Violet's first real Spring Day '07!

This photo was taken by Deb, a friend who boards her mare, Vantasy, at Breezy Acres. It was the first truly warm day of Spring, March 21st, and Deb and I both snuck out of work in order to visit our girls. I just took Violet's winter blanket off for the final time this winter. She just had a roll and is covered in mud and dirt, but look at her sweet eye and pleasant expression. I am looking forward to giving her a bath and getting both of us some muscle tone. Look at my little round belly and her scrawniness! We are ready to shake off the end-of-winter blues!!!! We are standing by her stall, Lucky #7, from which she has views of a big pasture and then she can peek toward the house. She's got a very comfortable, safe home!!

Hailee at Showgate!

Here is a picture of Hailee at her comfortable home at Showgate Stables out in Grand Rapids, Ohio. She just finished a surcingle round pen session with her trainer, Barbie Valentine. Hailee was one of the happy horses cared for by the Valentine family. We were very blessed for Hailee to live at such an impeccable barn with such a caring family. Namaste to Barbie, Doug, and Pat!

Spanish Pilgrim in Las Herrerias

This morning was one of my favorite one's of my life. Anita and I were on our pilgrimage, and we had just walked from Trabadelo and had arrived just this moment in Las Herrerias. We were staying in a lovely hostel overlooking a large green pasture with pelicans, and I saw these two Spanish pilgrims on horseback in a stream with an ancient pilgrim fountain. I ran up and took a photo of this gentleman. Can you believe that I got to see this moment in history!? I knew it was a special day because as we were walking in the cool morning, an elderly woman gazed down on us from her window and blew us a gentle blessing kiss! I was full-on working through my crush on a Spanish family, Pascual Y Pilar and their handsome foresting engineer son, Pascual. Plus, I was about to spend a day eating great Spanish food, talking to cows and cats, and smoking cuban cigarettes. What a day!!!!

Violet's English Triple Crown Relatives!

So, we have a Triple Crown series in the United States with the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. But England has had a Triple Crown Series for many years before our young one! Their Triple Crown consists of the 2,000 Guineas (at 1 mile), the Epsom Derby (at 1 1/2 miles), and the St. Leger Stakes (at 1 mile 6 furlongs and 127 yds). Of the 15 English Triple Crown winners, I found after a casual search that Violet is related to 9 of them! She's related to the very first four, and then her last Triple Crown winner was in 1918. Here are her famous English Triple Crown family members: West Australian (1853), Gladiateur (1865), Lord Lyon (1866), Ormonde (1886), Isinglass (1893), Flying Fox (1899), Rock Sand (1903), Gay Crusader (1917) and Gainsborough (1918). The last English Triple Crown winner was in 1970, by the name of Nijinsky. Gainsborough, Violet's most recent English Triple Crown family winner, is in the photo. His sire was Bayardo who also sired Gay Crusader. Gainsborough's dam was Rosedrop, a filly who won the 1910 Epsom Oaks. When Gainsborough retired, he had a brilliant stud career and produced many stakeswinners, such as Violet's Hyperion, and also produced many major studs and breeding mares. Suave, as well as fast! You can read more about the English Triple Crown and Gainsborough at the following links:

http://www.sportingchronicle.com/racing/englishtriplecrown.html

http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument;jsessionid=3FF8916E880D7EC8C17217C47121DCEB?id=868

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gainsborough_(horse)

Edgar Degas and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris

So, on my morning walks in Paris, I would always pass the Musee d'Orsay which is one of my favorite museums on earth, being placed within a redesigned train station. Groovy! Here is where I saw Edgar Degas paintings about horse racing, including this one The Parade. Check out more about this fabulous horsey museum at:

http://www.musee-orsay.fr/ORSAY/AccueilMO/HTML.NSF/c5ad27560274b3dfc125642800567d48/322da73321db3942c1256714004e756a?OpenDocument

Hailee and Violet's Equipoise!!!

Hailee and Violet are related to one of the most famous handicap horses of all time! Equipoise was born in 1928, and his record was 59-29-10-4. He earned $338,610 in his lifetime and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1957. He was also voted the #21 of the Top 100 20th century race horses by Blood Horse magazine. Among his many stakes wins, he won the Pimlico and Whitney. He was called the Chocolate Soldier by his fans. He was the U.S. Champion 2 year-old in 1930, and U.S. Champion Older Horse in 1932, 1933, 1934. He was Horse of the Year in 1932 and 1933, a rare feat to be voted twice. He died young, but was voted Leading Sire in North America in 1942. In the Pimlico, he was left at the gate, but then raced so fast that he raced right out of 2 of his shoes. His jockey, Sonny Workman was asked whether that Pimlico was his greatest race. He replied, "My greatest race? Hell, it may have been the greatest race anybody ever saw." He carried heavy weight. In fact, he gave 26 lbs to the runner-up, but still won the Metropolitan. He also set a world record at Arlington Park. He appears at least twice in Hailee's pedigree through her Top Deck line. Equipoise was bred to Frilette, Man 'O War's daughter from a cross to Frillery, Broomstick's daughter. Broomstick is the sire of Equipoise's mom, Swinging, as well as the sire of the mom of Equipoise's Frilette -- a double Broomstick cross on the dam side of the grandparent line. Equipoise produced Equestrian, the AQHA Hall of Fame sire and sire of Top Deck. So, this royal pedigree is part of Hailee's Easy Jet line. For Hailee, Equipoise appears on both the sire and dam side of her daddy. For the sire of her daddy, Speckled E.T., it goes Jagajet, Easy Jet, Jet Deck, Moon Deck, Top Deck, Equestrian, and Equipoise! For Violet, he appears at least once in her Classicist line where he is helping to make another great Handicap horse, Stymie. You can read more about Equipoise at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equipoise_(horse)

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=66

or

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,745970,00.html

Personal Ensign and my Girls!

In 1984 Personal Ensign was born. She is an amazing mare. At age 2, she broke her left rear pastern and required a surgical implantation of 4 stainless steel screws. She came back from this major event by having a perfect race record. She raced 13 times for 13 wins! Among her stakes wins was a 1988 Breeder's Cup win in a muddy field of 9 horses, including Goodbye Halo and Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors. She came from far behind to win by a nose in what is considered the most exciting finish in Breeders Cup History. She retired following this race as the first undefeated champion in American racing in over 80 years! She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1993 and was voted by Blood Horse as the #48 of the Top 100 race horses of the 20th century. She earned the Eclipse Award for U.S. Champion Older female in 1988, and earned $1,679,880. She was voted Kentucky Broodmare of the Year in 1996. Her last foal was a 2006 colt by Forest Wildcat. She's now pensioned as of this year at Claiborne Farm and the breeding shed manager said that at age 22, "She's still in good shape, looks good, and gets around fine. She'll be spending time out in the field with other mares." She's an amazing example of the importance of animal biomedical research. She required major orthpedic surgery and then in her breeding career, she needed major uterine surgery. My girls are related to Personal Ensign in numerous ways. They share these recent relatives: War Admiral, Hyperion, Gainsborough, Man 'O War, Swynford, Isinglass, Pharos, Canterbury Pilgrim, Teddy, Blue Larkspur, Sweep, Ben Brush, La Troienne, Nasrullah, and Princequillo. You can read more about this champion mare at the following sites! Make sure you read the news story about her thrilling "come from behind" victory in the Breeders Cup or perhaps her trouncing of the boys in the Whitney Handicap.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Ensign

or

http://breeding.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=35388

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=117

or

http://horseracing.about.com/library/blpensign.htm

Violet's Jaipur!!! The most exciting horse race in history!

Jaipur was born in 1959 and won the Belmont Stakes in 1962. He received the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3 year-old Male Horse. He started 19 times, won 10 and placed 6. His lifetime earnings were $618,926. He not only won the Belmont, but also the Withers, and Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Track. This latter race was voted by Blood Horse as one of the top moments in racing history. They wrote about it in their 2006 book Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments. Jaipur won by a fraction of a nose over Ridan in track record time! His jockey was the world famous Willie Shoemaker. He is the son of Nasrullah out of Rare Perfume, Damsire of Eight-Thirty. He's also the great-great-grandpa on the dam side of Violet's dam! Violet's family is so accomplished -- what a lucky beautiful fast girl. I'll write about her Dosage Index in an upcoming Blog! Stay tuned! You can read more about Jaipur at the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaipur_(horse)

My Little Hailee Bunster!!

When Hailee lived at Showgate Stables, I used to love to just visit and hang out with her. I'd put her in the outdoor ring and she and I would goof off. On this day, she took a roll in the sandy mud and got this wild dirt pattern on her side. She is a very sweet and sassy girl. One of my favorite things to do on the face of this earth was to go out and put her out in the pasture at the end of a workday, and just read the New York Times while she had a pre-dinner snack of green grass. I think she liked relaxing with me in the late afternoon. I know that I enjoyed my time sitting around with her! Hope she's having a blast in Kentucky!

Dreaming of Anna -- Kentucky Oaks Contender

The Kentucky Oaks is run every Friday before the Derby and has run since 1875. The Oaks has a purse of $500,000. This year, one of the early contenders is Dreaming of Anna, pictured here. Do you see a resemblance with Violet? I hope so! They are heavily related. Blushing Groom is Dreaming of Anna's grandpa on her sire side, and Violet's great-grandpa on her sire's side! Dreaming of Anna has won many races so far, including the $2 million Breeders Cup for Juvenile Fillies last year. She is owned by Frank Calabrese who named her after his sister, Anna Andersen, who passed away at age 48 from cancer. Dreaming of Anna earned the 2006 Eclipse Award for Champion 2 year-old filly and not only is she expected to be a potential winner of the Oaks, she is scheduled to breed with Storm Cat for the 2007 season! Lucky girl! She is related to both Violet and Hailee, of course, and is profoundly related to Violet through shared pedigrees with the following relatives (among many): Blushing Groom, Count Fleet, War Admiral, Man 'O War, Nasrullah, and Princequillo. You can read more about this classy little filly at the following link -- where you can watch a few videos of her as well:

http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&style=purple&id=21701

Violet's Discovery!!

Violet is related to a gentleman whose nicknames included "The Iron Horse" and "The Big Train." Discovery earned $195,287 during his track life, with a 63-27-10-10 record. Among his starts, he won The Brooklyn Handicap and Whitney Stakes three times (1934, 1935, 1936), with the latter he won twice by 10 lengths! He won the Detroit Challenge Cup by 30 lengths, and also won the Arlington Handicap. When he was running, he carried an average of 31 lbs. He was voted U.S. Champion Handicap horse twice! And he won the 1935 Horse of the Year! That latter achievement was amazing because he was named Horse of the Year in the same year as Omaha won the Triple Crown. It was the first and only time in history that a Triple Crown winner wasn't named Horse of the Year. Not surprisingly, Blood Horse voted him #37 of the Top 100 race horses of the 20th Century. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1969. Turf Historian, John Hervey, said of Discovery, " There is no other horse in the entire range of Turf history, American or foreign, that ever attempted to do anything so tremendous or came anywhere near Discovery in doing it so successfully." He has a race named after him, "The Discover" which was originally run at Belmont Park and is now at Aqueduct. This grandson of Fairplay, born in Lexington, had a 21 year stallion career and is so very famous for producing amazing daughters. Among his kids are Bail Bond, Conniver, Dark Discovery, Geisha (dam of Native Dancer), Miss Disco (dam of Bold Ruler), My Recipe, and Traffic Court (dam of Hasty Road). Violet shares in this rich pedigree through Traffic Court who bore Hasty Road (winner of the Preakness Stakes). Hasty Road's child Third Martini was bred to War Admiral and Count Fleet's grandchild, Three Fingers, to make Three Martinis, great-grandpa on her damsire side! You can read more about Discovery at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_(horse)

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=59

or

http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/discovery.html

Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy

Here is a photo on top of the Torre del Mangia, the bell tower of the Palazzo Publico in the Piazza del Campo in Siena. This is a shell-shaped plaza, site of the twice-yearly run Palio. The Palio has been running for centuries and is a race pitted between horses representing the 17 Contrade of Siena. Each Contrade has its own flag and symbolic animal. To climb this tower takes 306 steps. I've been very fortunate in my life. As a child, I read about this place in a book, Gaudenzia, Pride of the Palio, by Marguerite Henry. Then in 2002, I went to Siena and stood in the Piazza and climbed all the narrow steps up the tower to look out over the place where the Palio has run for centuries and out onto the Italian countryside. It was a mind-blowing experience! You can learn more about this historically significant race and the details of the lovely neighborhoods at:

http://www.aboutsiena.com/palio-of-Siena.html

Hailee's First Show!

In 2005, Hailee was becoming quite a young lady. She had just turned 5 and was starting in dressage and some beginning jumping classes. So, Sandy, an instructor in our area, took Hailee and I to a show at Robert's Lieway Stables. Hailee was gorgeaus after her bath and the most impressive wonderful thing is that she just jumped right onto the trailer to go to the show and then to come home. She was a champion! And she had a really good time at the show. She liked seeing all the action! She liked her stall. She thought it was fun to watch all the other horses. Punky was one of the horses with us, and he fell in love with Hailee. Every time, she left her stall to go to a class or for a ride, lunge, or bath, you could hear him crying forlornly for her throughout the whole show grounds. Hailee was a gorgeaus big blood bay girl with lots of beauty and spirit at her first show.

Gallorette and My Girls!!

Gallorette was foaled in 1942 out of Challenger and Gallette. She was voted top filly in a 1955 training poll. She had 72 starts, won 21, placed 20, and was third 13 times. She was retired in 1948, the richest filly of her day! In her best season, she defeated the boys, including Stymie who she beat twice!! She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame the year before my birth, 1962. My girls are related to this macho girl through several lines, including Sir Gallahad, Swynford, Ajax, Orme, Vampire, Galopin, Isonomy, Stockwell, Pocahontas, and Hindoo. You can read more about this big-moving girl at the following links:

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=79

or

http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/gallorette.html

Violet's Eight Thirty

Violet is related to Eight Thirty, a sire who was voted by Blood Horse magazine as the #78 Top Race Horse of the 20th Century. He has an AQHA listing as well. During his track life, he earned $155,475 and raced 27 times, for 16 wins, 3 seconds, and 5 thirds. In one month alone, he won 4 important stakes races. When he was 3, he won 7 of 10 starts, and in his 4th and 5th year, he won 6 of 10. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1994. During his stud life, he sired 44 stakes winners from 299 foals, for a 15% stakes percentage. His nickname was "The Perfect Gentleman." Awwww. That's so sweet. Now I can see why Violet is the nicest biggest kitten of a girl. In Violet's family, Eight Thirty was bred to Fragrance to produce Rare Perfume. Rare Perfume was bred to Nasrullah to produce Jaipur. His owner and breeder, George D. Widener, Jr. is one of only four people ever named an Exemplar of Racing, and he served as President of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame from 1960-1968. Violet's beautiful gentleman lived to the distinguished age of 29 and his horse-loving owner lived to 82. You can read more about this handsome fellow at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Thirty

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=63

or

http://www.thoroughbredreview.com/unheralded.htm

Hailee's Bubbling Over

My girl, Hailee, is related to Bubbling Over, the 1926 Kentucky Derby Winner and sire to Burgoo King, also a Derby winner. In these photos you see both Bubbling Over and his son. Bubbling Over was blind when he won the Derby. He raced 13 times, won 10, placed twice, and showed 1. He won such races as the Nursery Handicap, Champagne Stakes, Blue Grass Stakes and placed at the Pimlico and Breeders Futurities. For Hailee, he was bred to Algeria who had lots of Fair Play and Whisk Broom. Their daughter, Airegla was bred to Bimelech, the winner of both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, and son of Black Toney, a very famous sire. Hailee has a family cemetary at Darby Dan Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. You can read more about Bubbling Over at:

http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/Graves/cem/GraveMattersDarbyDan.html

or

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2002/derby_history/derby_charts/years/1926.html

or

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,751479-1,00.html

Churchill Downs and me

I've never actually been inside Churchill Downs, but I've travelled by it several times. Once my parents and I went to the parking lot to see the Twin Spires. And several times, on various drives south or north, I've driven by this historical place. When I was with my parents, we wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby museum, but it was closed. Some day, I look forward to visiting here in person, so that I can learn more about my girls' winning family.

http://www.churchilldowns.com

http://www.derbymuseum.org/

Violet as a Young Girl!

While I was in Spain, Violet was at Showgate Stables in training. When I got back, I got to meet her for the second time and get to know her. She was beautiful and lovely and looked like what she was -- princess royalty from a long line of royal thoroughbreds. But she was girly and lithe and young too. She had lived her life outdoors in pasture and was bleached out and thin in that young girl, growth spurt way. It was fun to get to know her. On the day that I purchased her and she was moving to her new home, my cousin, Jane, came to help and take photos. We put leg wraps on her and left her tied in the aisleway, and my cousin and I stepped outside to talk with Pat and Doug Valentine while we were waiting for Violet's trailer. Violet gave the most girly little whinny -- "Don't leave me with these scary leg wraps!" She was cute as a button as she walked with the wraps -- she was nothing but legs and she was walking like a flamingo to the trailer. Just beautiful. My beautiful girl!

Toulouse Lautrec and his Circus Horses!

In May 2005, my family met in Chicago at Uncle Rick's house for a reunion. Vicki and I went to the Chicago Art Museum one morning to view the Toulouse Lautrec exhibit. It was fabulous. They organized the exhibit, so that you would learn about Montmartre where he lived, and his friends and enemies, and his lovers and crushes. One part of the exhibit was especially sad. He was addicted to drugs and an alcoholic, and very ill because of his own infirmities. So, he was put into a sanitarium. He earned his "release" from the sanitarium, by painting scenes from the circus from memory. So, the exhibit ended with this room filled, just filled, with fabulous, glorious, over-the-top circus horses! Once he was released, Toulouse went home to be ill and died in his mother's arms. Another great thing about that day was that Vicki and I got lost and we stopped our car and asked this man on the street to give us directions. He was this beautiful Black man -- glorious kind eyes, lovely voice, and just radiating sexiness. He finished his directions and stepped away from the car and Vicki and I just looked at each other a bit speechless. Truly without words. We both were just thinking, "Well, we should just get lost more often!" Anyway, you can read more about this tremendous art show at the following link:

http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/toulouseinfo.htm

Hailee and I have a Kentucky Moment

Hailee moved to Kentucky in May 2006. She was beautiful, polished, groomed, glossy. And she was on her way to make new friends, get in touch with her horsey nature, and get ready to become a mother. I missed her so much. I didn't visit her until October, but I was sending her lots of love in my thoughts. So, I went to visit Barbie, Tom, and their new baby, KT, on this beautiful sunlit day. They walked me to the pasture where she lives with her friends and Hailee was way in the distance on a small hill. I was afraid she wouldn't remember or love me. But she gave me a terrific Hollywood Moment! Just like in the movies, she galloped to the fenceline -- made straight for me. And she was bossy about keeping the space just for me and her, though her other horsie friends were trying to get treats and love too. Hailee knew me and it was clear that she loved me. She let me touch her ears, hang with her, love her up. She gave me lots of face time. I just love that beautiful girl! I am so very thankful for the experience Barbie and Tom are giving her.

My Girls are Ruffians!

What can be said about Ruffian? She was born in 1972, never defeated, never headed. Every time she raced in her 8 stakes races, she won and set a record. She won the Filly Triple Crown just breezing along. She perished in a match race against Foolish Pleasure. Her jockey, Jacinto Vasquez, had the choice to ride either horse in the match race and he chose the big black girl. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1976. My girls are heavily directly related to this wonder of a girl. I am awed. I remember with vivid clarity the day Ruffian died. We were living in Canada, and mom and I were watching the news and heard the story. Violet and Hailee are related across every single branch of Ruffian's family tree. They share many relatives, including Nasrullah, Sweep, Domino, Traffic Court, Sir Gallahad, Plucky Liege, Teddy, Broomstick, Blue Larkspur, Black Toney, Discovery, Whisk Broom, Commando, Love Wisely, Hindoo, and Fair Play. What's strange is that Ruffian has Man o' War's daddy in her pedigree, but not the Grand Man himself! Anyway, Ruffian is a lovely macho girl and she was a real role model to girls like me in the 1970s. Be big, be bold, compete, have a big, giant heart. You can read more about this short-lived, lovely miraculous girl at the following links. The Youtube link is very sad -- someone went to a great deal of effort to write a lovely song to her:

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=128

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffian_(horse)

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96wka0rBHWM

or

http://www.championsgallery.com/Ruffian/Ruffian.html

or

http://thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/ruffian1.htm

or

http://www.equinenet.org/heroes/ruffian.html

or

http://horseracing.about.com/library/pics/blruffian.htm

Domino and My Girls!!

"Here lies the fleetest runner the American turf has ever known and one of the greatest and most generous of horses." Epitaph on Domino's headstone. My girls are both related to Domino, one of the fastest sprinters in racing history. Born in 1891, he was undefeated at age 2, won 19 of 25 starts and earned $193,550. He won 8 stakes races. He died of meningitis in his second season at stud, so he left behind only 20 foals, 19 unnamed. Among his 19 named children, 8 became stakes winners, for an astonishing rate of 42%. Just 9 of his children went on to breed. His best son, Commando, won the Belmont Stakes and sired the Belmont winner Peter Pan. Disguise defeated the English Triple Crown winner, Diamond Jubilee. Because of his unusual color -- seeming chestnut in some lights and coal black in others -- he was nicknamed "the brown phenomenon" and "the black whirlwind." He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1955, and he is considered the backbone of the Quarter Horse breed.

As part of his history, he had a yearling handler, African American Albert Cooper. And his family of owners, two brothers, were torn apart by the Civil War, with Domino's branch, led by Major Barak Thomas joining the Confederate Army -- which, of course, nearly broke him, if it weren't for the value of his mare, Hira, who foaled Himyar, Domino's daddy!

Hailee, has Commando at leaset 4 times, Disguise at least 5 times, and Running Stream and Pink Domino a few times.

Violet has Commando at least 7 times (!), Pink Domino at least 5 times, and Running Stream.

The Pedigree post said that he was "brilliant, beautiful, a prepotent sire and a case study in linebreeding. Domino was all this and more -- grown men wept at his burial.

You can read more about this amazing, important sire at the following links:

http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/domino.htm

or

http://www.pedigreepost.com/archives/DominoLesBrinsfield.html

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=60

or

http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Domino.html

Hailee's Jet Deck!!!!

Jet Deck is Hailee's great-great grandpa on her sire's sire side. Jet Deck is the sire of the all-time race money earner, Easy Jet, Hailee's great-grandpa. Jet Deck was born in 1960 and he won 22 out of his 31 starts. His children earned more than $6,804,289 on the track. Jet Deck was an AQHA Hall of Famer, World Champion, Race Champion, ROM Performance Horse, Race Money-Earner, and Halter Point Earner. Sadly, on 8/26/71, he was found dead in his paddock, murdered by an overdose of barbituates. His murderers were never found. Look how sexy he is in his photo!

You can read more about him at:

http://www.jbquarterhorses.com/stallions/S-20050701232131.html

Happy Birthday, Violet!!

Today, March 8th, is International Women's Day. And it so happens that my beautiful Violet was born on this day in 2003. So, my baby girl just turned 4 years old! I made her some horse treats with apples, peppermint, molasses, oats and flour. She was very surprised this morning and super happy. She says that it's nice to be so good-looking and sweet. Happy Birthday, beautiful girl!!!

Hailee's visit with the Vet

Yesterday, Hailee was pulled out of the back pasture to have her first pre-breeding vet check. She had her first palpation. She behaved herself for this procedure. But Barbie said that they put her in a stall for two hours and that Hailee was quite offended and put out after her many months of freedom. She has things to do in her herd! Then because they have to keep track of her heat cycle, she got put in a holding pasture with the other pre-season mares. Hailee was desolate because she's been separated from her boyfriend, Ed. But Ed and their other little herd mate, a baby thoroughbred girl, hung out with Hailee by the fence line. It is so nice to imagine Hailee busy with her horsie life in Kentucky. What a gift she's having -- a happy life as a herd mare with friends and nothing but beautiful Paris, Kentucky views. A true blessing.

Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio, April 12-15

This year's Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio will be held April 12-15th. This action-packed 3 days includes a huge trade show, exhibitions, and very talented horsewomen and men who will share their talents. Ginger Kathrens will be there several times, discussing live action equine photography and her work on filming the life of Cloud. She'll also talk about the social politics of our remaining mustang populations and the problem of slaughterhouses. Linda Tellington-Jones is going to talk about ground exercises to develop self-carriage, self-confidence, and self-control. I want to attend that one because my beautiful red girl is becoming an awkward thoroughbred teenager! also want to attend Darren Chiacchia's cross-country techniques for the preliminary eventer because, well, let's face it, he's a hottie!! Here's a photo of him at the 2006 Rolex on his famous horse, Windfall II. You can read more about Equine Affaire at the following link:http://www.equineaffaire.com/

Violet's Dark Star!!

Dark Star is the great-great grandpa on Violet's dam's sire's side. I think that's just so very cool. Dark Star was born in 1950 and won the 1953 Kentucky Derby. He was the only horse who ever beat Native Dancer. Native Dancer won 21 of 22 starts, and Dark Star shut him down on his Triple Crown bid. Native Dancer went on to win the Preakness and Belmont, so it was only Violet's Dark Star that impeded Native Dancer's bid to be part of Triple Crown history! Dark Star's record is 13 starts, 6 firsts, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds. He came up fifth in the Preakness, but was discovered to have a leg injury. What's sort of sad is that he was sold at the Keeneland Sales in 1953, the year he won the Kentucky Derby. It goes to show you how vulnerable thoroughbreds are -- this gorgeaus, big black Kentucky Derby winning horse wasn't wanted by his owners and was sold for $6,500 at Keeneland. Go figure. His lifetime track earnings were $131,337.

You can read about his Derby win at the following link:
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2006/derby_history/derby_charts/years/1953.html

Secretariat and his jockey and groom

Here is the Secretariat Memorial Statue at the Kentucky Horse Park. It shows beautiful noble Secretariat with his jockey, Ron Turcotte, and his beloved groom, Eddie Sweat. It was dedicated in April 2006, you can read more about the dedication ceremony, which Penny Chenery, Secretariat's mom, attended at:

http://www.horse-races.net/library/secstat-dedication.htm

Julie Krone -- Amazing Jockey!!

Julie Krone is an amazing woman jockey. I remember her when she broke on the scene when I was a young girl. She is a real pioneer. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2000, the same year as Winning Colors, the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby. When Krone was inducted, she had won 3,545 races, or 17% of her mounts, earning over $81.8 million. She was the first woman jockey to win a Triple Crown Race with Colonial Affair in the 1993 Belmont Stakes and to take a Breeder's Cup title riding Halfbridled. At her induction ceremony, she said, "I wish I could put every single one of you on the back of a horse at the one-eighth pole, so you could have the feeling of communicating with an animal you love so much. I got to do that every day of my life." She also said, "I want this to be a lesson to all kids everywhere. If the stable gate is closed, climb the fence." She says that the love of horses "is still in my blood, in my bones, in my heart."

One of the things I think is cool about her is how brave and honest she's been about her struggles. Of the sex bias involved in horse racing, she said, "No person in this world does not have adversity that is constant to them. This is the adversity that I have. I move through it freely. I don't see it, and my numbers don't show it." She also was very honest about her struggles with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, migraines, and sleep and eating disorders. She had some life-threatening injuries on the track and had not only her limbs shattered and her heart bruised (literally), but felt her confidence shaken.

She said of her struggles with mental illness, "Horses felt my anxiety, they got weird, they reared up. I had been given a magical talent to positive-image a loser right into the winner's circle. I had been possessed; I could pick a horse up with my will and put it right down in front. And then suddenly it was all gone, and I was exhausted." She finally completely lost it after her horse broke down and she was thrown. Her hands were smashed as she tried to protect her head. She said of this experience, "I was fried. I couldn't talk. The straw didn't break the camel's back; it gutted the sucker, left the camel for dead. I was numb, couldn't think. I was afraid of horses, hated riding." She went through extensive talk therapy and took Zoloft and was very open about her experiences as a mentally ill athlete struggling with childhood traumas as well as PTSD. Of all of this, she said, "A little boy once came up to me at the track and asked to hold my goggles. And then he looked up at me and said, 'I want to be like you when I grow up.' A boy said that. A boy! What a feeling of touching people. And then, after I first talked publically about being suicidal and how the medicine made me feel like me again, I got calls and emails from people who said I'd given them hope to keep living." She said, "You don't fully realize how weird it was until you have yourself back."

She says of being an accomplished woman athlete, "The most rewarding moments have been when little girls, 10 and 11 years old, would run up to me and say things like, 'I played soccer with the boys and I was the best goalkeeper out there.' This has happened hundreds of times. They'd say that they read about me in a newspaper or magazine, or saw an interview on television, and that they admired what I had accomplished and how I had overcome adversity. If I had made even a little difference with girls like that, if I had made some little girl more brave than she had been, then that's what's been important for me as far as being a female athlete is concerned."

And she says of horses, "You risk life and limb to share a relationship with a Thoroughbred. You go down the stretch and push on his neck and feel his desire to win is the same as yours. When you nail somebody at the wire, you say, 'This is the coolest thing in the world.'"

Here's a cool news story about her setting a world record on a trotter under saddle with Moni Maker, the richest mare of any breed:
http://horseracing.about.com/library/weekly/aa100600a.htm

Winning Colors and My Girls!!!

Winning Colors was born in 1985, and she was the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby in 1988. In the Derby, she took command early to hold off the champion Forty Niner. Her lifetime earnings were $1,526,837 and she had 19 starts, and 8 wins. Among her wins were the Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Oaks. She was called "The Amazon" because she was so big and bold. During her life, she needed surgery for breathing problems, but still came back to racing. She was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2000, the same year as jockey, Julie Krone. She earned third in the Preakness and was voted Champion 3 year-old. She is related to both my girls. Among their shared relatives are Nasrullah, Gainsborough, Man 'O War, Rock Sand, Commando, Voter, Bend Or, Hastings, Pensive, Black Toney, Teddy, and Bull Dog! In these photos, you see her winning the Kentucky Derby and in the winner's circle with her roses (happy girl!). Then you see a photo of her as an older lady who turned grey! You can read more about this amazing mare at the following link:

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=348

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

It's probably not a surprise to hear that many horses are slaughtered each year, in the U.S. and elsewhere. Something that will convince you that all horses are at risk is the fact that in the very recent past, two very famous, historically significant horses were sent to slaughter. Exceller, born in 1973, and voted by Blood Horse as the #96 race horse of the 20th century, ended up in a slaughterhouse in Sweden on April 7,1997. His owner decided it was not worth paying to support him in his dotage. In his lifetime, Exceller earned $1,674,587, raced 33 times, won 15, placed 5, and showed 6. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1999, and was the only horse to beat 2 Triple Crown winners. In the U.S. Jockey Club Gold Cup, which he won, he came back from 22 lengths behind to beat both Seattle Slew and Affirmed. He also won the Prix Royal, Oak, French St. Leger, Grand Prix de Paris, the Coronation Cup, and the Hollywood Gold Cup. More recently, Ferdinand, who won the Kentucky Derby the year that Violet's daddy, Groomstick, was born in 1986, ended up in a Japanese slaughterhouse in 2002. He raced 29 times, won 8, placed 9, and showed 6, earning a total of $3,777,978. Along with the Kentucky Derby, he won the Breeders Cup, Malibu Stakes, and Santa Catalina Stakes, and was voted 1987 Horse of the Year. He was living at Claiborne Farms until he was sold to a Japanese breeder in 1995. Of course, Violet and Hailee are related to these fallen champions. They are related to Exceller through Nasrullah, Nearco, and Dark Star pedigrees, among others. They are related to Ferdinand through Whisk Broom, Nearco, Dark Star, Peter Pan, Broomstick, Bull Lea, and Blue Larkspur lines. If you're looking to support a good cause with your charitable donations, Violet, Hailee, and I encourage you to check out the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation at the following link:

http://www.trfinc.org/index.php

You can read about the champion Exceller at his National Racing Museum Hall of Fame website link at:

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=339

In the photo is Cooter Creek. I found her on the TRF adoption network. She's a 26 year old girl, looking for an adoption. She's an example of one of the creatures that looks to us to care.

Broomstick and my girls!

Hailee and Violet are related to Broomstick, a top sire of both sires and broodmares! He was top sire for many years. He was born in 1901. His own dad was Kentucky Derby winner, Ben Brush, and so Broomstick is part of the strongest American sirelines of the 20th century. He was known as a game competitor who could carry weight. At 3, he set a new American track record time of 2:02 4/5 for 1 1/4 mile, a record which was not bested until 1913 by his own son, Whisk Broom II, also a direct relation of both Hailee and Violet. Broomstick's record was 39 races, 14 wins, 11 seconds, and 5 thirds, for a total earnings record of $74,730. He was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1956. He died at 30 and is buried at Gainesway Farm with his children Whisk Broom and Regret, and his grandchild, Equipoise, and other descendants, including Boojum. My girls are directly related to all of these horses, except Regret, the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby and an indirect relation of my girls. Among Broomstick's children and grandchildren, Violet and Hailee are related to Frilette, Swinging, Shady, Remembrance, Whisk Broom, Boojum, Traffic, and Sweeper. You can read more about Broomstick at the following links:

http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Broomstick.html

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=37

2010 FEI World Equestrian Games at Kentucky Horse Park

2010 will mark the first time in history that the World Equestrian Games, showcasing 8 equine sports, will be held in the United States at our fabulous Kentucky Horse Park! The events will include showjumping, dressage, eventing, reining, vaulting, endurance, para-equestrian, and driving. During this major event, they expect over 500,000 to attend over the September 25 through October 10th time frame. They expect over 800 competitors and 900 horses! You can learn more about this significant event, including how to get tickets and volunteer at:
http://www.feigames2010.org/