Frankel is Sir Henry Cecil's favourite

Boom and Bust, a 22-1 shot! Don't you love to see a longshot come in ahead!?
 
Not one who knows a lot about horseracing, so we need Galgito or some of those who ride and train the handsome creatures to weigh in on this topic.
 
I used to ride when I was a teen - ages ago - but have only taken the granddaughter to the stables and paid for her horse camps. I do admire the noble beauty of the horse, but cannot comment on the racing topic. Maybe some others will say a lot and educate us.

Alas, I bet my money on a bob-tailed nag...Athletes of all stripes keep getting better and better. It is never completely fair to compare human heroes or horses of the past to today's champions because of advancements in technology and training.

I saw one of my heroes, the champ Ali once in an airport and while the physical greatness and youthful sharpness was gone there was that look in his eyes that said "winner" I suspect Frankel has that same look. That Sparkle transcends time and place and species.

Noble Animals, Horses ... Beautiful, Powerful, Graceful Creatures ... Love to watch the Horses run ... Horse Racing is truly the Sport of Kings ... as it takes a King's Treasury to be able to be in the Game ... And What, might you ask ... is the Sport of Queens ???  Why, Drag Racing, of course .......

Vey funny, Ivan~ first laugh of the day.
I don't know much about horse racing, but love being around horses.

Can't  wait  for  the  Keeneland  Thorobred  Association  to  start  selling  tickets  for  the  October  Meet  on  Monday.   An  enormous  percentage  of  future  sweepstakes  and  Triple  Crown  winners  are  locally  sired,  auctioned  off,  and  previewed  in  Lexington  at  the  intimate  &  beautiful  venue.  

Just had to look up the Derby winners and check the fastest times....Would you believe it was Secretariat in 1973? Under 2 min. is a blazing fast time, and he has held it all these years! One horse in 2001 came close, but it is Secretariat who still reigns (reins?)! If you are interested in that particular American race..... 
 
(And the movie is a pretty good flick, too! It is on the telly/Netflix instant watch.)
 
 http://horseracing.about.com/od/history/l/blderbywin.htm
 

A friend's ourspoken aunt had the perfect saying for the kind of people who are holding our nation hostage in their footdragging in Washington. She had this to say about awful people:
 
"Horses' rears....There are so many more of them than there are horses!!"
 
Perhaps you know one or two that saying would describe?

A site for looking at some of the most beautiful horses......
 
 http://www.best-horse-photos.com/
 

Another site with more immediate  photos....
 
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=photos%2c+thoroughbred+horses&qpvt=photos%2c+thoroughbred+horses&FORM=IGRE
 
Does anyone know the status of the wild horses on the Western plains now? I had heard that they were killing them off to reduce the size of the herd. Anyone ever go to the pony roundup on Chincoteague?  Blue? Aren't you nearby?
 
Hello, Galgito....are you out there? You are a horse person as I recall.....any comments?

I have two old photographs of my maternal grandfather.  One was taken a bit over a century ago and shows him taking his two sisters out for a buggy ride.  I know the man knew how to handle and care for horses, probably very well.  Another picture taken a bit less than a century ago shows him with his father and the rest of the family in their new automobile, a Campbell touring car with a 22 horsepower engine.  And I have a third set of photos taken about 1922 when my grandfather bought his first car, a tall, boxy thing.  It is a sad harbinger of things to come.  Mankind had a close relationship with horses for many millennia.  And now it is the sport of kings, costing a fortune, and a hobby of leisure for many.  My paternal great-grandfather built his own house in Ocheyedan, Iowa in about 1890.  It still stands and is in fine shape, though I am sure remodeled (it had no central heating, water or electricity, of course).  And the "garage" stands behind the house, unusually large for a garage because it was a stable, with room for a horse or two, plus feed, tack, etc.  And me?  I haven't the foggiest how one cares for a horse, how one puts on the bridle and other gear, etc.  We have evolved.  Ever see a reprint of the 1910 New York Times editorial about the blessings of the car, noting that if the car replaced the horse, the quantity of horse urine and feces that would not be on New York City's streets?  Thousands of gallons and tons of cleanup every day.  But no air pollution and no money going to Middle Eastern oil cartels.

Magnificent horse. I've been following the exploits of Frankel across the sea, for a while now, and when his trainer, Sir Henry, known for his modesty, says "He's not only the best horse I've ever owned but he's the best horse I've ever seen," you know he's something. Thanks for posting Mr. P.   Here's Frankel in action for anyone interested. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghUY0k4YX1k

Some horsey songs....."Wild Horses" by the 40 yrs. ago Rolling Stones....
 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVry-KKNTzg&feature=related
 
 
 
 
And the classic "Wildfire" in a slide show of lovely horse photos......
 
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIkpqdjU-qo
 

Hay, hay you, get off of my cloud..................................................

Good morning everybody.
We were off-grid for awhile enjoying cottage time especially since our grandson, just back from extended wilderness canoeing and camping and with new skills has taken over as master of the fire-pit.
Nice weather, no bugs and a leisurely schedule if it could be called that. I think the s'mores deal has run its course.

IVAN ~
We saw the big blimp you mentioned when we got back. It's huge and rides are $400. We didn't.

The 'world famous' man was just a nice fellow with a funny story about their driver, "Herr Lipp."
We had a laugh when Bimini Jimmy (someone had given him a palmy shirt back in the fifties and he'd stuck with that look) and Mrs. Bim Jim came walking along and explained that with every step, they were further from home than they had ever been.
They admired the beauty of Lake Michigan, Green Bay, the orchards and woods, were surprised to see so many people and were anxious to get home in time for bed.
They made it clear that there was no way they would venture that far south and risk running into (shudder) "Ella Noyes."

I wish that I had known to ask about the economy. It's pretty clear that everything under discussion is too little, too late and we are cruising for a hard smack down by the financial markets and credit raters.
On the bright side, higher interest will be appreciated by the seldom talked about... savers.

Horses? I prefer to watch them off duty in the same way it's more enjoyable to see children at a playground than a track meet.






 

LOL, Ivan
 
Having been raised, just about, at the racetrack, growing up within walking distance of Pimlico Racecourse and being sent to Davis' Drugstore to buy my mother a "scratchsheet"....coming from a family of gamblers, one would think I would know something about them (here, Andrea, pick a horse -- those horses, if they lived so long, would still be running......last); one would think...wrong.  I still pick a name or a jockey's name (there is a David Cohen jockey -- how could I not bet him?), and still......lose.  It somehow shows that some people learn nothing by their mistakes and that wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age.
 
Still chuckling Ivan ;)

Magnificent animal, Frankel!!!  Living in Virginia horse country racing is point to point.  Other than that we ride to hunt or for just the sheer pleasure of it.  Great way to get rid of stress, enjoy nature and the company of a fine animal.  I know it is said that the dog is man's best friend, but a few hours with a horse can erase all cares in my world. 

IVAN--laugh of the day.

MOOSELOOP --please don't use the words "forty years" and "The Rolling Stones" in the same sentence--it is so early in the day for a reality check.

I grew in towns and did not know much of the country side and horses.  The only horse I touched was a Belgian horse who pulled all the beer to the consumers.  There was a beer brewery in our street and sometimes the men that loaded the carts with beer would put me on this very big horse.  I was quite a treat for me. 
 
When I went into the Peace Corps I lived in the mountains of Lesotho, Southern Africa and one day, my Peace Corps friends went horse riding for the day - I was 66 years old -  they got me an old horse and hoisted me on top; I, who am adventures had the feeling I was going to fall off and did not like my position on the poor old horse's back.  I decided to not go with them and they had to help me down on the ground. 
 
I had a Jewish friend who had been taken away to a concentration camp in 1942 - he returned to Holland in 1946.  He was one of the few that survived.  We worked in a Matzo factory after the war - he was twenty five and I was 16 years old.  He protected me from the girls that I worked with and often asked me to help him.  I fell in love head over heels with  my beautiful Ernest and he still has a place in my heart.
 
This beautiful man who suffered so much and was still kind and gentle towards mankind,  taught me a lot about life and about love.  He who suffered so much still held on to love.  He would tell me what love was all about.  The horse was his symbol of love - he told me about how beautifully the Mare and Stallion were courting each other; how they would stroke each other and make love.  As I knew nothing about horses, a horse became my love symbol as well and in my dreams I found myself often with a beautiful whitel horse of course with my Ernest, my prince, on top to rescue me from the harsh world.
 
Unawaringly I kept the image of a horse within me all my life until one day I stood on the top of a mountain in Lesotho and suddenly when I looked around, I saw a Mare on a rock opposite me.  I turned my head for one second and when I looked once more a Stallion had jumped on her back.  I was blinded and shocked to watch their love affair - I was luckily old enough to not let it destroy my dream.   I tried to figure out how a horse became the symbol of love to Ernest in his harsh world
  
 
Ernest left our factory to go to his new home - Israel; he had lost his mother, father and sister in a concentration camp - he would only feel safe when he was with his Jewish people to build a new land.  He was a gift from the above for me - he taught me that our soul belongs to us and cannot be touch by anyone but us. He taught me to not let love go out of my heart
 
How did Ernest pick the horse as his love symbol - I found out later - he was hiding in a farm attic on a meadow - there were several young jewish teenagers; they lived in fear  - they were boys and girls and must have fallen in love with each other when they huddled together with fear in their hearts 
 
Ernest was the only survivor who returned after the war;  I believe that they had a small window in their hiding place and watched the horses playing in the meadow.  This window became their connection to the world. They were betrayed and taken away by brutal men and put on the train to a concentration camp.
 
I wrote a story about my Ernest who taught me how to protect my soul within. He was fated to be with me for a short time. I believe - I went to Israel many years later to find him  before I went in the Peace Corps but did not find him. 
 
Still with all these life experiences - positive and negative - Life has its magic when one can experience, and feel fullly so many wonderful moments in one's life.  The negative ones are needed to be able to distinguish the good from the bad; the latter are there to teach us to be prepared to be a gladiator at times to protect the world from evil created by man himself. 
 
Life is not created to be easy; life is created for us to learn and preserve our good feelings towards man and depart with a preserved soul and a heart overflowing with love for humanity at large.   It is all a dream - but I believe we can live our dream.  Our reality is within and not what appears outside.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Moose- Wildfire brings back memories of Michael Martin Murphy and when I would see him around Nashville- Geronimo's Cadillac is one of the best songs written about the treatment of Native Americans.

Jesus tells me I believe its true
The red man is in the sunset too
Took all his land, now they won't give it back
And they sent Geronimo a Cadillac.

Amazing how horses lead to musical references.

About fifty-five years ago, along the lake shore and across from our school, a cinder bridle path attracted riders, mostly woman, who at the time stabled horses near where we now live.
You could tell a lot about your teacher by whether he or she could teach past that lovely distraction or felt obliged to close the curtains.
A lot of boys had steamy fantasies about the beautiful, pony-tailed, girl who turned out, on closer examination, to be a hard-drinking, chain-smoking, bony old bag in her fifties who cursed with a foreign accent and acted like she owned the park.
Our first reality check and a bitter one.
Some of them were not too bad though and would stop and visit.
The whole thing went by the boards when envious persons who had no horses and did not ride failed to see it as just a nice thing to look at and got the Parks Dept. to ban it.

A little nice news: after a lot of PT, the use of my right foot has returned almost to normal. There was some fear of neuropathy and a brace.
It is so nice just to be able to walk.
I was pretty good about physical therapy right up until:
"I want you to walk to the corner and back on the outsides of your feet."
"No."
"No, really."
"Really - No."
I did everything else.

Yesterday was the last peach truck of the season. Twenty-five pounds, thirty-five bucks. They are delicious.

Good to see that Park4 and Miss Blue have stopped by.

ChefDeb - Sorry to be the bearer of disillusionment on the 40 years ago video of the Stones....I was merely warning that this song and the vid showed the guys in their youth, in case someone did not recognize them! The years (and substance abuse?) have not been kind to some of the Stones, based on the early photos! Reality check, indeed!
 
TT - Yes, MMM's music stays with you....good memories of romantic vistas.
 
Stoney - So glad your wheels are working for you again! If the feet hurt, nothing else seems to matter. You must have a good PT trainer.....good on you.
 
jmr - Thanks for the link to see Frankel race! That shows what a magnificent runner he is! I will hope to hear more about him in the news. The comments after the video were also glowing, so he must be admired far and wide now. Good choice from Mr. P! 
 
 

Ivan--too funny!   And Stoney, I liked the comparison of children at play and horses at play--I'm in agreement--altho' for a few magic minutes I can really be awestruck by a horse race.  And then it's over.   

I'll pick the grey, ever since my English told me to do that I've had great luck.

Yes, Carol and Stoney~ I love to see well kept horses kicking their heels up in the paddock.
The funniest livestock I ever saw being turned out to grass was a herd of cows that had been kept indoors all winter. They danced, they galloped, they laid on their backs and waved their legs in the air, they rolled around in the grass - it was a joy to see them so happy. The cavorting went on for a good half hour, then they laid down in a bovine snuggle of black & white Fresian cow and there was no way you could tell which bit belonged to which cow - just a lovely pattern. This was way back in the days before digital cameras, no film in my old SLR, so no record of it except in my head.
 

Hello up there Stoney.  Oh you're having PT fun, I see.  Ugh.  Two weeks, and I go under the knife.  I am looking forward to it.  I can't imagine any pain as bad as this...and for so long.  I can't wait to get back to good ole physical therapy myself (NOT).  But there's no way to get past all this, other than through, is there.  Congrats on your freedom.  I bet it feels wonderful...I can barely recall.  In three months I intend to be able to challenge you to a foot race - downhill would be nice tho...;) 

I have read the article above from The Telegraph twice now. 
To me it was one of the most confusing bits of sports reporting that I have
ever read. 
Did anyone else have trouble following the narrative? 
 
Isn't Frankel a Senator from Minniesootta?

 
Last week I took a slow paced trip to Athens Ohio by way of Lexington and
Maysville Kentucky.  I opted out of driving the interstate and instead took Hwy
27 from Lexington to Paris Ky.  What a beautiful stretch of scenic road!  A
stone fence runs down the center and another along either side of the four
lane. Nothing but horse farms, pastures, stables and grazing thoroughbreds for
miles and miles. 
I would have stopped for dinner in Paris but the timing was off.  Maybe
next trip.

paolos:  I had a terrible time reading it - even the title - I thought something had happened to the copy and it had become garbled.  But nobody else mentioned it, so I thought I better not...so glad to hear you couldn't figure it out either.   "The bay destroyer" stopped me:  I thought it was something about ships (destroyers) and war.  I'm not going to read it again, now that I know you too found it um...sort of inside out, structure wise. I'm in good company and that's all I need to know.

Thank you, Miss Park4.  I'm about ready for a G & T.  I'll have one sent over to you in theSepia club car.

Stoney, good for you.

Thank you, paolos.  I think that would be lovely. 

I concurs: it was like reading something of my own and I wondered what was up.

Park4 ~
We just had a front come through and it is slightly less Guatemalan at the moment.
I hope your procedure goes like a dream and you're back on your treads for Autumn strolls.
It took an injury and a year for me get the floppy foot and it will be some time before  it is all the way back to where it isn't necessary to think about walking but I'm not falling anymore.

lotlot  ~
Thanks

Carol ~
Hi
Hazel ~
Now, we all have your cow word picture... thanks.

STONEY........................for some reason I had no idea that you had major surgery; I am happy that you sound as if things are much better. I lost my clue...................sounds like it's been lovely & relaxed at the old homefront............

PARK......................being in pain is awful & I wish for you an immediate end to it in 2 weeks. I will join you in a G & T as soon as I finish my hot tea...................serenity now baby.....................................

PAOLOS.............................I lived in Athens, OH for 5 years when I taught at a hippie school in town............................beautiful country, wonderful people & great memories............some of my best, most indelible ones actually..........................

Bebe ~ I took a side trip through Zaleski Forest. We buried a friend there
many years ago. 
Poured a libation and bowed my head at his grave site.
It was the first time I had been back and I was astonished that I found
the cemetery much less the grave. 
He loved that part of the country, his family was thoughtful enough to rest
his bones there.  
It is beautiful country.  I have family from those parts, distant cousins
still roam the fields and hills.
 
 
The first round of G & T's or a tonic of your own choosing goes on my
tab.  Let's all hoist one to Park's and Stoney's feets.  
 

I like a good horse race, I like to see the dark
horse come out of nowhere, around the outside, down the stretch, blowing past
the field and
on to the winner's circle. I don't know why but it
reminds me of the expression, Look out boys, there's a new sheriff in
town.

Just watched the movie "Secretariat" and actually got all misty at the end.
 
I too like to see the underdog (horse?) win.

I went down there with my hat caved in,
Doo-da, doo-da
I came back home with a pocket full of tin
...to buy me some of that Derby Pie. Bourbon is for sippin' and eatin'.

To our "feets" - that's cute.  Keep it up.  Laughing is truly such good medicine. I didn't know my good friend Stoney was so much indisposed...good god, falling is what got me into this mess in the first place, I hope and trust you don't fall "any more."  Which is a shock because I didn't know you'd been falling.  Get better.  There's a lot of world to see. As for me, it's my hip that's getting replaced.  Long story, won't bore you, but it's been getting worse and worse after a fall 4 1/2 years ago.  I've reached the point of no return, no cartilage left in the joint, it's bone on bone, and day-am as Miss Blue would say, it's got to be too painful to live with.  So I went and found myself a 12 year old surgeon (well, he's not but they all look like they're 12, you know?) and it takes only an hour to do whatever it is he does, and he does lots of these, so I just want to get it done with, and onto physical therapy.  And then just onward and outward and back to photography and life as I knew and loved it. ................................................................................
 Stoney it's just another bump in the road, these "feets" and hips.  And knees, we have only to look to PeterLake for that success story.  Just another bump in the road. Or as Hank the V once said, it's "Once more into the breach, dear friend, once more into the breach..."   I do hope all of you had a cool refreshing night ride on my favorite train last night.  Someday soon, I'd love to join you.