice, eh? And get this, they're machine-washable! I'd settle for one that just fits me properly. Apparently equestriennes are not supposed to have much of a bust, since in order to accomodate mine (and I'm no Dolly Parton) I had to buy an enormous size and have the waist tailored. I tried my very best to explain to the nice Asian lady at the drycleaner that it was not a regular item of apparel and meant for horseback riding/showing, but I still got it back a good 2" too big. Sleek it is not. Somehow I think Hayward would do a lot better!  

(And by the way, that post on Get My Fix is hilarious. I simply can't imagine walking into "a place like that" - I think I'd faint dead away from embarrassment!)

Maclay Comments

I got very busy last week helping my DD with her college applications (which, BTW, are making me a nervous wreck for a number of reasons), so I wasn't able to come here and finish up my Maclay 2011 ramblings. You didn't think I was going to let you go without comments regarding horses, clothing and riders, now did you? :-)

HORSES

Apparently there is a Big Eq Horse factory somewhere cranking out large, brown or bay-with-no-markings Warmbloods, because I swear that about 75% of the horses in the Maclay class fit that description. It was truly amazing. It's a good thing there was an announcer because you literally could not tell them apart! I felt like standing up and cheering when a horse of a different color came into the ring (especially a grey, of course). When I was watching the warmup on Saturday night I was astonished to see a red roan trotting around out there. Boy, would I love to show up with a flashy Pinto or Appaloosa... that would shake things up.

Well, what do you know, look what I found on the Bigeq.com website. They do exist!

This fella is a Belgian WB, billed as a 3' Eq horse or Jumper. I don't see why he couldn't go into the Hunter ring as well with those lovely knees! $40K and probably worth every penny, much-loved by a family of daughters.

This is just a pony, but what a doll... and I like his young rider's riding very much.

I have to say, though, despite the endless parade of brown horses being a little dull to look at, those eq horses (of all colors) were good eggs. Every one that I saw had his/her ears pricked and a real can-do, sporty attitude. "Okay, Mom, just point me where you want me to go and I'm there!" And it seems that they don't all cost the earth, either. Looking at the Big Eq website I am pleasantly surprised at the prices listed there. Oh, sure, some are in the stratosphere ($70,000) but there are plenty for under 20K. Of course, I bet like in every other aspect of the horse world, prices are down right now due to the economy. I remember when a friend was shopping for a Big Eq horse over 20 years ago, and her trainer couldn't seem to find a thing for under 20K.

RIDERS

I think the Brown Horse Syndrome is doubly amusing because heaven knows, the riders themselves are fairly undistinguishable. Same old, same old Tailored Sportsman breeches, dark coat, light shirt. Yaaaawwwwn. Really the only variation is in helmets and boots. With the helmets, a few years ago the "skunk stripe" GPAs were all the rage. Now it's Charles Owen GR8s or GPA Speed Airs. Thanks to a COTH Forum thread I read yesterday I have learned that Antares is in the helmet business now, and that some of the kids like those, too, but I wouldn't know one if it bit me. The uber-spendy Samshields are also picking up steam, but again - from my seat in the Arena all I noticed was the usual two suspects. Here are some course walkers modeling the GPAs:

Nope, shiny with holes just doesn't do it for me in the Equitation/Hunters (I didn't think much of the skunk-stripes, either). I greatly prefer the traditional black velvet of the COs, or even a plain matte-black finish without giant vents. Oh, well, I guess I can stand them for as long as they are in fashion, which ought to be only a couple of years, LOL. (As an aside, here's what I think I'll be getting next, if it fits me and looks okay: Ovation Deluxe Schooler. Smart-looking, appropriate and cheap!)

Some of the boots were kind of interesting. This pair belonged to a young lady who washed out after the first round and was sitting near me in the stands:

They had embossed fake (?) crocodile skin cuffs at the top and bling-y little doodads on the swagger tabs. Hey, I guess if you've got the bucks you might as well sneak a little fun into your outfit. I have no doubt that GM would NOT approve, though!

As far as the riding actually went in the Maclay, for the most part I was suitably impressed in the first round. Most every rider put in a workmanlike trip with good to great results. I saw a few who must have come from the "easy to qualify" regions: one with legs shooting forward over every fence, another who was jumped loose every time, with noodle-y legs and heels up (that could have been partly nerves - I know my lower legs practically lose sensation in the show ring, I'm so wired from crise de nerfs). The riders who moved up to the flat phase and then especially the second round were uniformly excellent, effective horsepeople. The fact that some of them didn't look so pretty bugged me... and you know by that I mean those boys. Regarding this issue, I read someone's comment on COTH where she said the boys "lead with their shoulders" - exactly. Maybe this is something they can't help? But they didn't all do it...

Anyway, if you will allow me a moment of further political incorrectness, we all know that certain rider conformation lends itself to success in equitation. Basically, if you have legs the length of a giraffe's, thighs like twigs and the BMI of a supermodel, you're going to be favored. I was gratified to see that not every rider fit into that mold. This is a good thing. Girls today have enough problems with body image and they don't need to be discouraged from riding if the family genes have rendered them less than svelte. (Take that, George!)

Here is one thing I noticed a few riders doing: posting at the canter. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but nope, that is exactly what they were up to. I forget where I saw it, if it was during the flat phase or in opening circles, but I know I did. The only other time I have seen this is on the polo field. All the players do it. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why I was seeing it in the Maclay ring (for that matter, nobody has been able to tell me yet why they do it playing polo). COTH thread to the rescue, again: supposedly this is to "help establish the quality of the canter." Hmmpf. I just think it looks weird.

AFTERWARDS

As soon as the Maclay ended, which also signaled the end of the National Horse Show, I made a beeline for the NHS merchandise table. My hunch was correct: everything had been marked down 50%! I bought a pretty enamel pin with the NHS logo on it for $3.00, which I thought was a pretty good price for a souvenir. It joined my WEG pin on one of my horsey hats.

Then I made another clandestine trip "backstage," with the specific aim of finding Sarah and congratulating her. Once again, all the barns were deserted. I moseyed around, petted some noses and admired the gorgeous horseflesh, and then went into the warmup  area/tunnel of the Arena. I thought it would be fun to see. I encountered absolutely no one... until I heard some shrieks of laughter and a young voice saying, "Don't drop the champion!" I peered around a corner and there she was, Sarah and two friends. One was a boy who had picked her up and was swinging her around. I waited until they had calmed down and were walking to the barn and then approached. I told her that I'd seen her win in St. Louis and had been rooting for her and she did a simply terrific job. She could not have been more gracious, thanking me and saying she appreciated my support. I thought about being a total fan-girl and asking for a photo with her, but it was pitch dark and I didn't want to embarrass Sarah (or myself) any more, so I skipped it. But I felt good getting to speak to her - what luck that I found her, out of everyone there!

Thank You, Mom and Dad

I just found this wonderful essay over on Eventing Nation, and thought I would do my part to pass it along. It's too good not to share. I'm pretty sure my parents would agree with all of this (even though we didn't "have" a horse - they were certainly responsible for me riding and being around them)!

____________________________________________________________________________

(Author Unknown)

A Father's Explanation of Why He Had Horses for His Children

My daughter turned sixteen years old today; which is a milestone for most people. Besides looking at baby photos and childhood trinkets with her, I took time to reflect on the young woman my daughter had become and the choices she would face in the future. As I looked at her I could see the athlete she was, and determined woman she would soon be. I started thinking about some of the girls we knew in our town who were already pregnant, pierced in several places, hair every color under the sun, drop outs, drug addicts and on the fast track to no-where, seeking surface identities because they had no inner self esteem. The parents of these same girls have asked me why I "waste" the money on horses so my daughter can ride. I'm told she will grow out of it, lose interest, discover boys and all kinds of things that try to pin the current generation's "slacker" label on my child. I don't think it will happen, I think she will love and have horses all her life.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has compassion. She knows that we must take special care of the very young and the very old. We must make sure those without voices to speak of their pain are still cared for.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned responsibility for others than herself. She learned that regardless of the weather you must still care for those you have the stewardship of. There are no "days off" just because you don't feel like being a horse owner that day. She learned that for every hour of fun you have there are days of hard slogging work you must do first.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned not to be afraid of getting dirty and that appearances don't matter to most of the breathing things in the world we live in. Horses do not care about designer clothes, jewelry, pretty hairdos or anything else we put on our bodies to try to impress others. What a horse cares about are your abilities to work within his natural world, he doesn't care if you're wearing $80.00 jeans while you do it. *

Because my daughter grew up with horses she learned about sex and how it can both enrich and complicate lives. She learned that it only takes one time to produce a baby, and the only way to ensure babies aren't produced is not to breed. She learned how babies are planned, made, born and, sadly, sometimes die before reaching their potential. She learned how sleepless nights and trying to out-smart a crafty old broodmare could result in getting to see, as non-horse owning people rarely do, the birth of a true miracle.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she understands the value of money. Every dollar can be translated into bales of hay, bags of feed or farrier visits. Purchasing non-necessities during lean times can mean the difference between feed and good care, or neglect and starvation. She has learned to judge the level of her care against the care she sees provided by others and to make sure her standards never lower, and only increase as her knowledge grows.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to learn on her own. She has had teachers that cannot speak, nor write, nor communicate beyond body language and reactions. She has had to learn to "read" her surroundings for both safe and unsafe objects, to look for hazards where others might only see a pretty meadow. She has learned to judge people as she judges horses. She looks beyond appearances and trappings to see what is within.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned sportsmanship to a high degree. Everyone that competes fairly is a winner. Trophies and ribbons may prove someone a winner, but they do not prove someone is a horseman. She has also learned that some people will do anything to win, regard- less of who it hurts. She knows that those who will cheat in the show ring will also cheat in every other aspect of their life and are not to be trusted.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has self-esteem and an engaging personality. She can talk to anyone she meets with confidence, because she has to express herself to her horse with more than words. She knows the satisfaction of controlling and teaching a 1000 pound animal that will yield willingly to her gentle touch and ignore the more forceful and inept handling of those stronger than she is. She holds herself with poise and professionalism in the company of those far older than herself.

Because my daughter grew up with horses she has learned to plan ahead. She knows that choices made today can effect what happens five years down the road. She knows that you cannot care for and protect your investments without savings to fall back on. She knows the value of land and buildings. And that caring for your vehicle can mean the difference between easy travel or being stranded on the side of the road with a four horse trailer on a hot day. When I look at what she has learned and what it will help her become, I can honestly say that I haven't "wasted" a penny on providing her with horses. I only wish that all children had the same opportunities to learn these lessons from horses before setting out on the road to adulthood.

___________________________________________________________________________



* As much as I like this, I afraid I must snark comment on this section: Does the horse also not care if you're wearing TS breeches, a Charles Owen/GPA helmet, this show coat, these boots and he's sporting this saddle? Right, didn't think so. It's kind of depressing that a lot of kids and judges do think this matters, by all appearances. I hope whomever wrote this really did raise his kid to look beyond the cover of the book. :-)

The 2011 Maclay Finals

If you recall, I was very high on the winner of the Regional/Zone 5 Maclay finals held here in St. Louis. Sarah Milliren was the young lady's name and I thought she was a terrific rider, literally from the moment her horse set foot in the ring. I've found a video of her Regional ride here. There was no question that I'd be rooting for her at the National Championship along with Bethany Bolen, the nice girl I'd spent time talking to before she took her turn (she finished third).

So you can imagine that I was bit disappointed when I was finally able to lay my hands on the order of go for the first round of the Maclay, and realized I would not be able to watch Sarah or Bethany's trips:

Sarah was #44, and Bethany came shortly after at #48. My problem was I would be over at Wendy's barn when they rode. I had dropped in to the Arena long enough to get the sheet, take a look at the course map and watch a couple of riders' trips, but then Wendy picked me up. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope the young ladies did well with this very, very tricky course:

Sorry for the lovely grease stain from my lunchtime cheeseburger. The food was really good :-).

I do not think you will be surprised to hear that the one-stride "fan" jump, #10a and 10b, was the bugaboo of about 95% of the riders this day. Horses smacked into one or both of these jumps practically every time through. Here's a look at someone jumping in:

I must admit to never having seen a jump set-up like this before. I'm wondering how many of these kids practiced them, either, given the number of issues I saw. Probably it was just the fact that they had to approach the fences off the wicked, bending line which started back at Fence #8. It was waaaaaaay too easy to not get yourself set up right. And yes, in case you are wondering, they DID have the option to take the bounce route through the inside/lower part of the vee. Out of all the riders I eventually watched go, only two did that. Personally, I found that a little puzzling; I'm not sure if it's because they thought that way was too easy, or too hard (unlike me to not have asked someone). Besides, I like bounces. I am anxiously awaiting what I hope will be a written analysis of this course in an upcoming issue of one of my magazines!

If you can make out some of my dotted lines there on the course map, you can see the riders also had many options when it came to finding routes to the jumps. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen any kind of hunter course, Big Eq or not, with quite that many options. It was truly mind-boggling! For example, there were three different routes you could take just from #2 to #3a, and then they could pick which side of the "3" jumps they wanted to do. I think virtually everyone did the lower pair (as seen on that map). Once out of there, they had three choices of how to get to #4a!

Before you get any more confused, here's a video of someone's ride in Round 1. This youngster is maybe 13 years old, and in her first year of showing at 3'6", so her trip is not the smoothest. In comparison, here's someone else who did a really nice job. BUT, she didn't make the flat phase, either.

Who did? Hee hee hee... when I got back to the Arena after Wendy dropped me off, they were on about #138 in the order of go. I asked someone how Sarah did, and what do you suppose was the answer? She was first in the callbacks so far! FIRST! I nearly fell off my chair. Sure wish I could have seen that ride, and unfortunately, I am unable to find any video of it. Oh, well, I couldn't be two places at once and I certainly enjoyed meeting Ollie and Toby.

I settled in and began watching rounds. One rider I was anxious to see was Kalvin Dobbs. His name was familiar and I'm still not sure why; it's either because I saw him here at a Regional, or because he was a top rider in a previous Maclay Final. This time he didn't do too well. Megan Bifano, who came in second here, had a very good trip. Another girl who I recognized from our Regional, along with that "poker-face" girl, did not have good rides (I was not too sorry about the latter, I'm afraid: she was just as odd here as she had been at home. Can we say "Stepford Rider"?). Neither did either of the boys from here who I thought had no business finishing as highly as they had. Interesting.

Round 1 finally ended at about 3:30 PM (it had started at 7:00 AM), and the preternaturally fast crew was back zooming around collecting the jumps and dragging. The riders came back for the flat phase in three waves of 12, in reverse order of preference from the judges. Guess who was still in first place?? That's right, Miss Sarah. I was incredulous and delighted!

Notable in their absence during the flat phase were Lillie Keenan, who won the International Hunter Derby Finals over her trainers and who has done extremely well in other Big Eq classes this year (and finished 5th in last year's Maclay), and a certain young lady who was the owner of those five horses I saw show in the local Hunter Derby. Notable in their presence were four boys, all of whom made the top group. I'd say this is statistically significant because only 14 of the original 198 riders were male (as far as I can tell from the list - some of those names are a bit ambiguous, like "Hasbrouck." I just happen to know she was a girl.) What is the deal with the boys? Let's just say, I was not impressed with two of them. At all. Another one looked pretty good, and one I liked very much, but I'm sorry, the boys just tend to have crummy posture and that drives me crazy.

The flat classes went by pretty quickly - the usual deal of w/t/c/lengthen trot/lengthen canter - and we all waited to see who'd make the final 18. I wound up being quite pleased with myself, because all three of the riders I liked best from Group 2 advanced to the final round (nobody from Group 1 went all the way up). This included Megan Bifano, so I had someone else to root for.

The jumps were reset in a new course (I am sorry, but I didn't get a map), and I'm sure the riders were not thrilled to see their old friend the fan jump was back... and the first element had to be trotted. They were coming from the other direction, though. Here are some kids and trainers checking it out during the course walk:

After this jump combination, the riders were supposed to hand gallop to the next fence. I say "supposed to" because unfortunately, I didn't see very many true gallops. In my humble opinion, they also had had the chance to gallop to the final fence in Round 1 and practically no one did - I know from reading past Maclay summaries that judges are favorably impressed when a hand gallop is offered, so why not? Guess most people are afraid they won't be able see a good distance. Anyway, it was a "required" element of the Final Round course here and still not all of them did it. A slightly faster canter ain't cuttin' it kids, I want to hear those hooves thumping in the dirt! It really was rather frustrating. I found myself leaning forward in my seat trying to urge the horses on!

I kept very detailed notes on all 18 trips in the final round. Once again, the riders were called back in reverse order. The first rider performed her gallop admirably; I thought the rest of her round was good, too. And luckily, here it is for you to see! Most people did really well. A few probably left the ring and burst into hysterical tears (I know I would have) like the boy whose horse decided that now was the time to be pissy and nearly refuse a jump. It was NOT rider error. Poor Megan from my Regional rode 7th and had one of the worst rounds, with a bunch of sticky fences.

Speaking of boys, there was a big roar from the crowd when the one who I really didn't care for (initials CB) entered the ring for Round 2. Clearly he was a favorite and I actually did recognize his name; he finished 2nd in the Maclay in '09 (was not in the top 10 last year), and has a string of major Big Eq wins under his belt. I'm sure he is a perfectly nice young man and he did put in a lovely round, but I just cannot forgive his bent back and dare I say it, heavy seat. This is again, my humble opinion - maybe I'm crazy and I don't want a Googling posse on my tail, so that's why I'm just using initials here!

Another boy, Michael Hughes, who I did like very much, was called back on top for this round. Sarah was second and by the time she rode, let me tell you, I was a nervous wreck. However, her round, along with those of two other girls who were called back third and fourth, was clearly superior to Michael's. My nerves were then not helped when the judges announced that there would be further testing for the three girls...  apparently only one point separated them. Surprise, surprise, they were asked to switch horses and re-ride the Round 2 course. Grooms were allowed in the ring to help and I had a friend who was following online exclaim on FB, "Since when are grooms invited in there to do the tack and give a leg up???" I guess that is a relatively new wrinkle. My friend (along with some other folks) thought it was pretty stupid, considering this is supposed to be a horsemanship test and they should be able to tack and mount from the ground by themselves.

Elizabeth Benson went first aboard Sarah's horse, and I thought that although she did a great job, there was room above her. Come to find out she actually lost a stirrup - I didn't see that, but apparently Terrapin Station put in a big jump she didn't expect. Demi Stiegler went next and I felt was not quite as good, especially in the gallop. Then came Sarah. I was practically hyperventilating at this point and could hardly stand to watch. I held my breath... good pace... good jump... good trot through the fan... good gallop... SHE NAILED IT!!! There were a couple of knocks but boy, did she ever perform! Here is video of all three final rides.

Here's another look at Sarah's final two rides (watch your volume control!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=753uN1v8tAA I hope you will agree that she did a phenomenal job!

When they announced Demi in second place and we knew that Sarah had the win (though I'd really had no doubt), I went completely nuts. I mean, tears pouring down my face, screaming my head off nuts. I ask you, what are the chances that the one rider I knew about first-hand, the one rider I'd been so wowed by, would actually win the whole darn thing, out of 197 people??  I still just can't believe she won. I don't know how to find the exact statistics, but I don't think too many Region 5 riders - from Oklahoma, no less! - have taken first place in the past. Sarah is also not one of the "big names" in Big Eq, and according to several people I asked, certainly was not considered a favorite. Like it or not, we all know that reputation definitely has an impact on horse show placings, so I think it is just extra-marvelous that she won. Here she is getting all her goodies:

A group of people sitting behind me were yelling and carrying on just as loudly as I was. After all the hoopla had died down a little bit, I talked to one of them and found out she was the wife of one of Sarah's trainers. I was delighted to learn that Sarah is wonderful, polite down-to-earth kid who has not been spoon-fed expensive horses her whole life. Oh, no: this was a boot-strap operation to some extent, with her whole family including Grandma pitching in to help. She truly earned these accolades. In a news article I found, her (I think part-time) trainer Don Stewart said, "Any horse I put her on, she gets the job done... she really is a natural." From what I've seen, I completely agree. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving, All!

Racehorses Who Are Now Showhorses

Before I left for Kentucky, I contacted Wendy Uzelac Wooley, writer of the wonderful "From Racehorse To Showhorse" blog that I've been reading for a couple years. I was very pleased when she said we could get together and I could come and meet her two horses! Wendy moved to Lexington about a year ago after marrying fellow equine photographer Matt Wooley. I'm just a teeny-weeny bit jealous... living in the Bluegrass... photographing gorgeous farms/horses/animals every day (and weddings, which I also love)... having two beautiful TBs of her own... one of them grey... I mean, gosh, why would I be?? ;-)

We first connected on Saturday night at the horse show. I can report that Wendy's even prettier in person and just as nice as I expected. :-) She and Matt sat at one end of the arena and took some fabulous pictures of the Grand Prix horses. I sat in the middle and took crappy ones with my phone - some things are definitely best left to the pros, hah! (Although some of my fellow bloggers do manage to take very respectable amateur photos. I really do need a good camera one of these days.) We arranged for her to pick me up the next morning at the Arena and take me to her barn.

Good thing we did, too, because I never would have found the place on my own! The Bluegrass region is home to a couple major superhighways, some heavily-trafficked main roads, a few minor roads and approximately three hundred thousand not very well-marked maybe-one-and-a-half-car-width "lanes" that wind in and around the farms. It was the latter we traversed for some time in Wendy's truck to get to her boarding place. Did I mention it's not a small truck, either?? I asked her, with no little trepidation, "What do you do if someone is coming the other way?" It is important to note that a lot of these narrow lanes are bordered by beautiful but substantial-looking stone fences and trees. Not a whole lot of places to go if someone comes pelting around a corner. She kind of shrugged and said, "Well, usually someone will yield and pull off to the side." Okay, then. I resigned myself to my fate and spent my time rubbernecking at all the simply beautiful farms we were passing.

One of these farms, Winter Quarter, was right near Wendy's barn. If that place name rings a bell, it's because that is where the great and wonderful Zenyatta was born. Even though it looked like any other (lovely) place in the Bluegrass, I was pretty tickled to see it. You know that every time a new little TB foal hits the ground, the breeder is hoping the next Super Horse/Derby/Classic winner has been born. I love to think about all the potential world-beaters I saw romping around the fields or in utero in the many broodmares I saw. The owner of Winter Quarter has been to see Zenny fairly recently, now that she's nearby at Lane's End - I wonder if she remembers him?

We also passed seemingly endless miles of Darley and Shadwell property. The former is owned by "Sheikh Mo," as he is colloquially known. From the website: Darley is HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s global breeding operation which currently stands stallions in six countries around the world. Shadwell is owned by Sheikh Mo's brother, who keeps a much lower profile. They stand the mighty Invasor who if we'd had time, I might have been able to catch a glimpse of. Wendy also pointed out a white TB who lives on the farm right next to hers, who she's been watching since he was a little fellow. I think different-colored Thoroughbreds are really cool and would not mind having one myself. When I get around to blogging about my first fall visit to Lexington, I'll show you one that was really wild-looking and causing a sensation at the Keeneland Sale.

Wendy's two horses live in a really nice place. The barn is a common type for the area, i.e. a converted tobacco barn. I have been told these make great horse barns because of the excellent ventilation (they are by no means "air tight," having deliberate spaces between the boards to facilitate drying of tobacco leaves). Ollie and Toby get to spend most of their time out in a huge pasture with some friends:

As you can see, it was a simply gorgeous day. It must have rained fairly recently and made some mud somewhere, though, because dear Ollie had rolled thoroughly and was covered in dried muck. Naturally Toby the bay horse was spotless! Wendy and I walked about halfway down the fence line to the gate where the boys were waiting. She haltered Toby, clipped on his lead and I was allowed to bring him back up to the barn. He was quite a gentleman even though he was definitely eager to get to his grain!

You can see what a mess Ollie was - leave it to the grey/white horse.

 Here's what the guys eat:

I don't know what Ollie's main feed is but Toby gets Triple Crown Senior (pictured right). He hasn't eaten this for all that long but Wendy is very pleased with how he's doing on it. [As a side note, when I got back to the horse show I happened to walk by the Triple Crown booth, so I told them I'd just met a horse who liked their Senior feed very much. The lady offered to give me the open bag they had on display when the show ended! Unfortunately, I had no way to get it back to my car, but being fond of "giveaways" I was very tempted to try and get this to Wendy. Something to keep in mind next time you're at a trade show with exhibiting grain manufacturers.]

Ollie has been having a bit of trouble with choke (Wendy just had him checked by the vet and fortunately, he's fine, just greedy, so wetted-down food is in his future) so we watched them eat and then pulled Ollie out for a bit of grooming. We were able to get him looking pretty decent and less like a fake Pinto. :-) Wendy said we could take some photos to commemorate my visit, and first we got this with my trusty iPhone:

Then I was lucky enough to be the beneficiary of Wendy's photographic expertise. She shut the door at the far end of the barn and I stood with the horses at the open end with the sun shining full on us. This somehow creates a black background. These were the nifty result!

Thank you SOO much, Wendy, for this terrific experience - I can't wait to see the photos from your upcoming dressage show with Ollie!

[Off-Topic: I was applying stuff to my face this morning, when to my great amusement, I suddenly realized that my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion smelled a whole lot like Lexol. This shouldn't surprise anyone; after all, both products are used for softening animal hide! ;-) Nevertheless, I would like to think my skin is slightly less tanned than your average saddle or bridle. I apply sunscreen religiously. I've already had one basal cell carcinoma removed and a bunch of biopsies done so I make every effort to be careful (even if my brothers are fond of calling me Casper on the beach). I do wonder why I've never noticed this similarity before... I think it's because my current bottle of DD is rather old, so the scent must be stronger. Anyway, I thought this was just hilarious and I will enjoy my facial routine all the more! Not sure if I should mention it to the nice lady at the Clinique counter, though, next time I go shopping?? :-)]

Behind The Scenes At The National

Following the Grand Prix, I was not ready to go home yet. It was time to do some exploring, specifically of the Arena and any other interesting area I could get into... like, say, the barns. I had little hope of accomplishing the latter since I figured there'd be an Exhibitor pass required, but I thought I'd scope things out anyway.

But first I had some other urgent business: what was for sale here? Checking out vendor booths is always lots of fun for this dedicated window shopper. I figured if the prices of stuff I liked were anything like they were at the WEG I wasn't going to buy a thing (e.g. $25 for a commemorative t-shirt), but it never hurts to look. I started out on a circuit around the Arena. It really is a nice setup, with a wide concourse just made for exhibits around the whole place.

My faux-shopping plans were derailed in a hurry, though, when I quickly stumbled upon a hospitality area set up for the VIPs. There were a number of presumably well-heeled individuals present in black tie and they needed to be wined and dined while watching the show. Apparently they were willing to include the riders in this little bash post-GP because I spotted a couple right away. I am not embarking on a career as a paparazzo anytime soon, since these blurry pictures were the best I could do (without looking like some kind of weird stalker - I'm not shy but taking someone's picture when they don't know it is icky). I kind of recognized both of these guys but I do not know who they are. If YOU do, please tell me!

Balding rider in blue jacket w/ burgundy lapels is the one who caught my eye, but I guess the fellow in the red vest was also a competitor.

This guy was young, good-looking and holding court for a bevy of attractive females. A rough life, indeed!

A local fine art gallery had some works on display in this VIP area for sale. I literally gasped aloud when I spotted this group of pencil sketches:

Holy cow! I instantly recognized these as original illustrations by CW Anderson, one of my most favorite horse artists ever. These were done for the book "The Blind Connemara" which I probably read a half-dozen times, just like all of his books. Boy, would I like to own something like this... but at $6,000 for the set, I guess it's not going to be anytime soon (try ever). There was also this print, which I thought was interesting because it reminded me of the fabled "dogs" painting that inspired the Jacksons to name Barbaro and his brothers after them (not sure why, because I've never even seen that painting!):

There were a number of people selling jewelry, but further along the concourse I came across this vendor's wares. Ooh la la... I could just go crazy over this stuff.

It was truly the nicest equestrian jewelry I think I've ever seen; all the proportions were just right (a frequent error in this genre, I've noticed) and the details were perfect. This is my dream pendant:

Those are tiny diamonds set across the tread. I like English stirrup motif pieces because they aren't generic "horse" jewelry. I also like things with horse shoes, for example, and have several, but a Fillis iron clearly proclaims the wearer as an English rider and I think that's cool. Right now I have a cheapo Finish Line brand gold-filled stirrup pendant which is starting to show silver edges. Some day I hope to replace it with the real deal but with the price of gold skyrocketing, that, too will have to wait (and of course I'd rather be financing a real horse, anyway). (I wonder if the gold chain is included for $655? I didn't ask because unless he was going to give me a 90% discount I couldn't afford it anyway, LOL).

I went past a restaurant that was part of the complex and it was really hopping with people and more riders. I spotted Richard Spooner near the front of the throng. This affair was clearly the big apres-Grand Prix event. Lots of throbbing heads on Sunday morning, I would bet!

While I was wandering around, the Arena jump crew was busy taking down the GP fences and dragging the ring. All of this was done at warp speed. Seriously, there were about 25 crew people and they were unbelievably fast and efficient. The dudes driving the tractors were hauling around at about 30 mph, neatly avoiding the people on foot. I would have been petrified to be in there but this group operated like a well-oiled machine.

The Maclay contenders were then allowed in to exercise their horses:

And look what I found on display? The very thing they were all aiming to win. What a gorgeous trophy!

Solid sterling silver. Used to be lots of horse events handed out silver - I have a few itty-bitty plates myself - but not anymore! Glad the Maclay still does it right.

It was time to head out so I returned to my car and drove out of the Arena parking lot. As I said, I figured I couldn't get near the barns. So imagine my surprise when I noticed as I cruised slowly by that there didn't seem to be any security checkpoints near them (located very close behind the Arena). Hmmm... I parked again (in the media area, which was largely deserted by then) and headed that way. Nobody stopped me. I was wearing an equestrian-type jacket and my paddock boots with some khaki pants, so I guess I kind of looked the part - maybe that helped? But actually there was simply no one around. It was kind of spooky, to tell you the truth. Usually barns are full of activity and it was only about a half hour/45 minutes since the GP had wrapped up. Where were the grooms? How come some stranger was allowed near what I'm sure was some very costly horseflesh?

Soon, I was standing in a barn and checking out this fine fellow and his neighbor:

I'm pretty sure both these horses competed in the Grand Prix. Why else would they be standing in such massively-bedded stalls, with heavily-poulticed legs? Both of them also had buckets of concentrates that they were not eating. One held grain, and the other what I would assume was a mash or else soaked grain. It made me sad that they weren't eating. Again, why were these guys by themselves? All I can say is if it was MY horse, I would have been hovering nearby to see if he cleaned up his after-work meal. They both looked completely disinterested and ignored me to boot.

Bran mash? 

The barns and stalls were really nice here and obviously well-maintained. I left the barn where these two horses were (not just without human company, there weren't even any other horses there in the whole rest of the structure) and went into another. A few more horses were to be found, also sans any human presence. I said hello to them and then lit out for my car before anyone did come around and question me. The whole experience was a bit unsettling; I mean, even here at home at our C-rated shows there are always people in the barns. I guess the quality of the parties at the NHS was a lot better, and everyone was out whooping it up? I just know if I was an unscrupulous sort or God forbid, a representative of PETA, I could have caused a lot of mayhem when nobody was looking!

Here's another horse resting in his spacious stall:

And last but not least, a close look at the National Horse Show ribbons:

While these are pretty nice, and do have the medallions in the middle, would you believe this type is ALL the winner of the Grand Prix got?? No neck ribbon, no extra-long regular ribbon. I'll tell you, I may not agree with everything/a lot of what the gaited horse people get up to, but by golly, they DO know how to properly adorn their winners! Come on, hunt seat world, get a clue: people actually do like all that folderol. It makes for attractive stabling areas if nothing else. :-)

I finally left the KHP and headed back to my friend's house. I had a fun excursion planned for Sunday morning...

 Next Up: My Visit To A Fellow Blogger's Barn!