I visited Barbie, Tom and the girls August 15th-17th and had a great time. I'll be reporting over the next few weeks about this Kentucky visit. I went down to see the Hunter Pony Sales at the Kentucky Horse Park and also to see my own little broodmare!
Here are my loveliest nieces! Elena brought them to visit on the Saturday of our BlackSwamp Festival. We went to the kids' section and Emma and Clara *loved* it! Emma enjoyed rocking out with a band named Wilson Lake and the Rock Bass singing songs about burned marshmallows, walking in the woods, the King of Speed (a guy who boats fast on the lake), etc. And Emma had a butterfly painted onto her face and made knocking sticks and her fabulous hat! Clara was a wild rocker, jumping up and down in her stroller and getting a balloon. It was a wonderful day!
This year, 2007, three horses were inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga -- Silver Charm, Swoon's Son, and Mom's Command! Mom's Command comes from a very unusual family in New Hampshire. She was bred and born to Peter Fuller (now 84) and his wife, Joan Beth Fuller. They are of Runnymede Farm and had 8 children, the 5th, Abigail, at the age of 26, rode Mom's Command to the Filly Triple Crown in 1985 -- the Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes, and the Coaching Club American Oaks! She led all the way in each of those three races, and Abby seemed to know what the girl could do!
I went to Kentucky for three days in mid-August. While I was there, I visited Claiborne Farms, saw thoroughbred foals at Valentine Hall Farms, saw the granddaughter of Seattle Slew, and stallions related to Dr. Fager, Mr. Prospector, Secretariat, and Danzig. I saw the graves of the greatest stallions in thoroughbred history. I travelled past Count Fleet's large, beautiful home. It was an amazing trip..jpg)
Hello. Yesterday Barbie sent me some photos from my visit in Kentucky. And that is perfect timing because next week, I begin my Blog entries about that great visit in August. Look for news about the most beautiful place on earth!
The Thoroughbred industry pays close attention to their family of mares. Mares produce fewer foals than successful stallions, but they hold the heart of blue blood in their genes and they are the ones who carry the hope of the big heart genes on their double-X chromosomes.
I know that I wrote about the Wood County Fair regularly the week I attended. But I wanted to revisit that special time of the year. At the fair, you can see people's best and loving efforts, in photography, quilting, canning, woodwork, cheerleading, tractor pulling, pony and draft horse pulling, all sorts of riding, livestock showing, etc. etc. etc. It's a great moment for our county.
Violet is related to Hyperion, arguably the best stud of the 20th century, but definitely the best one in England, Ireland and France. Hyperion's record was 13: 9, 1, 2, and he was fantastic in his wins, but even more fantastic as a stud. He was among the top 10 leading sires 16 times, and only St. Simon has beat this record. He was the leading broodmare sire 4 times.
Here is a statute of El Cid and Babieca in Burgos, Spain, along the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage trail. Here's a brief sketch of El Cid and Babieca's tale! In the 11th century, a small boy was raised near Burgos by monks. His name was Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar. His godfather, a monk named Pedro El Grande (because he was fat), let him choose a horse from a beautiful herd of Andalusians. Rodrigo chose poorly, or so the monks thought. They thought he chose a frail, poorly, sick creature and so named his choice Babieca which means "My Stupid One."
In a major battle outside of Valencia, El Cid was mortally wounded. He was brought into the city and perished. And the Spaniards, fearful that the Moors would attack in droves, thirsty with their success at killing El Cid, tied El Cid's corpse to Babieca and drove him bravely into the front of the soldiers, pressing onto battle the next morning.
Miesque was a 1984 filly who is owned by a Greek shipping tycoon, Stavros Niarchos. She won championships in every country she ran in. Her final record was 16: 12, 3, 1, and all of her races except one were Group 1 stakes races. She won 10 Grade 1 races!!! In France, she earned the Champion Juvenile award as a 2-year-old, and when she was shipped to the U.S., she won the Breeder's Cup at Hollywood Park, and then turned around and won it a second time the next year at Churchill Downs, at her last race! In the first Breeders' Cup, she was in a field of 14, and the second 12! She was the first race horse ever to win two Breeders' Cups back to back. When she was 3, she ended her racing year with 5 championship awards!!! She earned Champion 3-year-old filly in France and England, Champion Miler in France and England, and Champion U.S. grass mare. When she was 4, she won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Female Turf horse, as well as France's Champion Miler and Champion Older mare. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, and inducted into the French Hall of Fame. She was voted #82 of the Top 100 Race Horse of the 20th century!.jpg)
See that little pooch? That's Hailee's foal! Little Mamou-YaYa or Little Blue Soileau. Look at happy Hailee busy at the business of increasing her family. Barbie sent this photo along this week and, again, I think it not only shows how Hailee's prettiness, but you can see her sweet intelligence. 
Today is August 9th, in the wee hours of the morning, as I write this message! We have had an enormously hot, humid week for Ohio. It feels like soup here! And I have not used my air conditioning at all this summer, so I am sitting here late at night, writing in a little convection oven which is my attic office! Aiyee!!!