And The Award Goes to....

The last week has just been full of award ceremonies, some you know and some you may not have known about...

I'm starting off with the Golden Globes and the attention for the HBO Movie, Temple Grandin. If you haven't seen it, you so totally should. I mentioned it last February in my post "I'll Take One In Every Color, Please..."; the story of an Autistic woman who becomes an animal scientist. I don't think I'll be spoiling the movie for you because it's not any big secret that she invented a humane system to calm cattle headed to slaughter. The movie about her life & work is simply amazing. It gives you a captivating look into how Dr. Grandin's mind works and how she came to adopt the (not then) retro cowgirl shirt look as her "uniform".

So Monica Bretherton & I were shopping for items to use in her upcoming Winter Sparkle project of taking some very Western-a-fied photos of SAFE horses to expand their portfolios in hopes of attracting some potential adopters who might want to take them in a Western Direction (as in riding discipline, not necessarily the compass point!).

While at Country Square Western Wear we found several "Blingy" shirts that would be perfect for the shoot & I was calling them "Temple Grandin" shirts. One shirt in particular made a huge impression on Monica, so much so that she carried it around for quite awhile. Can you imagine her excitement while watching the Golden Globe Awards and actually seeing Dr. Grandin wearing that exact same shirt?!?!?!?

From the red carpet of the Golden Globes

For the WIN Collumn: Dr. Temple Grandin for just being an advocate for animals, Claire Danes who won Best Actress in a TV Movie for her portrayal of Dr. Grandin and Country Square who donated the use of three shirts, blingy belts and jewelry for the upcoming shoot.

Thank you Country Square, btw, your support of SAFE helping horses in need touches my heart...and if you're looking for BEAUTIFUL western wear, please go see the very nice staff there ...and tell them I sent you!! (also...to my other friends with major boot addictions...this is boot heaven!!!!)

The following night were the Eclipse Awards broad casted live on TVG...which thankfully we get during football season when Les upgrades to the sports package!! While it didn't have the showmanship of the Golden Globes, overall, I was much more interested in the categories and winners of this lesser known event. It's big in my world but your average person might think it has more to do with the Twilight series than horse racing. And even some of my equestrian friends may not know about it or it's significance. So it's like the Oscars of horse racing and Zenyatta has been the subject of much anticipation and speculation in regards to this years award for Horse of the Year.

There were some who thought Blame should get the big award after his Breeders Cup (very close) victory over the Super-Mare but there was quite a lot of fan campaigning for Zenyatta. If nothing else, she was winning the public opinion poll...whether the voters from the Daily Racing Forum agreed remained to be seen, but I still had the Hollywood Park crowds chanting "Zenyatta, Horse of the Year!!"  in my head. I couldn't be derailed in my total belief that she'd win.

From the paddock at Hollywood Park during Zenyatta's farewell party

Among the honors was a Special Eclipse Award given to Team Zenyatta for their " unfailing generosity of her connections..." and " ... for making Zenyatta so accessible to the public during her encore year in 2010." according to the DRF website. Next Came The "Older Female" Award, which went to Zenyatta and I was hoping that was an indicator that she was also going to win the Horse of the Year award and not some lower crown title (as happens to those kids on Toddlers & Tiara's who don't win the Grand Supreme titles...and yes, I admit it's somewhat of an addicting train wreck that I just can't stop watching!) as a consolation. I kept my fingers crossed...and then Blame won the Older Male...so there they were, neck and neck, just like the Breeders Cup Classic...but this time ZENYATTA won!!!!!

As if the award was not wonderful enough, her owner, Jerry Moss gave a beautiful speech in thanks. He mentioned the other horses and how great they were & thanked his own team for their roles. Then he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket: a clipping from the 2011 In The Presence of Champions Calendar put out by Tranquility Farm, a Thoroughbred Retirement, Rehabilitation & Adoption center, written by Priscilla Clark, it's President:

"If you love Thoroughbred horses you go through life hoping that you can see just one more in whose presence the clouds fall away to reveal the mountaintop. It can take a generation or infinitely longer for such a horse to arrive, a horse that is capable of carrying the human heart. For the last one hundred years we know them all by name, but Zenyatta brought to us a beauty that was a tonic for the soul. She allowed us to believe in the impossible, and it was the light of her being as much as the thrill of her races that got us dancing. Zenyatta was transformative."

 Just before he read that he also mentioned that Tranquility Farm is one of the many great programs for retired race horses & further endorsed " We all have to really contribute and help these people because they do the most important job of retiring Thoroughbred horses once they're finished at the race track."

My heart got so full it spilled from my eyes. Although he wasn't speaking directly to me, he was supporting the very thing I feel to the core of my being....that we owe it to these athletes to take care of them, regardless if they win multi-millions or maybe never make it to the track. The simple fact that they're bred for racing, even the chance of racing, makes it the responsibility of every breeder, trainer, owner, vet, farrier, jockey & groom....anyone who makes their living from racing...and lets throw in the racing fans, the tracks & the folks who are on the entertainment side of this as well...each one of us has a responsibility to those horses.

And one other important mention from the Eclipse Awards: Marylou Whitney when receiving an Eclipse Award of Merit, told the racing community that “We have to try more to improve their lives and advance their dignity,” and “As owners, you should be accountable for horses from the beginning of their lives to the end.” I hear from folks who don't like the racing industry for various reasons but I am not ashamed to say that I LOVE the sport and there are some truly amazing folks in it.

So into the WIN Collumn: Zenyatta, Team Zenyatta, Marylou Whitney, Priscilla Clark & Tranquility Farm and Horses!

And my final award subject ....is actually MY Award!!!

On a much smaller level & venue, Maeve & I attended the award banquet for the Equestrians' Institute this evening in Bellevue.The night belonged to riders and drivers who achieved outstanding results last year and along side them,  I was among the many volunteers that E.I. honored for their service at those events. Some of you might remember my posts: Dressage Days and Home of the Brave...In The Rain!  about my adventures in dressage & being a Ring Steward for E.I.

So tonight I received a beautiful etched glass(with my name spelled right even...impressive!) stating that I was a 2010 Dressage Volunteer Extraordinaire. I am both proud and honored!

The best take away, however, was the inspiration to get back out there and work with my horse...and perhaps to take advantage of some of the 2011 events that the Equestrians' Institute has planned including some events at the new Washington State Horse Park!

And the final add to the WIN Collumn: Me & my fancy new glass, Maeve who was likewise inspired, the Equestrians' Institute, all of the amazing equestrians who get out there and DO SOMETHING with their horses & Coconut who seems to like goals.

Yes, it's been an Awarding Week, in deed!

Another Day (or two)...

I have managed to get up and out to the park much earlier the last several days. I get a bit closer parking place so I only have to walk about a mile! When I checked in on Tuesday, I mentioned the mix up yesterday and asked specifically where I should meet my group for pre-shift orientation later and I was told to go directly to the Main Stadium at my designated time. Since I was already planning to be there I thought this was a great idea!

I got to the Main Stadium's warm up arena in time to watch Great Britain's Carl Hester on his horse, Liebling II. I did get a few photos & a video on the new phone but most of my photos are trapped in my camera since my lap top will not read my SD card for some reason. So these aren't the best but they do show just how close you can get!

Some last minute coaching.

I liked this shot of USA checking out the competition

Competition time!

I tried to purchase a ticket but was told my credentials would get me in for free and to sit anywhere that was open...hurray!!! So I rushed in to watch a few riders before my shift in the Program and information booth.

Of course the rides were spectacular but you could tell it was a very Dressage-savvy crowd as the whole place uttered a quiet "ohhh" when horse bobbled or something else went awry. It was fun to be be there, watching these world class riders and their ultra amazing horses.

The booth I was working at was both for Information and Program Sales. My job was basically to sell the Official Souvenir program for $15, a Discipline specific book for $5 or the daily ride order sheet for $2. It was pretty fun and I learned a bit too but I'd say the best part (besides being just around the corner from the Big Screen, a perfect shot for quick viewing) was that I was working with this team of Brits who work for the company who prints the programs. They were particularly entertaining as none of them seem to have any knowledge of horses. I got lots of horse questions but was amused by their observation of American culture. They love Lexington and feel it's a hidden treasure that we keep from them on purpose...they love the people who are very friendly (and the young men find the southern girls extremely beautiful!) but they were totally confused by our money and didn't understand why we preferred to give out paper bills as change and why the 10 cent piece was smaller than the 5 cent or even the 1 cent piece...and I failed to have an explanation for that as well! "Dime", "nickle" & "penny" was something else I had no intelligent explanation for either...Anyway, it was a good and fairly busy day and I enjoyed it quite a bit but discovered later in the day that I had FAILED again...the ladies at the check in booth had told me to head right over to the booth but I was supposed to go back to the volunteer check in before my shift for a briefing so they thought I was a no-show...again! is

I did get to watch a few fantastic rides...like Edward Gal from the Netherlands on Moorlands Totilas & Steffan Peters from the United States on his horse, Ravel. I have to say I think it's been quite an honor to be able to watch these Grand Prix level riders...and I was not alone...

On Wednesday, I pretty much showed up just in time to work and did everything I was supposed to...my duties for that day were to drive an ADA cart between designated pick-up/drop points for disabled guests. That was actually pretty fun too. I got to see parts of the park I would not have on foot and got to speed around (ok...as speedy as a golf cart for 6 can go!) and was a welcome sight for the passengers. I did have to collect one gentleman who I watched trip ahead of me, hitting his head on the pavement. He was already up by the time I reached him but he soon started bleeding quite a bit so I took him the medical team and they scooped him up from me. I think he was ok...he was more worried about how he was going to get back to where I kidnapped him from! I hear everything went fine :) But I felt a bit like I was in a Monty Python movie...I'm ok...it's just a flesh wound...

So I have other days to write about but I've been getting home late every night and add a bit to this post so for now I'm going to post this...sleep....work and then try the whole process again! Enjoy!

Home of the Brave...in the Rain!

Again with the big lapse in posts...trust me, it stares at me every day and says "When are you going to write again?"

The truth is that I've had quite a bit on my mind lately and, unfortunately, I feel much of it's just not best aired on my blog. I will say that there's quite a bit of turmoil in the local rescue world (in several areas) and it hurts my heart that the community is not united. I do have observations & opinions but I doubt that posting them would make anything better. All any of us want is to know the truth...what ever that truth is. I've found that empty spaces get filled with other people's creative version. The best policy is to tell the "whole" truth....and I'll leave it at that.

I have been finding time for fun despite the dark mood I've found myself in of late...

Dressage is still playing a front & center role and I'm kinda liking it! I captured myself a volunteer post for a couple of days at the Equestrian Institute's Chablis Sport Horse & Dressage Day and Beaujolais shows at Donida a few weekends ago. I got assigned Ring Steward at the warm-up arena and that was actually quite enlightening. Being a part of the inner-workings of the show and enteracting with people getting ready to ride their tests gave me some insight to what goes into it. Some folks were ready to go and if things were running fast, they were more than happy to start early. Other's wanted to get every moment possible to calm nerves or settle a horse they weren't 100% sure was ready.

The two days I was there was the weather was beyond challenging. We were supposed to be entering summer yet it was cold and rainy. What really impressed me most was the dedication of the riders. Here were these big fancy horses and the riders in their expensive show clothes out there in the sometimes pouring rain. There's no rain delay in this game! (take THAT Baseball!) The riders amazed me. While it wasn't exactly fun to stand out there stewarding them, that they were there, in spite of the weather, gave me the incentive to be there for them.

The show itself was run extremely well and it was easy to catch on to what needed to be done. They require you to sign up on the EI website as an official Equestrian Institute Volunteer. This way they can assign you tasks before the show and notify you of upcoming opportunities. The folks from EI were supportive, friendly and fun....and the bonus is that they give you gifts for helping!! Each day I got vouchers for food at the concession stand and the choice of a lovely gift based on the number of shifts worked. I walked away with a great folding chair with TWO cup holders and the Equestrian Institute Logo. I've already used it at another show and at my home barn watching Basil in training (more on that soon!). I liked it so much that I signed up for The Champagne Classic in two weeks.

Last weekend I was back at Donida again for their Dressage & Jumper schooling show. Ruth was there with Jack & Chrissy brought a whole crew from her barn. It was great fun to watch them all do their dressage tests and to see the girls do their jumper runs. In their height category, they took First, Second, Third & Fifth. The delight of the day was her Pony Bear with Lexi on board who took the Blue Ribbon!! He's one awesome little pony! I was so happy for everyone. They did such a great job!

Chrissy has challenge me to get Coconut out there & try a Dressage Test. At first I thought "no way!" it's hard enough to get her to listen to me sometimes, I could hardly imagine having her listen to me 100% for several minutes non-stop...but Chrissy has assured me that I can do this...and she has that way of knowing better than I do what I can do so I've downloaded Intro Test A & B and have been practicing at home on a smaller scale. In fact, today I walked her though both patterns just to get them into my head. I only had to refer to the copies I pinned to the arena rail once in between. I set up a much smaller dressage arena because we've had heavy rains the last two days (isn't it SUMMER???) so when it dries out a bit, I'll expand my pseudo arena and measure it out better. Maybe I'm being a wimp compared to the brave riders at the EI show, but our arena was not just wet, it was muddy and the footing makes me uncomfortable at anything above a walk (ok....we probably all know that's just a trot for the Nut & I). I did make her do some walking, standing & backing up in the puddles even though she's convinced it's not a place for the delicate hooves of the Arabian Princess!

I know some folks have been waiting on the next installment of the Great Paint Project...and that's something I REALLY need to catch up on because there's exciting stuff to tell about a certain two year old gelding...but I really need to get back to that story....

...and lastly...this weekend is FULL of birthdays....not only is it our Country's 234th but we're also celebrating SAFE Board Members Jenny (the 3rd) & Jaime (the 4th). So SAFE horses Lola & Jasmine got in the spirit of things and induldged me the following photo shoot....what good sports they were! The Birthday Party Pony Crew & I wish you, Jenny, Jaime & America, a very Happy Birthday!

Dressage Days

While I'm working on a gazillion other "Making a difference in the lives of horses" part of my blog (things I can't quite write about yet for several reasons...some angry...some really really good!), I have managed to get out and have myself some horse adventures.

This morning I dropped my husband off at the airport and headed to Donida. The purpose was mainly to catch up with Ruth if she had a moment during a break from being a scribe for the Dressage show this weekend. We did, in deed, have a few minutes to toss around some really great ideas about Thoroughbreds and non-track career options. (more on that later!)

The announcement came and she had to return to her duties so I decided to pull up a fence pole and watch a few tests. I am not up on what's what in terms of the levels and what they're expected to do but the one I planted myself in front of appeared to be one that included walk, trot, canter and minimal side passing. It was great to see the collection of the horses in motion and the looks on the rider's faces when things went well. To my untrained eye, I also saw a few looks of frustration when things didn't go as well as the rider might have hoped.

The arena next to that one seemed to have some higher level riders. There was lots of fun movement going on over there. I was about to head out when I heard over the loudspeaker that "Gwen" had a 5 minute call so I thought I'd hang out to see if it was Gwen Blake, who owns Donida Farm and from everything I've heard is a truly amazing rider.

Sure enough, she entered the ring on a drop-dead gorgeous Black Friesian who I assumed was Tjesse 400 based on the name embroidered on the saddle pad. Just watching them circle the outside of the ring got my heart racing...what a truly lovely pair they were and when the test began, things really got going!

Tjesse 400 is powerful and the passes where he was coming towards me practically took my breath away. His has these huge, exaggerated steps and they come down so hard you can practically feel them. He was stunning and the little laugh I heard from Gwen as they came around a corner told me she was having a blast letting him do his thing...and he obviously knew what he was doing. How exciting to watch a horse and rider out there really enjoying their passion! WOW!!!

Here's a video I found of Tjesse 400 on YouTube of them a few years ago, It's kind of a long one but you get a sense of his power & movement...WOW again!!!

I thought back to an afternoon a few years ago when I was at the Northshore Golf Members Lounge and someone asked what we all wanted to watch on the bar TV. It was during the Summer Olympics and when no one spoke up I asked if they could find any of the equestrian events. This guy at the bar complained that the equestrian events were boring, especially *dressage*... in a playful way I looked at him and said "Obviously you don't ride!" adding that what they make look so seamless and easy (ok, boring to him) actually took a lot of work and was not nearly as easy as it might appear. When you have spent hours, if not days/months/years just working on a collected trot I guess you get a huge appreciation for what it takes to ride for an average of a 5 minute program. Sheesh....boring?? I don't think so!!! (Really?? From people who Like to watch GOLF on TV!?)

I hadn't written about it yet, but I did manage to catch one of Jaime's tests a few weeks ago at L'Apertif. Only knowing her horse, Slam (Grand Slam) in his barn persona (or is that horsona?), I was impressed to see him doing his job...a job he obviously knows well and enjoys! Jaime too... since I met her a few years ago, I've only ever known her in the rescue realm but had heard that once upon a time she was a very active dressage rider. Seeing them together them on this stage was a delight.


Watching these two friends do something out of "MY" normal scope of experience with them was not just new to me....the look on Jaime's fiance, Mike's face was priceless. I'm sure he knew he had quite a catch there but when Jaime and Slam won FIRST PLACE in both of their tests and walked out with an arm full of ribbons, a medal and prizes, one could tell he suddenly realized that his catch was grater than he'd imagined. She was practically a ROCK STAR at that point!



It turns out about the time Jaime got heavily involved with rescue, dressage took a back seat and something like five years had passed since she'd last competed. In that time she also met Mike, so I get the feeling he was not aware of just how good she was until a few weeks ago. How cool is that? I would venture to guess that an occasional discovery on an admirable proportion is good for any relationship. Congrats to all three of you!


Next week I'm going to be a ring steward at the Chablis Sport Horse and Dressage Day on Friday and Beaujolais Dressage Show on Saturday. I'm very excited to participate as a volunteer and can't wait to see Jaime & Slam again as well as getting to see all of the other exhibitors.

I hung out at Chrissy's yesterday watching horses get their teeth done and we were talking bout Dressage and the upcoming shows at Donida, including the schooling show that Ruth and Jack are going to be in at the end of the month. Chrissy asked if I'd ever considered showing Coconut in a Dressage Test and I joked "Sure, in the non-collected, walk/Trot only" and she said "They have that!!" (except the non-collected part!) so it's something to think about, maybe something to work on...it's always good to have a goal, right? I seriously doubt that she'd be ready for the SAFE show in August but maybe next year?

Speaking of the SAFE Benefit show...that's another upcoming post...maybe this weekend while I'm entertaining myself while Les is in New Orleans saying goodbye to CJ, his best friend who always asked how "Miss Coconut" was and thought it was very cool that when life took a healthy turn for me, I got a horse! Much love to you CJ... Crawdads & dirty rice my friend! Thank you for loving the man I love the most and always loving me too, even though I kinda took him away. There's a special place for smiles like yours!