The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palance

On my last morning in London, I walked from our hotel at the Claridges down to Buckingham Palace with the intention of getting cash (one of my favorite Euro activities) and seeing the Royal Mews. Well, the Mews made London for me! As I was approaching, a horse drawn carriage came out! The Royal Mews are an active department of the Royal Family. It handles their horses, carriage events, the Trooping of the Colors. It stores many of the state carriages, including the Gold State Coach and the Scottish State Coach, among many others. At the end of the Royal Year, the Queen holds a party at the Mews, with caroling and children, and a sleigh-drawn visit by Santa! 1360 was when the first Master of the Horse was appointed, and the Royal Mews used to be where the National Gallery now stands and before that was at Charing Cross. It was circa 1760 when the Mews were moved to Buckingham Palace by George III. Now, the Riding School is the oldest part of the Mews -- in fact, this riding school was where all of Queen Victoria's children took lessons. I was blown away by the beauty of the Mews. The horses have these tremendously large, clean, airy stalls with sea green tiles on the walls. Just beautiful. The horses are beautiful. The riding school was regal (of course). The Gold State Coach was a mind-blower. And it was at this point, that someone popped up and asked if I would take a survey about my satisfaction with the Mews as a tour destination. Well, you know me, I hate surveys! But I was just about beside myself to praise the wonderfulness of the Mews. It was perfect timing. I was bursting to tell someone how *great* it all was and then this proper courteous survey interviewer pops up! Here are some facts: The Master of the Horse is the third of the great officers of state in the Royal Household. He is very important and handles all things horsey -- he was pivotal at the 1953 Coronation, making sure that the Queen didn't have trouble getting in or out of the Gold Carriage at Westminster Abbey. He doesn't run the Mews daily, that's the Crown Equerry's job, but he does hold periodic inspections! Every time I go to London, I will visit the Mews!!

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

or

http://www.gagme.com/greg/vacation/2003/cruise/buckingham.php

or

http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=31

Ormonde and My Girls!

My girls are related to Ormonde (1883-1904), the 4th English Triple Crown winner. He raced 16 times in his life and won all 16 times, career earnings of $142,325. He was so successful that many famous artists painted him, including Emil Adam. In the painting below, you see Sidney R. Wombill's rendition of Ormonde beating The Bard at the 1886 Epsom Derby on his way to winning the Triple Crown. He was "roaring" so loud, he could be heard all over the track. He was such a great race horse that the Ormonde Stakes at Chester Race Course are named after him. His owner and breeder was Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster. The Duke must have been very proud because Ormonde won the Triple Crown in the St. Leger Stakes at a larking canter!! He was considered the finest race horse of the 19th century and had a kind temperment just like his dad! His dad was the sweet, handsome Epsom Derby-winning Bend Or and his mom, Lily Agnes, was sired by another Epsom Derby winner, Macaroni. So, over the course of a few generations, you see Birdcatcher, Stockwell, Bend Or, and Ormonde! After his racing career finished, he travelled the world! He went to Argentina to stand at stud for awhile, but then returned by boat to Southampton. His old trainer, John Porter, met his boat to greet and welcome him. He said that he pulled "a few hairs out of his mane and tail which I have preserved as a memento of a great and noble creature." It was the last time they ever saw each other. After a rest, in 1893, he took a steamer to New York, and then rail all the way to San Francisco Bay to stand stud at Menlo Stock Farm in California. He died on May 21, 1904, and was ultimately exhumed, so that his skeleton could be sent to the Museum of Natural History at South Kensington, UK. Here's a sweet story about him -- he would eat anything. But he had a passion for flowers. He loved to nip the boutonnieres right from the pockets of his wealthy gentlemen visitors! You can read more about this gentle, speedy boy at the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ormonde_(horse)
or
http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Ormonde.html
or
http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=844

Hailee is in Foal!!

Barbie called me this evening and had the most wonderful news! Hailee is in foal! Dr. Burns gave her a check-up today and reported that he is confident that she's expecting. The foal is the right size given the number of days gestation. Hailee seems unremarkably routine! So, she will be checked again in a few weeks just to make sure she hasn't reabsorbed the egg, but things just look terrific. Thank you, Barbie and Tom, for your expertise and care with Hailee and to Dr. Burns for his unique talent at tracking and monitoring fast-cycling, small-follicled mares! I am so delighted to say that Hailee is going to become the dam of an American Sports Pony!!! That foal will be lucky to have a Welsh pony sire and a registered stock Paint horse dam with the blood of Easy Jet in her pedigree!! Cheers and Namaste to you all!!

The Elgin Marbles at the British Museum

When I was in London with Vicki and Marty, we went to the British Museum one morning. Who knew?! The British Museum is the coolest place on earth. It's beautiful, visionary, airy. It has the most wonderful, decorative, relaxing massive library. They had a special exhibition about every single drug a person takes in her life from birth control pills to cancer pills. They had a special exhibition about the costumes in Star Wars. And, of course, they had the Rosetta Stone AND the Elgin Marbles. The Elgin Marbles have their own specially designed Duveen Room. They are amazing and wonderful and sexy and awesome and inspiring. They make you glad to be a human being. Glad to be alive. Glad to be in the British Museum. And their home in the British Museum is controversial. When they were on the Parthenon, they were intended to celebrate the Creation of Man, and were supposed to show a pantheon of the Gods, holding a discussion about whether the creation of man was a good or bad thing. Among things they represent, they show Centaurs in battle and devotees of the Goddess Athena. They must have been beautiful at the Parthenon. But in 1806, Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin received permission from the Ottoman Sultan (who was holding Greece in his power) to take the Marbles. He removed them and in 1816 they were placed in the British Museum. 2/3rds of what's left of them are now in London and about another 1/3rd are in Athens -- though fragments are scattered across museums around the world. They were damaged in the 1930s, irreparably, by shoddy cleaning work by museum staff. Those staff were fired outright. I don't know what to say about whether they should be returned or not. But I will say that seeing them was one of the most truly amazing, humbling, joyful moments of my life. I can't describe it. One more thing about the British Museum, and this is a disappointment really. I learned that they had many, many sarcophagi of cats, so I was thrilled. I thought, "How cool. The Egyptians really had it going on. When their pet cats died, they turned them into mummies and gave them their own little tombs." The little mummies were fascinating. However, the uncool reality is that when a famous important Egyptian died, his pets were killed to join him in the next life. How uncool is that? A significant disappointment. I didn't dare tell Tea Cake, Jackie, or any of my other dear ones. You can read more about the Elgin Marbles and about the continuing controversy of their questionable vandalism at the following links:

http://www.athensguide.com/elginmarbles/photos/index.html

or

http://www.parthenonuk.com/

or

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

or

http://www.hammerwood.mistral.co.uk/elgin.htm

or

http://www.athensguide.com/elginmarbles/

Birdcatcher and My Girls!

My girls are related to the Irish Thoroughbred, Birdcatcher, born in 1833 to Sir Hercules and Guiccioli. Hailee also has Birdcatcher's full-brother, Faugh-a-Ballagh, which is Gaelic for "Clear the Way!" Birdcatcher had 15 starts and won 7 influential races. He raced only at the Curragh. He was retired at 5 to be a sire, and was a magnificent one. He is the grandsire of my girls' Stockwell, pictured here in Harry Hall's painting. Stockwell was known as the "Emperor of Stallions." Birdcatcher travelled a bit as a stud, serving at Newmarket, Easby Abbey, and Brownstown. He was champion sire in 1852 and 1856, and was among the top sires 15 times in his long breeding career. He was the first Irish stallion to breed English race horse winners. Seven of his children won 3 St. Legers, 2 1,000 Guineas Stakes, and a win of the Epsom Derby and win of the Epsom Oaks. He was a beautiful dark chestnut with a large star and narrow attached blaze. And he had a left hind leg white stocking. And he had what are now known as "Birdcatcher spots" -- this white ticking on his flanks. Now, here's the sad part, just so you know how vulnerable horses are -- even the hard-working champions. When he was 27, he was to be bred to a large mare named Queen Bee, but he could not complete the service. So, his owner, Mr. Disney, ordered his execution.

Here's the report: "Among the mares sent to the son of Sir Hercules that year was Mr Michael Dunne's Queen Bee. She was a mare of good size, and when Birdcatcher attempted to serve her, he failed to do so. Mr Disney, who owned the stallion, thereupon decided that he should no longer survive. At once a messenger was dispatched to the local police station with orders to bring back with him a constable with a loaded gun, as a horse was required to be destroyed. The police officer - his name was Preston - reported himself to Mr Disney, who gave the necessary directions for the destruction of Birdcatcher. The horse was placed on the brink of a sandpit situated on the flat opposite Conyngham Lodge, Curragh; without any ceremony he was shot and his carcase tumbled into the pit. Thus ended the career of a good racehorse and a mighty sultan at the age of twenty-seven years. His head was afterwards presented to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dublin."

Can you believe that ending of a champion race horse and peerless sire who brought glory, fame and wealth to his owner?

You can read more about this champion, handsome creature at the following links:

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

or

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

or

http://www.tbheritage.com/HistoricSires/JumpSires/JumpsiresDAB.html

Moccasin and My Girls!

My girls are related to Moccasin, a champion racing filly and broodmare! Moccasin was born in 1963, just like me, and she looks so much like Violet. She was a chestnut with two white hind socks and a white fore sock on the left side. Here is a picture of her grandchild K One King that she produced through her son Apalachee out of Round Table. Moccasin is considered a Blue Hen, having produced 9 foals, with 8 runners, 7 winners, and 7 stakeswinners! She is in many good blood lines, and is even the third dam of Hail Atlantis. Her notable kids include Apalachee (of course) and Indian, Nantequo, Brahms, Belted Earl, Scuff, and Flippers. Her own race record was so good at age 2 that she was voted co-Champion U.S. Horse of the Year -- the only time a 2 year-old filly took such an honor. She was also voted U.S. Champion 2 year-old filly. She was bred by and raced for Claiborne, and ran her races so convincingly that they looked like easy victories by a wide margin. She had 8 undefeated races in a row. Her final record was 21: 11-2-4 for a total earnings of $388,075. She was so good that the Moccasin Stakes in Hollywood Park were named after her. Her sire was Nantallah out of Nasrullah and her dam was Rough Shod. Here's something interesting -- her full-sibling is Ridan, the horse that Violet's relation, Jaipur, defeated in the famous match race the Travers Stakes. This girl is buried at Marchmont Farms in Paris, Kentucky. She is related to my girls in many ways, including the following: Nasrullah, Blandford, Isinglass, Stimulus, Sir Gallahad, Commando, Orme, Ormonde, Love Wisely, and St. Simon. You can read more about this amazing competitive filly and excellent mother at the following links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moccasin_(horse)
or
http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/Graves/cem/GraveMattersMarchmont.html
or about Moccasin's sire Nantallah and his famous pedigree:
http://www.reines-de-course.com/nantallah.htm
or about Moccasin's dam Rough Shod and her famous pedigree:
http://www.equineinfo.com/roughshod.htm
or about Moccasin's boyfriend, Round Table:
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/roundtable.html
or about Moccasin's grandchild, K One King:
http://www.reines-de-course.com/k_one_king.htm
or an example of a mixed-horse related to Moccasin:
http://www.ckappaloosas.com/mares.html

Hailee's Top Deck!!

Hailee is related to the 1990 AQHA Hall of Fame sire Top Deck through at least two lines. He appears through his child Speck Deck and then through Moon Deck who is in the lineage of Easy Jet. He was born in 1945 at the King Ranch and right away at age 2 began producing amazing babies. He produced Star Deck F the AAA runner and winner of the Texas Futurity. Among his famous children are Go Man Go, Decketta, Barbara 3, Top Lady Bug, Astro Deck, and Moon Deck!! He produced 405 foals with 228 ROMS, 5 world champions, and 15 world championships. His children earned millions of dollars!

Breaking News! Cautious Optimism for my girl!

Two weeks ago, Barbie, Tom and Sandy were working to breed my Hailee, the Saturday and Sunday over Mother's Day. Today Barbie called and said she was with Dr. Burns and there was reason to be cautiously optimistic that Hailee is in foal. They can see the little egg, though her blood isn't going to show the hormonal change yet. So, in another 4 days, he'll check again for the definitive word! Cautiously Optimistic! Here's what I've learned about cautious optimism! Last year, around this time, I was leaving for a pilgrimage in Spain with my Aunt Anita. The best trip ever. The night before we were going to walk our last distance to Santiago de Compostela, we stopped at a pension in Rua. A lovely pension where we stayed in a converted stable in a most welcoming room! So, we check into the pension, and I take a peek out my window and BOOM, I see mares and foals right outside my bedroom window a few feet from where I'll sleep. God's way of giving blessings to me the night before I complete the pilgrimage. But, you know me. I'm a "high spirited" lady and by night time instead of being grateful for my big Valentine of a blessing, I was instead a bit concerned that the mares wouldn't have enough water, given that the water tubs were rather low and it's hot, dry Spanish weather. So, I am laying in the dark, listening to the foals and mares, and wondering about their thirst. And then, suddenly, I hear a truck drive up, and the farmer steps out into the dark night to busy himself with filling the water troughs to the mares' whinnying satisfaction. I fell asleep so satisfied with my small place in the universe and so grateful to be completing the pilgrimage with my aunt. I knew that night that Hailee would have big adventures and that Violet would join our family! So, I think that cautious optimism is a wonderful thing. So, that's a long cryptic story to say that Hailee may be in foal! After Barbie and Tom's careful work, she may become a mom! We'll know for sure next week! Namaste and Buen Camino to you all. Hugs.

Violet's Blue Larkspur

Violet is related to Blue Larkspur (born 1926), a beautiful stud from E.R. Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm in Kentucky. He was one of the most important broodmare sires of the 20th century, showing up on the broodmare sires list continuously from 1944-1960. His daughters produced 114 stakes winners and 6 champions. Blue Larkspur produced 290 foals, with 44 stakes winners. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957. And he was voted #100 of the Top 100 race horses of the 20th century by Blood Horse magazine. Of the 127 stakeswinners that Mr. Bradley had over his lifetime on Idle Hour, including Bimelech, Blue Larkspur was considered his best!! His final record was 16: 10-3-1. He won though he received two kicks while racing, and won though he suffered a bowed tendon. He earned $272,070 over his career and was the 1929 Eclipse Horse of the Year and 3-year-old Colt champion and 1930 Champion Handicap Male. Among his wins were the Juvenile Stakes, Saratoga Special, Classic Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Withers Stakes, Arlington Cup, and Stars and Stripes Handicap! When Mr. Bradley passed, he was acquired by the King Ranch in 1946. For Violet, Blue Larkspur was bred to La Troienne to produce Big Event who was bred to War Admiral to make Blue-Eyed Momo in Violet's Francis S line! You can read more about this courageous, sweet, mare-producing stallion at the following links:

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

or

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

or

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

or

http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=33

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway!

This month, May 2007, is the 100th anniversary of John Wayne's birth. Among many things, he is the King of the Western! I like him for that quote in the title of this blog entry and, of course, for The Quiet Man which is a great movie. You can read more about Mr. Wayne at the following links:

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

or

http://www.johnwaynebirthplace.org/

More Rolex and Eventing News!

Here's a photo taken by Cindy Fisher of the fabulous Teddy and Karen O'Connor team at Rolex 2007 this year. Remember that Teddy is a *pony* who earned third at Rolex and jumped clear and under time on the last day!!! This year, Rolex's cloud was the fact that Ralph Hill had been injured in a riding accident earlier in March, so he was not at Rolex for the first time in 3 decades. He is considered the "Mick Jagger of Eventing," and so his serious injury just underscores the demands placed on these true athletes. You can read more about Eventing at their official organization webpage, as well as some news about Ralph Hill at the following links:

http://www.useventing.com/

or

http://www.horsesdaily.com/news/health/eaf/hill.html

or

http://www.ralphhilleventing.com/

Thoroughbred care

So, I have a beautiful thoroughbred related to royalty in my care. I am learning how to care for her. This winter-spring, She has had tail-shedding problems and I used a chemical treatment which only made the condition worse. Her tail is considerably thinner and ratty now and she's got a little bald patch on her rear end from where the chemicals touched. Her once beautiful vibrant dark red tail looks poorly. But I am learning to care for this thin-skinned lovely girl. We are working on it. I stopped using the treatment right away and now we're going to do a few betadine baths and then just let nature take its course. This is one instance in which the treatment was worse than the problem! But we are fortunate because she is healthy and strong and she is really enjoying our riding lessons. So, we have a cosmetic problem which we are going to solve! We have a riding lesson today, in fact, and it'll be beautiful weather!

Hailee Dirty Stops!

In Summer 2004, Hailee was just a young girl -- 4 years old! One beautiful early summer day, I was out at the stable and Barbie and Meghan and others were there. Barbie told Meghan to saddle up my girl and take her for a spin. Hailee is a real athlete, but she was new to jumps. I was so proud of her. She was taking the jumps so well and so sweetly. She lifted her knees high and had such a round bascule. BUT! Wow!!!! On this one jump, she reverted back to her reining champion heritage. She put on the biggest dirty refusal and sliding stop!! It was impressive!! But Meghan handled it. Can you believe that Meghan didn't come off!? She has an amazing agility and seat.

Don Quixote in the Plaza de Espana

In 2006, I traveled to Spain with my godmother, Anita. We took a stroll through Madrid one evening, eating truffles, window-shopping, being lazy. And we saw this statue of Don Quixote on his steed, Rocinante, and with his buddy/man-servant, Sancho Panza. That goofy el ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha! Maybe he's getting ready to visit Dulcinea or tilt at windmills? Either way, it was lovely to sit in this Plaza, watch children climb all over this statue, and marvel that I am from the same heritage as Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.