Kentucky Horse Park
HHamp5246
I'm in the Kentucky Horse Park campground.... thought some of you might like to
see today's journal entry.... Hunter
Hi Gang,
I had a fabulous day, most of it spent in Horse Park. The day started with a
trip to the nearest local tire dealer, after calling one a bit north of here
who told me his tires were made in 2001. The nearest guy had two made in 2004
and will have two more in the morning, when I have an appointment to get them
put on the trailer.
Then it was back to Horse Park. Timing is everything and I passed by the rose
covered graves of the horses that had once lived there, Bold Forbes and Forego
to name two, and went into the Hall of Champions just as the show was just
about to begin. The show consists of a woman who narrates while two grooms lead
the horses out of their stall and into the "round" barn. They are led around
and they stand and pose for photos and to be admired.
The first horse was a champion Five Gaited Saddlebred, something "Supreme" who
"parked out" for us, meaning he stood the way he would in a show ring with his
front and back legs stretched farther apart than normal. Then came my darling
Cigar who is unbelievably gorgeous and was the all time leading money winner
when he retired in 1996. He was an astounding race horse, a stallion that was
hopefully going to pass along his genes and sadly is sterile. The insurance
company had to pay out 25 million to his owners who let him live at Horse Park.
They kept him a stallion because the very optimistic insurance company keeps
having him tested, just in case......
The third horse, a Pacer, didn't interest me much. Then "Da Hoss", a horse that
won the Breeders cup one year after a two year lay off and the only gelding to
ever win two Breeders Cups....... The last horse was the diminutive John Henry;
I say that because the little guy is only 15.1. His sire and dam were unknown,
he isn't a horse you would look twice at in a field.... yet he was the richest
Thoroughbred ever when he retired in 1985. He's 29 now, and is still as mean as
ever. His favorite thing is taking pieces out of his grooms.
After that the Parade of Breeds started down at the breed barn. They had a
Friesian, a magnificent jet black horse, named Tom, with a long mane, tail and
feathered fetlocks. He was the same breed as the horse in the film Ladyhawke.
His rider was dressed like a medieval damsel with a flowing dress and long
chiffon head thing. ...... Then a Fell Pony, a smaller pony from the British
Isles that looks remarkably like a Friesian in miniature. There was also a
Welsh Pony, a Paso Fino and a Saddlebred. After the show I walked around
checking out the horses in their stalls.... most were pretty common, except for
the Kiger Mustang and an interesting looking blue eyed piebald mare and her
yearling with ears that curled toward each other at the top. The sign next to
their stalls says they are Marwari horses from India. Seems there are a total
of five in this country. The mare is only 14.1 hands tall and weighs 800
pounds.
Then the dogs and I walked around, they got many compliments and alot of
attention which suited them fine. The park was pretty empty actually, not like
on weekends when it's packed.
I went to the draft horse barn to find the manager to tell her how well Major,
once a resident was doing in his new home in Ocala. One of my best friends,
Lynn Wade, has him. He's an enormous Belgian, one so big they could never find
another one his size to make a matched pair. Tracy was thrilled to hear that
he's doing so well, especially for his age..... He's in his mid twenties.
Speaking of Lynn, she has a painting in the American Academy of Equine Artists
show going on at the park. I decided to check out the show and of course hers
was one of the ones that were sold. It's an oil painting called "Mothering" you
can see it on Lynn's web page if you want.... click on "prints" to see it.
http://lynnwade.com/
The first floor of the building that has the art show in it, has a museum and
in the lobby some wonderful racing memorabilia from two of the greatest
racehorses in the twentieth century, Secretariat and Seattle Slew. Both
horses' Triple Crown trophies are on display along other trophies and their
jockey's silks. There's even a tooth from one of them, Secretariat I think.
Slew's shoes were there, along with a whip. I'm hoping we have another Triple
Crown winner this year, Smarty Jones. The horse they named after me.... (My
maiden name is Jones) <g>
Then I saw something way off in a distant field, something that needed closer
inspection.... mares and foals. I walked over and promptly fell in love, not
with a horse.... There was a Quarter Horse mare with an identically colored
baby and then the draft mare with an inquisitive little chestnut mule baby with
some white spots on his face and a white muzzle and belly. Gosh he was cute,
he was fascinated with the dogs, and would get close then back away then move
close again. I took tons of photos.
We headed back to the hall of Champions and spent some time with the two ladies
who are the grooms there, they care for the famous ones. If I ever wanted a
job, that would have been my choice. I did hang out and take some more photos,
mostly of Cigar and finally came back to the campground passing the outside
course, where the famous Rolex three day events are run. The jumps are, well
formidable is the word that comes to mind.
A little Frisbee, a little visiting with neighbors and I'm in for the night.
It's thunder storming as I type, hope it quits soon, Brady is terrified of
storms.
Tomorrow... on to my friends' place in Indian Hill (Cincinnati), after I get
the new tires on the trailer.
lizzard woman
(snip EXCELLENT travelogue entry)
(... quivering ...lower.. lip....) Forego died?!?!?!?! I didn't know.
He'd only be in his early 30s now, no? He was my favorite racehorse... he
carried everything including "the kitchen sink."
--
love,
la mangosteena
"It is not uncommon for horses to be alarmed by both the sight and
sound of mules/donks. [...] Many a horse has lost its mind over minis, as
well." -- MJ
HHamp5246
>He'd only be in his early 30s now, no? He was my favorite racehorse... he
>carried everything including "the kitchen sink."
Yes, he died in 1997.
Here's my Forego story... from the previous journal....
"While I was there I did see Forego's headstone. I remember being there once
and standing near his pasture with a bunch of other people. He was a huge
horse with a terrible disposition and came toward us with his ears back; all of
a sudden a woman in the crowd hit him on the nose. I was stunned. Twice, once
because she slammed him and the second time because instead of backing up he
came at her like an alligator.... mouth open, ears flat.... he would have
nailed her except that I grabbed her and hauled her stupid self away just as he
crunched down.... idiot woman."
lizzard woman
Yes I had heard he was mean as hell. I suspect that is related to him being
in pain most of his life from bad legs. He must have run on a lot of pain.
Amazing. He was 17 HH, no?
I just looked up how he died... he was put down after he broke a hind leg in
a paddock accident. Absent that, he might have lived at least a few years
longer. My mare, a large OTTB, lived to the age of 31 when she was put down
due to a probable stroke.
Thanks for posting that story.
sharon
HHamp5246
Every bit of that...... 17.1 maybe.
>I just looked up how he died... he was put down after he broke a hind leg in
>a paddock accident. Absent that, he might have lived at least a few years
>longer.>
Yep, the groom told me he died from an accident....
Now John Henry is the "mean as hell" horse... at least he's small.
Hunter
Christine Watanabe
"HHamp5246" <hham...@aol.comnojunk> wrote:
>
> Now John Henry is the "mean as hell" horse... at least he's small.
He was the reason I made the trip up there last October. Missed the
Fresian, but saw the Missouri Fox Trotter, Trakehner and the mustang.
What a gorgeous place!
Chris
>
> Hunter
>
>
>
*~*~*
I tried to get a life, but it was out of stock.
Chris Watanabe & Mamo the Siamese now plotting the demise of both Baron the
German Shepherd & Cricket the Skye Terrier
chris.w...@verizon.net
Grapevine, Texas
HHamp5246
>Fresian, but saw the Missouri Fox Trotter, Trakehner and the mustang.
>
>What a gorgeous place!
>
>Chris
Hi Chris,
Cigar is reason to go back. Speaking of the Freisian, the Fell Pony looked
just like a little Freisian....
Did you see the bizarre looking horse from India with the curly ears?
It is a gorgeous place, the campground is one of my very favorites too.
Hunter
TBTrlRider
Just today I opened up the latest issue of Smithsonian Magazine (June ??). It
has a lengthy article on these horses--Malwari, or something like that (the
magazine is at work). There are a number of shots that show the "curly
ears"---but no real good conformation shot, to see what these horses really
look like!
Carol Nichols and Kylee (no curly ears here)
Libertyville, IL
HHamp5246
>ears"---but no real good conformation shot, to see what these horses really
>look like!
I just Googled, lots of hits..... try this one....
http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/horses/marwari/
Hunter
Phil McCrackin
> Tomorrow... on to my friends' place in Indian Hill (Cincinnati),
Ooooooh, be careful. The dreaded cicadas-of-death walk the earth after
17 years. The way these cyclical bugs are being covered by the media,
and by the reactions of many, you'd think it was the Invasion of the
Body Snatchers.
Thanks for the great Horse Park travelogue. We used to make an annual
pilgrimmage for the Rolex, but haven't for the last few years. Big
fun.
PM
HHamp5246
>Ooooooh, be careful. The dreaded cicadas-of-death walk the earth after 17
years. The way these cyclical bugs are being covered by the media, and by the
reactions of many, you'd think it was the Invasion of the
>Body Snatchers.>
Hahaha! No kidding. I lived here 17 years ago and remember it from then. I've
been here for about 18 hours and can hear them but have yet to see one.
>Thanks for the great Horse Park travelogue. We used to make an annual
pilgrimmage for the Rolex, but haven't for the last few years. Big fun.>
My pleasure..
Hunter
Lynn Tucker
hardly just a horse by any means.
Staying Together
"Stanley"
Standardbred Pacer
16 hands
Dark Bay Gelding, (foaled April 16, 1989 in Kentucky)
by Panorama - Happily Involved by Armbro Alert
Breeder: Kentuckiana Farm
Owner: Robert Hamather
Trainer: Jack Parsons/Bob McIntosh
Accomplishments
Harness Horse of the Year - 1993 for U.S. and Canada
Pacer of the Year - 1993 for U.S. and Canada
Champion Aged Pacer - 1993 for U.S. and Canada
Paced the world's fastest race time mile on a one-mile
track (1:48.2) and on a 1/2 mile track (1:49.1) in 1993
First gelding to be named Harness Horse of the Year in 99 years
Won the Canadian Pacing Derby, US National Pacing Championships,
American-National (twice), Breeder's Crown Pace, Driscoll Series, Graduate
Series, Des Smith Classic, Stewart Frazier Memorial and Frank Ryan Memorial
At time of retirement, held the 3 fastest race timed paced miles in
history
Retired as the 2nd richest Standardbred gelding in history - Sept. 27,
1995
They don't have to be TB's to be great horses and deserve some respect.
There, now I feel better. :>)
--
Lynn Tucker
Applications Technology
Information Systems and Technology
University of Waterloo
--
Lynn Tucker
Applications Technology
Information Systems and Technology
University of Waterloo
D Thompson
Arabian stallions to live. His bloodlines will carry on forever.
Danny
"HHamp5246" <hham...@aol.comnojunk> wrote in message
news:20040524225509...@mb-m05.aol.com...
HHamp5246
>Arabian stallions to live. His bloodlines will carry on forever.
I did...... it's gorgeous.