Not to disrespect Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous statement, but now I've been to the mountaintop too.
Brush Mountain, that is.
The Cumberland Gap National Park straddles Kentucky and Virginia. On our side, the mountains are steep and the valleys are low (Wasn't that a Motown song?). The path we and our horses took to the top was the same road that visitors take in National Park vans to get to Hensley settlement. Steep steep steep... but flanked left and right with gorgeous forest floors and ravines covered in boulders, and topped with the red, green and gold of autumn leaves.
For us riding flatlander horses from the Bluegrass area, climbing the mountain was a read sweat-inducing, huffing puffing exertion for the horses. At least it was for my somewhat overweight Morab gelding. He really wanted to sprint to the top to get it over with, but because I insisted on a walk, we stopped frequently to allow him to catch his breath. True to his Arabian and Morgan blood, he was anxious to keep going, and other than the sweat covering his chest and haunches, seemed none the worse for wear when we reached the top.
It was one of those unforgettable days of clear blue sies, sun and cool temperatures, a "10" on a scale from 1 to 10 for trail riding weather. Our friends from Harlan County, moving along on fit and seasoned Quarter Horses and gaited horses, told us trail stories, of the crazy horse that threw his rider and then threatened to run off a cliff, but changed direction at the last minute and charged down the trail directly into the side of another horse... of seeing bear scat but not the actual bear, and of training young horses using the "wet saddleblanket" approach.
At the top, we passed Hensley Settlement - which for me is a bit creepy as the ghosts of the settlement inhabitants still lurk there, kindly asking you to leave them alone. Continuing on to Martin's Fork campground, a cozy open spot tucked into the forest just below the ridgeline, grassy tent sites, an old cabin, corrals and tie-ups for horses, an outhouse, and a few picnic tables. A creek runs just below it which had just a trickle this day due to the drought all of Kentucky has experienced.
We broke out our lunch - snacks really - apples, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, and water. Horses were tied up to relax and we sat around the cabin appreciating a few minutes out of the saddle.
It doesn't get any better then this. Perfect weather, good friends, forest surroundings, healthy tired feeling, something to eat and drink. This is the mountaintop of human existence. If you haven't been there... you need to do it before your time is up.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Losing Friends - For Dennis and Pat
Today is a difficult day. Yesterday we lost two good friends, husband and wife, in a violent way. I went to sleep thinking of them and woke up thinking of them.
The thing about losing friends is that if it makes sense - if you can identify the "bad guy"... then somehow, through your grief, you can come to terms with the loss. You continue to miss them painfully, but you can send your grief to "the other", the "bad side" who made this all happen.
If it had been caused by some desperate "druggie" just looking for money; or some mentally ill person who randomly walked in their door; or a drunk driver speeding out of control. If it had been caused in these ways, your grief can center on those perpetrators.
But what do you do when you cannot identify the bad guy? What if there is no bad guy? Or worse yet, what if the only bad guy you can find is the person you lost? And you just don't want to go there.
My heart aches while I miss them. My mind keeps turning it over and over. Why? How? What could we have done? What one little event could have changed the course of events, could have interrupted the process so that these two people would still be here with us? I think just a small change somewhere could have stopped this. Perhaps I am being too hopeful in this feeling.
What hurts even more is that these two people were not just good friends... they were good people that many of us admired and used as role models. Involved in community. Volunteering every moment they had. Reliable and trustworthy. Fun to be around. Interested in children and nature. Good caretakers of their horses.
Where can you go when you lose two people like this, and you can't blame anyone? It shakes your belief that things happen for a reason. There is no reason for these deaths. Now life takes on a random aspect... anything can happen at any time, and our thinking minds can't figure it out, and can't stop it. We are at the mercy of unseen, unknown and unfathomable forces.
So we are left here, to live out what is left of our lives, not knowing where around the corner will come a senseless event for us, although we continue to try our best to control life and evil forces, when we can identify them. The scary part is when those forces cannot be identified, cannot be stopped, and good people are gone.
The thing about losing friends is that if it makes sense - if you can identify the "bad guy"... then somehow, through your grief, you can come to terms with the loss. You continue to miss them painfully, but you can send your grief to "the other", the "bad side" who made this all happen.
If it had been caused by some desperate "druggie" just looking for money; or some mentally ill person who randomly walked in their door; or a drunk driver speeding out of control. If it had been caused in these ways, your grief can center on those perpetrators.
But what do you do when you cannot identify the bad guy? What if there is no bad guy? Or worse yet, what if the only bad guy you can find is the person you lost? And you just don't want to go there.
My heart aches while I miss them. My mind keeps turning it over and over. Why? How? What could we have done? What one little event could have changed the course of events, could have interrupted the process so that these two people would still be here with us? I think just a small change somewhere could have stopped this. Perhaps I am being too hopeful in this feeling.
What hurts even more is that these two people were not just good friends... they were good people that many of us admired and used as role models. Involved in community. Volunteering every moment they had. Reliable and trustworthy. Fun to be around. Interested in children and nature. Good caretakers of their horses.
Where can you go when you lose two people like this, and you can't blame anyone? It shakes your belief that things happen for a reason. There is no reason for these deaths. Now life takes on a random aspect... anything can happen at any time, and our thinking minds can't figure it out, and can't stop it. We are at the mercy of unseen, unknown and unfathomable forces.
So we are left here, to live out what is left of our lives, not knowing where around the corner will come a senseless event for us, although we continue to try our best to control life and evil forces, when we can identify them. The scary part is when those forces cannot be identified, cannot be stopped, and good people are gone.
Mucking Stalls
Mucking stalls is one of my favorite things to do in the barn.
It occurs to me that this may not be typical of horse owners. And those who don't take care of their own horses certainly assume that mucking stalls would be on the bottom of the list of all barn chores.
But NO!
Mucking stalls falls into the same category as mowing the lawn. It is a mechanical process for your body, which requires totally repetitive but mindless activity. While your body is working, your brain is free to wander all over the place. And mine does.
My favorite time to muck is Sunday morning. It's quiet in the world except for the birds and the munching of horses eating hay. I wander down to the barn with a cup of coffee, turn on the radio to NPR, get my tools and enjoy the quiet.
In the summer, I turn all of the horses out into the paddock to eat their hay. (I have three horses, not a huge herd..) Then I am free to choose the stall to start with. If I am feeling energetic, I choose the dirtiest (my mare's... she drops her poop wherever she happens to be at the moment and then circles the stall enough times to spread it into every nook and cranny). If I am feeling a bit lazy, I start with the easiest one (my older gelding's, he poops a lot but puts it right in the same corner each time.)
And then the fun begins. While shoveling, sifting, and dumping, my mind takes off to places unknown. Some of my best ideas come while mucking. A lot of "what if..." moments, and a lot of "Why not...?" moments.
Or maybe I've been struggling with a problem. Could be a problem with a person who I am trying to figure out, or could be a problem with the Horse Council, where we are always trying to squeeze one more drop of activity out of the staff and board.
The most difficult problems mean the cleanest stalls. This is good.
In the background, NPR is talking about some international problem, or how to clean artichokes ("The Splendid Table" show), or whether Acai is really good for you (The "Dr. Zorba on Your Health" show). I tune into what they say occasionally, but usually it is background noise while I think.
May you enjoy mucking as much as I do. At my house, when they say "shit happens", it's not always bad.
It occurs to me that this may not be typical of horse owners. And those who don't take care of their own horses certainly assume that mucking stalls would be on the bottom of the list of all barn chores.
But NO!
Mucking stalls falls into the same category as mowing the lawn. It is a mechanical process for your body, which requires totally repetitive but mindless activity. While your body is working, your brain is free to wander all over the place. And mine does.
My favorite time to muck is Sunday morning. It's quiet in the world except for the birds and the munching of horses eating hay. I wander down to the barn with a cup of coffee, turn on the radio to NPR, get my tools and enjoy the quiet.
In the summer, I turn all of the horses out into the paddock to eat their hay. (I have three horses, not a huge herd..) Then I am free to choose the stall to start with. If I am feeling energetic, I choose the dirtiest (my mare's... she drops her poop wherever she happens to be at the moment and then circles the stall enough times to spread it into every nook and cranny). If I am feeling a bit lazy, I start with the easiest one (my older gelding's, he poops a lot but puts it right in the same corner each time.)
And then the fun begins. While shoveling, sifting, and dumping, my mind takes off to places unknown. Some of my best ideas come while mucking. A lot of "what if..." moments, and a lot of "Why not...?" moments.
Or maybe I've been struggling with a problem. Could be a problem with a person who I am trying to figure out, or could be a problem with the Horse Council, where we are always trying to squeeze one more drop of activity out of the staff and board.
The most difficult problems mean the cleanest stalls. This is good.
In the background, NPR is talking about some international problem, or how to clean artichokes ("The Splendid Table" show), or whether Acai is really good for you (The "Dr. Zorba on Your Health" show). I tune into what they say occasionally, but usually it is background noise while I think.
May you enjoy mucking as much as I do. At my house, when they say "shit happens", it's not always bad.
Monday, October 11, 2010
WEG: The Last Day Plus One
Officially, WEG was over as of 5:00pm yesterday, Oct. 10th. But for the KHC staff, WEG continued into today -- and will continue into tomorrow and beyond-- as the "follow-up" work is to be done.
Yesterday (WEG Day 16) we acted like the experienced trade show shoppers that we are, and put up LAST DAY OF WEG SALE signs. Just like all retailers (who advertise "THE DAY BEFORE LABOR DAY SALE" AND "THE DAY AFTER ST. PADDY'S DAY SALE"... or whatever reason they can dream up to pretend to mark down prices to some UNBELIEVABLY LOW (TODAY ONLY!!!) PRICES!!!
Our sale prices weren't THAT good, but everyone did save a few bucks on some popular items. Hats were selling well, as were pins (although, to be honest, if you looked desperate enough, we would slip you a pin under the table, free...)
The Village Arena that was right behind our booth had a great "END OF WEG" final performance. I watched part of it and they brought in most of the week's performers doing back to back, 8 minute shows. The stands were packed (even in that miserably hot sun), and standing room only on the sides.
My sense was that many of the visitors on Sunday were non-horse owning families (lots of kids around). They LOVED seeing the horses, and ooh-ed and aah-ed over the demonstrations of high skill, entertainment and beauty. No matter what we say about the future of the horse industry, this experience once again told me that EVERYONE loves to look at a horse perform at its peak, or pet the soft neck of a gentle horse. We have more friends in the non-horse owning public than we know or than we appreciate.
At the last minute, I decided to attend the Closing Ceremonies... and felt lucky to buy an $80 ticket for $30 at the ticket booth (from a lady who had to get rid of some...). But after sitting through the Closing Ceremonies, even $30 seemed too much. Well, unless you really like Lyle Lovett, then $30 was probably a good price. But the ceremony itself, preceeding Lyle, was slow and boring.
The athletes walked into the stadium, country by country, half-heartedly waving their flags. Applause was slim except for an occasional burst when a country went by it's cheering section... and of course a thunder of applause for the Americans. But then they all just circled once around, and out the exit gate, and were gone.
All that was left were some VERY ENTHUSIASTIC volunteers who were seated front and center and really seemed to be like a pep band at a high school basketball game. They cheered on cue, waved their pom-poms and generally were supposed to be the initiator of crowd noise (I think). The crowd, however, was not very perceptive, and sat sweating in the sun, waiting for some real entertainment.
And then the speeches started.
Normally I am patient at listening to speeches. I know they are appropriate in many circumstances, and need to be done. But for some reason, this time... I could hardly wait for them to be over. All I could think of is -- where are the horses? How can we have a closing ceremony without horses? It would not even have to be the competitive horses - I know they are expensive and very tired at this point -- but couldn't they have rounded up SOME horses, a drill team, some Pony Clubbers or 4-H clubs, something?
Oops, I'm getting pretty crabby aren't I? I've got post-weg-exhaustion, from my tired feet to my dusty hair to my brain-dead mind. Good thing this is the last day! Just in time.
Monday morning bright and early we arrived at the horse park to tear down and pack up our booth. It took about three hours packing and loading (one good thing about horse owners, we all had trucks we could bring to haul the stuff around in.) One load of furniture and brochure racks went to my storage building at home, and the rest went back to the office. I can hardly get to my desk at this point, with the boxes and bags all over the place in here!
I would like to say adios to everyone who read the blog and sent comments... I have enjoyed it - and will continue to blog although not every day. Different topics, different ideas... and if you enjoy them, keep reading and sending your comments too.
A plug for our KHC Annual Conference, which will be held in January at the Lexington Convention Center. More about that later here and on our website, kentuckyhorse.org.
Yesterday (WEG Day 16) we acted like the experienced trade show shoppers that we are, and put up LAST DAY OF WEG SALE signs. Just like all retailers (who advertise "THE DAY BEFORE LABOR DAY SALE" AND "THE DAY AFTER ST. PADDY'S DAY SALE"... or whatever reason they can dream up to pretend to mark down prices to some UNBELIEVABLY LOW (TODAY ONLY!!!) PRICES!!!
Our sale prices weren't THAT good, but everyone did save a few bucks on some popular items. Hats were selling well, as were pins (although, to be honest, if you looked desperate enough, we would slip you a pin under the table, free...)
The Village Arena that was right behind our booth had a great "END OF WEG" final performance. I watched part of it and they brought in most of the week's performers doing back to back, 8 minute shows. The stands were packed (even in that miserably hot sun), and standing room only on the sides.
My sense was that many of the visitors on Sunday were non-horse owning families (lots of kids around). They LOVED seeing the horses, and ooh-ed and aah-ed over the demonstrations of high skill, entertainment and beauty. No matter what we say about the future of the horse industry, this experience once again told me that EVERYONE loves to look at a horse perform at its peak, or pet the soft neck of a gentle horse. We have more friends in the non-horse owning public than we know or than we appreciate.
At the last minute, I decided to attend the Closing Ceremonies... and felt lucky to buy an $80 ticket for $30 at the ticket booth (from a lady who had to get rid of some...). But after sitting through the Closing Ceremonies, even $30 seemed too much. Well, unless you really like Lyle Lovett, then $30 was probably a good price. But the ceremony itself, preceeding Lyle, was slow and boring.
The athletes walked into the stadium, country by country, half-heartedly waving their flags. Applause was slim except for an occasional burst when a country went by it's cheering section... and of course a thunder of applause for the Americans. But then they all just circled once around, and out the exit gate, and were gone.
All that was left were some VERY ENTHUSIASTIC volunteers who were seated front and center and really seemed to be like a pep band at a high school basketball game. They cheered on cue, waved their pom-poms and generally were supposed to be the initiator of crowd noise (I think). The crowd, however, was not very perceptive, and sat sweating in the sun, waiting for some real entertainment.
And then the speeches started.
Normally I am patient at listening to speeches. I know they are appropriate in many circumstances, and need to be done. But for some reason, this time... I could hardly wait for them to be over. All I could think of is -- where are the horses? How can we have a closing ceremony without horses? It would not even have to be the competitive horses - I know they are expensive and very tired at this point -- but couldn't they have rounded up SOME horses, a drill team, some Pony Clubbers or 4-H clubs, something?
Oops, I'm getting pretty crabby aren't I? I've got post-weg-exhaustion, from my tired feet to my dusty hair to my brain-dead mind. Good thing this is the last day! Just in time.
Monday morning bright and early we arrived at the horse park to tear down and pack up our booth. It took about three hours packing and loading (one good thing about horse owners, we all had trucks we could bring to haul the stuff around in.) One load of furniture and brochure racks went to my storage building at home, and the rest went back to the office. I can hardly get to my desk at this point, with the boxes and bags all over the place in here!
I would like to say adios to everyone who read the blog and sent comments... I have enjoyed it - and will continue to blog although not every day. Different topics, different ideas... and if you enjoy them, keep reading and sending your comments too.
A plug for our KHC Annual Conference, which will be held in January at the Lexington Convention Center. More about that later here and on our website, kentuckyhorse.org.
Friday, October 8, 2010
WEG Day 14
This morning was the very important - and dare I say historic? - signing ceremony for the partnership between the Kentucky Horse Council and the Normandy Horse Council. The Pavilion was packed, and a herd of media was there too. Our Kentucky First Lady, Mrs. Jane Beshear, participated in the ceremony. It was actually a double ceremony (sounds like a wedding for two sets of twins) for partnerships between KHC and Normandy HC, as well as University of KY and the French Equine Cluster.
What is an Equine Cluster, you ask?
Well, it is NOT a GooGoo Cluster (for non-southerners, see www.GooGoo.com).
The French decided to assess their strongest industries, and then organize professional units to make sure those industries were strengthened and growing. These units are called "clusters". Dr. Lori Garkovich at the University of Kentucky has written about clusters of economic activities. The French chose the Equine industry as one of their strong industries, and now they are working to keep it healthy and growing. (Sounds like something Kentucky should think about doing for the horse industry.)
Speeches were made by everyone, and representing the KY Horse Council was President Madelyn Millard. As she signed the agreement, light bulbs flashed and cameras clicked. Hollywood.
Then, Nicholas, head of the Normandy Horse Council burst the bubble. He whispered to me: "Now we have to do the work!" Oh darn, these signing ceremonies are followed by actual work aren't they?
But tune in to kentuckyhorse.com. We want to get a bunch of Kentuckians saving for a big trip to France for the 2014 Games. Including a 4 year French lesson! It could be one BIG party. If you haven't been to France, why not now? Go with friends and watch some incredible horses perform. Sounds like heaven. [oh, and then there is the food.... yum!]
Today was long and hot, and ended with me losing my wallet somewhere in the Horse Park. I was assured by the lost and found personnel that they have had a number of wallets turned in and people are being very honest, with all the money still in them. That's not a problem for me because I think I had like $5 in cash... but it's the credit cards and drivers license that is a problem. Well, I am going to wait 24 hours before I panic.
And I'll use my current favorite phrase when something bad happens: "Oh well, nobody died."
What is an Equine Cluster, you ask?
Well, it is NOT a GooGoo Cluster (for non-southerners, see www.GooGoo.com).
The French decided to assess their strongest industries, and then organize professional units to make sure those industries were strengthened and growing. These units are called "clusters". Dr. Lori Garkovich at the University of Kentucky has written about clusters of economic activities. The French chose the Equine industry as one of their strong industries, and now they are working to keep it healthy and growing. (Sounds like something Kentucky should think about doing for the horse industry.)
Speeches were made by everyone, and representing the KY Horse Council was President Madelyn Millard. As she signed the agreement, light bulbs flashed and cameras clicked. Hollywood.
Then, Nicholas, head of the Normandy Horse Council burst the bubble. He whispered to me: "Now we have to do the work!" Oh darn, these signing ceremonies are followed by actual work aren't they?
But tune in to kentuckyhorse.com. We want to get a bunch of Kentuckians saving for a big trip to France for the 2014 Games. Including a 4 year French lesson! It could be one BIG party. If you haven't been to France, why not now? Go with friends and watch some incredible horses perform. Sounds like heaven. [oh, and then there is the food.... yum!]
Today was long and hot, and ended with me losing my wallet somewhere in the Horse Park. I was assured by the lost and found personnel that they have had a number of wallets turned in and people are being very honest, with all the money still in them. That's not a problem for me because I think I had like $5 in cash... but it's the credit cards and drivers license that is a problem. Well, I am going to wait 24 hours before I panic.
And I'll use my current favorite phrase when something bad happens: "Oh well, nobody died."
WEG Day 13
OOO- Day 13. Don't even like to type that number.
Was yesterday's blog too INFORMATIONAL for you? Yeah, I thought so. If you had wanted INFORMATIONAL you'd go read a newspaper. Truth is, that was the one day I never left the KHC office, so was not even at WEG. Life outside of WEG is on hold, but not dead....
I decided that the hardest part for me about writing a daily blog is that you actually have to REMEMBER what happens all day. Something happens in the morning, and 10pm at night you have to think back 12 hours and remember it. Sometimes I sit down and think, "Now, what DID I do this morning?" And of course draw a complete blank for a few minutes. The good news is that eventually it comes back to me, which proves I am not yet totally senile.
This morning, KHC hosted the French BIDNESSES (that IS a Kentucky word, right?). Although many of you (especially those who listen to Glen Beck) think that France is socialist, they actually are pretty sharp in bidness. A whole flotilla of French equine bidnesses came to Kentucky to make connections with our equine bidnesses. (Wow, it is hard to keep mis-spelling a word. Seems like it would come natural, but it's a real effort)
So we had in our conference room Frenchies who consulted in equine sport surfaces (ie Polytrack and all the other synthetic arena surfaces), others who built horse vans, provided farm software, equine equipment, jump systems, etc. They proposed a SPEED DATING event with our American bidnesses.
If you haven't heard of speed dating, it's the American invention which started by making it quicker for young singles to meet lots of other young singles. There's a whole room of single people, and two people spend 5 minutes talking to each other and then BUZZ, the bell rings and you move on to the next person. Isn't it just like the U.S. to take a social tradition like dating (picking someone up for a date, going to a movie and/or dinner, drinks afterward) and speed it all up into 5 minutes. Wouldn't want to lose a second with that silly "getting to know people" stuff, would we?
Back to bidness speed dating -- so a number of our American counterparts came, including Hallway Feed, McCauley Bros., Kentucky Horse Supply, Fennell's.... I talked to Roxanne from Kentucky Horse Supply and she thought it was really valuable to make the connections. She also told me that she LOVES the KHC website and enews, that it's the best place to get information on just about anything horsey in Kentucky. (OK, I'm doing some shameless compliment bragging)
And now another food story... we have a deli in the building, and each day they have one hot item (like stew or chicken) and also will make you a sandwich or salad. SO I told the Normandy business folks about the deli in case they wanted some lunch. Later around lunchtime, I went down myself to get something.. and guess what their hot item was? CHILI DOGS AND BEANS! I thought to myself, "Oh boy, the French are going to LOVE more 'junk food'!" I can hear them now, after they get back to France: "Yeah, we were in the U.S. and all those people eat is hotdogs, hamburgers and burritos. No wonder they are unhealthy. (Note that unhealthy means fat)"
As I suck in my stomach.... Thank god for stretch jeans.
Went over to WEG at noon with Dennis and Pat Blackburn, who are KHC volunteers extraordinaire. Dennis, a trail rider and chair of the Trail Committee (and former firefighter), is on the KHC board and will show up for just about anything we ask him to, if he is not teaching a firefighting school or backpacking with the Boy Scouts. Pat, his wife, is there with him whenever she can. Dennis DID happen to mention the other day that he'd like to ride his horse someday soon. (WHAT??? RIDE YOUR HORSE INSTEAD OF GOING TO TRAIL MEETINGS, MANNING THE WEG BOOTH, ATTENDING NORMANDY RECEPTIONS, VISITING TRAILS WITH PROBLEMS.... HEY, IF I DON'T HAVE TIME TO RIDE MY HORSE, YOU AIN'T GONNA EITHER. WE WILL ALL SUFFER TOGETHER.)
Back at the WEG booth, Chuck Weber continues to paint continuously - he is now working on his last WEG work: Vaulting. If you haven't stopped to see his work, do so today. He will be leaving after today, and his work will be gone (except for pictures....) We do have prints to sell of his work, so stop by our booth in the Equine Village (at the edge of the "track" between the Visitor's Center and the Museum)
On a closing note, I have a confession to make of an error that NO HORSEMEN should make.... I confused Pat Parelli with John Lyons the other day. (Go ahead, give me 20 lashes with wet baling twine!) It was PAT PARELLI who was feeding the troops at WEG, not JOHN LYONS. He did it again last night in style: grilled chicken (Pat was doing the grilling. Notice my use of his first name, he and I are like good buds.... HA HA), grilled asparagus, green salad and macaroni salad and beer. AND a three piece band. (However, the three piece band was NOT playing bluegrass, so Pat did not score 100% on this test)
Au Revoir until tomorrow.
Was yesterday's blog too INFORMATIONAL for you? Yeah, I thought so. If you had wanted INFORMATIONAL you'd go read a newspaper. Truth is, that was the one day I never left the KHC office, so was not even at WEG. Life outside of WEG is on hold, but not dead....
I decided that the hardest part for me about writing a daily blog is that you actually have to REMEMBER what happens all day. Something happens in the morning, and 10pm at night you have to think back 12 hours and remember it. Sometimes I sit down and think, "Now, what DID I do this morning?" And of course draw a complete blank for a few minutes. The good news is that eventually it comes back to me, which proves I am not yet totally senile.
This morning, KHC hosted the French BIDNESSES (that IS a Kentucky word, right?). Although many of you (especially those who listen to Glen Beck) think that France is socialist, they actually are pretty sharp in bidness. A whole flotilla of French equine bidnesses came to Kentucky to make connections with our equine bidnesses. (Wow, it is hard to keep mis-spelling a word. Seems like it would come natural, but it's a real effort)
So we had in our conference room Frenchies who consulted in equine sport surfaces (ie Polytrack and all the other synthetic arena surfaces), others who built horse vans, provided farm software, equine equipment, jump systems, etc. They proposed a SPEED DATING event with our American bidnesses.
If you haven't heard of speed dating, it's the American invention which started by making it quicker for young singles to meet lots of other young singles. There's a whole room of single people, and two people spend 5 minutes talking to each other and then BUZZ, the bell rings and you move on to the next person. Isn't it just like the U.S. to take a social tradition like dating (picking someone up for a date, going to a movie and/or dinner, drinks afterward) and speed it all up into 5 minutes. Wouldn't want to lose a second with that silly "getting to know people" stuff, would we?
Back to bidness speed dating -- so a number of our American counterparts came, including Hallway Feed, McCauley Bros., Kentucky Horse Supply, Fennell's.... I talked to Roxanne from Kentucky Horse Supply and she thought it was really valuable to make the connections. She also told me that she LOVES the KHC website and enews, that it's the best place to get information on just about anything horsey in Kentucky. (OK, I'm doing some shameless compliment bragging)
And now another food story... we have a deli in the building, and each day they have one hot item (like stew or chicken) and also will make you a sandwich or salad. SO I told the Normandy business folks about the deli in case they wanted some lunch. Later around lunchtime, I went down myself to get something.. and guess what their hot item was? CHILI DOGS AND BEANS! I thought to myself, "Oh boy, the French are going to LOVE more 'junk food'!" I can hear them now, after they get back to France: "Yeah, we were in the U.S. and all those people eat is hotdogs, hamburgers and burritos. No wonder they are unhealthy. (Note that unhealthy means fat)"
As I suck in my stomach.... Thank god for stretch jeans.
Went over to WEG at noon with Dennis and Pat Blackburn, who are KHC volunteers extraordinaire. Dennis, a trail rider and chair of the Trail Committee (and former firefighter), is on the KHC board and will show up for just about anything we ask him to, if he is not teaching a firefighting school or backpacking with the Boy Scouts. Pat, his wife, is there with him whenever she can. Dennis DID happen to mention the other day that he'd like to ride his horse someday soon. (WHAT??? RIDE YOUR HORSE INSTEAD OF GOING TO TRAIL MEETINGS, MANNING THE WEG BOOTH, ATTENDING NORMANDY RECEPTIONS, VISITING TRAILS WITH PROBLEMS.... HEY, IF I DON'T HAVE TIME TO RIDE MY HORSE, YOU AIN'T GONNA EITHER. WE WILL ALL SUFFER TOGETHER.)
Back at the WEG booth, Chuck Weber continues to paint continuously - he is now working on his last WEG work: Vaulting. If you haven't stopped to see his work, do so today. He will be leaving after today, and his work will be gone (except for pictures....) We do have prints to sell of his work, so stop by our booth in the Equine Village (at the edge of the "track" between the Visitor's Center and the Museum)
On a closing note, I have a confession to make of an error that NO HORSEMEN should make.... I confused Pat Parelli with John Lyons the other day. (Go ahead, give me 20 lashes with wet baling twine!) It was PAT PARELLI who was feeding the troops at WEG, not JOHN LYONS. He did it again last night in style: grilled chicken (Pat was doing the grilling. Notice my use of his first name, he and I are like good buds.... HA HA), grilled asparagus, green salad and macaroni salad and beer. AND a three piece band. (However, the three piece band was NOT playing bluegrass, so Pat did not score 100% on this test)
Au Revoir until tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
WEG Day 12
The days are all running together now. Is it Tuesday? Or Thursday? Or Sunday? I wonder who invented the seven day week anyway? And how did the Neanderthals do it; they just woke up every morning with no weekly schedule. They were probably just happy that the sun came up one more time. "UGH! LOOK, BRIGHT BALL IN SKY AGAIN. THE SUN GOD HERE. GO GET MEAT! UGH!"
But today was Wednesday (I think). Our big event for the day is hosting Miss Teen - Kentucky World in our booth, who is a Kentuckian but ALSO an accomplished young Equestrian. Look at these show results for her - Belle Owen: (Saddlebred rider)
10 & under World Champion 2006
11 yr old World Champion 2007
12 yr old World Champion 2008-Unanimous
13 yr World Champion 2009-Unanimous
13 & under Kentucky State World Grand Champion 2009-Unanimous
13 & under Kentucky State World Grand Champion 2008-Unanimous
13 & under World Grand Champion 2009-Unanimous
13 & under UPHA National Grand Champion 2009-Unanimous
Undefeated in 13 & under in 2009
10&under Equitation World Champion 2006
11 yr old Equitation World Champion 2007
12 yr old Equitation World Champion 2008-Unianimous
13 yr Equitation World Champion 2009-Unianimous
13 & under Kentucky State Equitation World Grand Champion 2009-Unianimous
13 &under Kentucky State Equitation World Grand Champion 2008-Unianimous
13 & under Equitation World Grand Champion 2009-Unianimous
13 & under UPHA National Grand Champion 2009-Unianimous
Undefeated in 13 & under Equitation in 2009
American Saddlebred People's Choice Award 2008 & 2009
13 & under rider of the year 2009
WOW!!! I'm tired just reading that list. I'll bet her horse is tired too.
Float your brain away from the KY Horse Park for a moment. Southwest, over to Harrodsburg. Over to Big Red Stables (can you fly over there like ET? That would be cool...). Emily Dennis, who runs Big Red (a rental trail riding facility), reports that they have had a ton of national and international visitors: Hong Kong, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, California, Wisconsin, Kentucky, New York . . . She has lost count of all the places, but did get a world map and atlas and sticker stars for people to mark where they are from, AND (just as important) SHE CLEANED OUT THE TACK ROOM! Boy, wish I had a minute to clean out mine. The spiders are taking over. YUK. Cleaning out the tack room falls in to that category called AWEG. After WEG.
Fly over to another part of town - the downtown International Equine Festival in Rupp Arena. Here's an opportunity to see if your horse business is "business" or "hobby"according to the IRS rules:
Thursday night (10/7), 5:00pm at the International Festival of the Horse--
"Is Your Horse Operation a Business or a Hobby?" Presented by KHC members Joel Turner of Frost Brown Todd, member Tim Folck of Marnitz and Associates, and Jen Shah of Dean Dorton Ford.
Here's the L-O-N-G link to get details: http://horsecapitalproductions.com/component/sectionex/235-business-talk?catid=53%3Aief-2010-speakers
Ok, now we zip back north to the KY Horse Park again...
Did I tell you about the original oils that are being painted in the Horse Council booth lately? And the prints that are for sale (They are giclee prints which means they are on canvas and look ALMOST like an original) If you need just that right horse artwork for your livingroom, bedroom, family room or CHRISTMAS GIFT (!).... come on over to our booth. 50% of all proceeds go to the Council.
(I can't believe I said that - Christmas - I HATE it when retailers start hanging up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving - and now it's Halloween -- and here I am hawking Christmas gifts on Oct. 6th. Bad Karma. As bad as those greasy Santas that sit in Mall stores. They are truly creepy.)
But today was Wednesday (I think). Our big event for the day is hosting Miss Teen - Kentucky World in our booth, who is a Kentuckian but ALSO an accomplished young Equestrian. Look at these show results for her - Belle Owen: (Saddlebred rider)
10 & under World Champion 2006
11 yr old World Champion 2007
12 yr old World Champion 2008-Unanimous
13 yr World Champion 2009-Unanimous
13 & under Kentucky State World Grand Champion 2009-Unanimous
13 & under Kentucky State World Grand Champion 2008-Unanimous
13 & under World Grand Champion 2009-Unanimous
13 & under UPHA National Grand Champion 2009-Unanimous
Undefeated in 13 & under in 2009
10&under Equitation World Champion 2006
11 yr old Equitation World Champion 2007
12 yr old Equitation World Champion 2008-Unianimous
13 yr Equitation World Champion 2009-Unianimous
13 & under Kentucky State Equitation World Grand Champion 2009-Unianimous
13 &under Kentucky State Equitation World Grand Champion 2008-Unianimous
13 & under Equitation World Grand Champion 2009-Unianimous
13 & under UPHA National Grand Champion 2009-Unianimous
Undefeated in 13 & under Equitation in 2009
American Saddlebred People's Choice Award 2008 & 2009
13 & under rider of the year 2009
WOW!!! I'm tired just reading that list. I'll bet her horse is tired too.
Float your brain away from the KY Horse Park for a moment. Southwest, over to Harrodsburg. Over to Big Red Stables (can you fly over there like ET? That would be cool...). Emily Dennis, who runs Big Red (a rental trail riding facility), reports that they have had a ton of national and international visitors: Hong Kong, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, California, Wisconsin, Kentucky, New York . . . She has lost count of all the places, but did get a world map and atlas and sticker stars for people to mark where they are from, AND (just as important) SHE CLEANED OUT THE TACK ROOM! Boy, wish I had a minute to clean out mine. The spiders are taking over. YUK. Cleaning out the tack room falls in to that category called AWEG. After WEG.
Fly over to another part of town - the downtown International Equine Festival in Rupp Arena. Here's an opportunity to see if your horse business is "business" or "hobby"according to the IRS rules:
Thursday night (10/7), 5:00pm at the International Festival of the Horse--
"Is Your Horse Operation a Business or a Hobby?" Presented by KHC members Joel Turner of Frost Brown Todd, member Tim Folck of Marnitz and Associates, and Jen Shah of Dean Dorton Ford.
Here's the L-O-N-G link to get details: http://horsecapitalproductions.com/component/sectionex/235-business-talk?catid=53%3Aief-2010-speakers
Ok, now we zip back north to the KY Horse Park again...
Did I tell you about the original oils that are being painted in the Horse Council booth lately? And the prints that are for sale (They are giclee prints which means they are on canvas and look ALMOST like an original) If you need just that right horse artwork for your livingroom, bedroom, family room or CHRISTMAS GIFT (!).... come on over to our booth. 50% of all proceeds go to the Council.
(I can't believe I said that - Christmas - I HATE it when retailers start hanging up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving - and now it's Halloween -- and here I am hawking Christmas gifts on Oct. 6th. Bad Karma. As bad as those greasy Santas that sit in Mall stores. They are truly creepy.)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Weg Day 11
Picture this: Mint Juleps in a barn cocktail party, filled with a mix of American equestrians, KY Horse Council board members, and representatives from a number of breeds.... plus 30 of your best French friends. (What, you don't have any French friends? Visit the Normandy pavilion at WEG to find some, they are waiting there with cheese and wine. And a cooking class which is FREE and you get to eat the results.)
Stalls full of horses of many breeds: Saddlebreds, thoroughbreds, warmbloods, quarter horses, hackney ponies... and in the aisles people drinking cocktails and admiring the diversity of breeds.
A demonstration of a Kentucky native breed, the Rocky Mountain horse. The French mounting the Rocky Mountains in anticipation, to experience its gait and speed. Many photographs taken of expert French riders trying out a gaited horse for the first time.
Then traveling 1/2 mile down a dusty lane to the 1800's house, wine and dinner on the lawn under the stars. Sounds of French and English intermingling. The glow of cigarettes as the night darkens (so many of the French folks smoke... they haven't had the thrill of the Surgeon General's report yet).
Good Kentucky food: Fried chicken, beaten rolls, cheese grits, pork tenderloin, grilled asparagus, bread pudding...(hungry yet?).
A warm and bright house for those who were chilled from the fall air. Small groups in conversations all over the lawn and house.
All at Madelyn and Jamie Millard's farm. She is the president of the KY Horse Council. The farm is 530 acres of pasture and hay fields, barns, indoor and outdoor arenas, and paddocks. It is a true working farm, not the highly manicured thoroughbred farm often depicted in postcards.
Speeches at the end of the evening offering friendship, cooperation and support as Normandy prepares for the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Soon Kentucky will wrap up its 2010 WEG, and soon KHC will sign a partnership with Normandy for interchange of information, professionals and trade.
Ah, a night to remember. And a night to find hope in people all over the world; we all want the same thing... good friends, good conversations, a good meal and a good night's sleep. And I've had all of those things tonight except the sleeping part. Good night!
Stalls full of horses of many breeds: Saddlebreds, thoroughbreds, warmbloods, quarter horses, hackney ponies... and in the aisles people drinking cocktails and admiring the diversity of breeds.
A demonstration of a Kentucky native breed, the Rocky Mountain horse. The French mounting the Rocky Mountains in anticipation, to experience its gait and speed. Many photographs taken of expert French riders trying out a gaited horse for the first time.
Then traveling 1/2 mile down a dusty lane to the 1800's house, wine and dinner on the lawn under the stars. Sounds of French and English intermingling. The glow of cigarettes as the night darkens (so many of the French folks smoke... they haven't had the thrill of the Surgeon General's report yet).
Good Kentucky food: Fried chicken, beaten rolls, cheese grits, pork tenderloin, grilled asparagus, bread pudding...(hungry yet?).
A warm and bright house for those who were chilled from the fall air. Small groups in conversations all over the lawn and house.
All at Madelyn and Jamie Millard's farm. She is the president of the KY Horse Council. The farm is 530 acres of pasture and hay fields, barns, indoor and outdoor arenas, and paddocks. It is a true working farm, not the highly manicured thoroughbred farm often depicted in postcards.
Speeches at the end of the evening offering friendship, cooperation and support as Normandy prepares for the 2014 World Equestrian Games. Soon Kentucky will wrap up its 2010 WEG, and soon KHC will sign a partnership with Normandy for interchange of information, professionals and trade.
Ah, a night to remember. And a night to find hope in people all over the world; we all want the same thing... good friends, good conversations, a good meal and a good night's sleep. And I've had all of those things tonight except the sleeping part. Good night!
Monday, October 4, 2010
WEG Day 10
THE NORMANDY INVASION HAS BEGUN!!
Actually, the invasion began last week when the first set of Frenchies arrived to staff their WEG pavillion. You all know that Normandy is the site of the 2014 WEG, right? So they are totally interested in seeing first hand how this one goes. And for promoting the region so all these horse crazy people fly across the pond in 2014.
Yesterday, the second wave of Normanders (I just made that up, could you guess?) arrived. Cathy P. from the Normandy Horse Council arrived; she was the main contact we have had at the KY Horse Council for our trip over there in June and also the arrangements here for WEG. A real sweetie, but then all of the Normandy Horse Council people are. And the French equine business reps arrived, and the Equine Cluster people too. And the head of French Riding Schools (they are so organized over there), and the Exec. Dir. of Equine Professionals association.
Can you speak French? It would help...
I have to admit that it took all the politeness I could muster NOT to mention to them that the #1 and #2 spots in Show Jumping that just finished this afternoon were -- AMERICANS. (#3 was an Italian) Show Jumping is the main equestrian event in France, and they raise the Selle Francais breed which excels in jumping. So what happened to their athletes? I will ask later, but for now I kept my mouth shut... don't want to rub it in when we are showing them our gracious Kentucky hospitality.
Team Jumping starts tomorrow so maybe they are saving their best horses and riders for last.
The Normanders also were not so happy with the food being offered at WEG. They said they are not used to eating so much junk food. Well, GET WITH THE PROGRAM, this is the U.S.! If you can't eat junk food, you will never survive here. Actually I heard a number of complaints about food from Americans too. Not much variety and prices too high. But no one complained about too much junk food. We are such gourmet eaters in the U.S. -- LOL. (Lots O' Lard)
As you may know, Travelers Agribusiness is the major sponsor for the KY Horse Council booth. The Travelers corporate exec arrived today; he was decked out in jeans instead of a 3-piece suit so I liked the guy immediately. He doesn't own horses, but two of his staff do so he was looking for some WEG souvenirs to take back.
Souvenirs... yet another topic. Lots of WEG shirts, ties, caps, shot glasses, coffee mugs... But OOOOOH the prices! How about $59 for a polo shirt? Maybe I'm just a cheap wad. Sounds like too much for me just for that logo on the chest. Actually at the KHC Gift shop I found a high quality jacket for my husband with the logo.. it was only $95. (OK, so it would have been $65 at Tractor Supply) But he's worth it - he cooks! I broke down yesterday and got out the American Express; he loves the jacket.
Weather forecast is for the sun to show up again tomorrow after three days of clouds.
Every day the hike to and from the Spy Coast parking lot gets longer and longer. I bare my teeth when a golf cart comes whizzing past carrying people who don't look handicapped to me... just lucky, and maddeningly happy. I'm tempted to stick out my thumb and see if I can get a ride, but then the thought of all those calories I'm burning keeps my hands in my pockets. Trudge, trudge, trudge....
Actually, the invasion began last week when the first set of Frenchies arrived to staff their WEG pavillion. You all know that Normandy is the site of the 2014 WEG, right? So they are totally interested in seeing first hand how this one goes. And for promoting the region so all these horse crazy people fly across the pond in 2014.
Yesterday, the second wave of Normanders (I just made that up, could you guess?) arrived. Cathy P. from the Normandy Horse Council arrived; she was the main contact we have had at the KY Horse Council for our trip over there in June and also the arrangements here for WEG. A real sweetie, but then all of the Normandy Horse Council people are. And the French equine business reps arrived, and the Equine Cluster people too. And the head of French Riding Schools (they are so organized over there), and the Exec. Dir. of Equine Professionals association.
Can you speak French? It would help...
I have to admit that it took all the politeness I could muster NOT to mention to them that the #1 and #2 spots in Show Jumping that just finished this afternoon were -- AMERICANS. (#3 was an Italian) Show Jumping is the main equestrian event in France, and they raise the Selle Francais breed which excels in jumping. So what happened to their athletes? I will ask later, but for now I kept my mouth shut... don't want to rub it in when we are showing them our gracious Kentucky hospitality.
Team Jumping starts tomorrow so maybe they are saving their best horses and riders for last.
The Normanders also were not so happy with the food being offered at WEG. They said they are not used to eating so much junk food. Well, GET WITH THE PROGRAM, this is the U.S.! If you can't eat junk food, you will never survive here. Actually I heard a number of complaints about food from Americans too. Not much variety and prices too high. But no one complained about too much junk food. We are such gourmet eaters in the U.S. -- LOL. (Lots O' Lard)
As you may know, Travelers Agribusiness is the major sponsor for the KY Horse Council booth. The Travelers corporate exec arrived today; he was decked out in jeans instead of a 3-piece suit so I liked the guy immediately. He doesn't own horses, but two of his staff do so he was looking for some WEG souvenirs to take back.
Souvenirs... yet another topic. Lots of WEG shirts, ties, caps, shot glasses, coffee mugs... But OOOOOH the prices! How about $59 for a polo shirt? Maybe I'm just a cheap wad. Sounds like too much for me just for that logo on the chest. Actually at the KHC Gift shop I found a high quality jacket for my husband with the logo.. it was only $95. (OK, so it would have been $65 at Tractor Supply) But he's worth it - he cooks! I broke down yesterday and got out the American Express; he loves the jacket.
Weather forecast is for the sun to show up again tomorrow after three days of clouds.
Every day the hike to and from the Spy Coast parking lot gets longer and longer. I bare my teeth when a golf cart comes whizzing past carrying people who don't look handicapped to me... just lucky, and maddeningly happy. I'm tempted to stick out my thumb and see if I can get a ride, but then the thought of all those calories I'm burning keeps my hands in my pockets. Trudge, trudge, trudge....
WEG Day 9 (or 9.5?)
My Bad!
Last night I had dinner with husband and Madelyn and Jamie Millard, then went home and watched a movie... Forgot all about my blog!
Yesterday at WEG had just one theme: COLD!!!
I had the early morning shift and met volunteers Linda Starnes (Edmondson Co.) and Dennis and Pat Blackburn (Board member, from Mercer Co.) at 6:30Am for the carpool to WEG. We were all chilled but expecting that as the day went along, it would warm up a bit. WRONG!!! Cold, damp, and windy all morning. Spitting rain.
We moved everything (including ourselves) into the booth to get out of the rain and wind. Amazingly, there were quite a number of visitors, starting at about 10AM. They were glad to chat when out of the wind, AND we really had a run on our fleece vests! Including two of the volunteers in the booth who were shivering.
A nice comment came from a young student, Meghan, who had her eye on our raspberry vest and just assumed it was out of her price range. "WOW" she said, "This is a reasonable price!" "Yes", we answered, "The only booth here without WEG prices." And Meghan bought one, as did many other people.
At 11:30 I decided to get some hot chocolate at the restaurant, to warm up. The line was out the door, and 20 minutes later I was able to buy my $4 cup of hot chocolate. After 20 minutes of waiting, I decided I might as well buy lunch ( a healthy basket of fries...!) and sat down with two women from Michigan, my old stamping ground before moving to Kentucky.
I apologized to the Michiganders for our weather, know that no apology was necessary to ANYONE who dares live up north, between two Great Lakes that freeze in winter so that really you are living between two ice cubes. They were not fazed by the chilly weather (those Michiganders are tough!), and said it was colder "up home". I am SO glad I don't live there any more! (Lovely people, crummy weather, and now a totally crummy economy)
John Lyons and WEG treated the exhibitors and vendors to free hot dogs too... found that out AFTER my $8.00 lunch. But what the heck, I went ahead and had a hot dog too. They were hot, good and right off the grill.
Oh yeah, horses.
The demonstrations continued in the Equine Village arena, and I met a woman from California who owns Gypsy horses. In fact, she and her coach DROVE the horse trailer all the way here to KY to be able to demonstrate at WEG. It took them three days, and they are driving back as well after this is all over. She has some good connections in England where some of the original foundation Gypsy horses are being bred, and we are trying to see if she will set up a farm here in Kentucky for the horses she plans to import. We need breed diversity in Kentucky, and we need to support new equine operations. And where else can you get such good vet care, farrier care, pastures, proximity to the KY Horse Park.... an easy sell.
Linda Starnes, who is a Parelli practitioner, and I watched the Parelli demo..amazing. I have seen him before, but each time I see him I get a bit more out of the concepts. Problem is, to do it right means I need to spend a lot of time with my horses, and I hardly have time to feed them right now. Maybe when I retire? I sure hope I retire soon because my list is LONG. (But then I look at the savings account... and know that if I retired now, I might be standing in line at the Food Bank... Well, that might do my diet some good anyway. Of course, so would NOT eating French Fries for lunch.)
I left the Parelli demo early to meet up with John Hockensmith at the Dos Cavaleros pavillion. This family has established a ranch in Texas and is passionate about the Lusitano breed, and is going all out to educate America and the world about this breed, that just a few years ago fell into the endangered breed status due to a drop off in breeding operations. To tell you the truth... I can't tell the difference between a Lusitano and a Andalusian... and I know there is a difference. That is the ignorance that these folks are going to cure. (OR do you all know these differences, and I'm the only ignorant one? Very possible....)
Didn't realize how tiring it is to be cold all day. WOW, very little energy left at the end of the day. I trudged out to the car at 6pm.. and THIS TIME it was a breeze to exit. And I found my car.
[Did I tell you about how many people get off the shuttle and wander around aimlessly looking for their cars? A lot push their "panic" button on their key fob, just to have their car talk to them... but then there are a whole bunch of cars flashing and beeping and I'm not sure it does them any good. I tried my Panic button and it didn't work. Looks like I had better not panic any time soon.]
Last night I had dinner with husband and Madelyn and Jamie Millard, then went home and watched a movie... Forgot all about my blog!
Yesterday at WEG had just one theme: COLD!!!
I had the early morning shift and met volunteers Linda Starnes (Edmondson Co.) and Dennis and Pat Blackburn (Board member, from Mercer Co.) at 6:30Am for the carpool to WEG. We were all chilled but expecting that as the day went along, it would warm up a bit. WRONG!!! Cold, damp, and windy all morning. Spitting rain.
We moved everything (including ourselves) into the booth to get out of the rain and wind. Amazingly, there were quite a number of visitors, starting at about 10AM. They were glad to chat when out of the wind, AND we really had a run on our fleece vests! Including two of the volunteers in the booth who were shivering.
A nice comment came from a young student, Meghan, who had her eye on our raspberry vest and just assumed it was out of her price range. "WOW" she said, "This is a reasonable price!" "Yes", we answered, "The only booth here without WEG prices." And Meghan bought one, as did many other people.
At 11:30 I decided to get some hot chocolate at the restaurant, to warm up. The line was out the door, and 20 minutes later I was able to buy my $4 cup of hot chocolate. After 20 minutes of waiting, I decided I might as well buy lunch ( a healthy basket of fries...!) and sat down with two women from Michigan, my old stamping ground before moving to Kentucky.
I apologized to the Michiganders for our weather, know that no apology was necessary to ANYONE who dares live up north, between two Great Lakes that freeze in winter so that really you are living between two ice cubes. They were not fazed by the chilly weather (those Michiganders are tough!), and said it was colder "up home". I am SO glad I don't live there any more! (Lovely people, crummy weather, and now a totally crummy economy)
John Lyons and WEG treated the exhibitors and vendors to free hot dogs too... found that out AFTER my $8.00 lunch. But what the heck, I went ahead and had a hot dog too. They were hot, good and right off the grill.
Oh yeah, horses.
The demonstrations continued in the Equine Village arena, and I met a woman from California who owns Gypsy horses. In fact, she and her coach DROVE the horse trailer all the way here to KY to be able to demonstrate at WEG. It took them three days, and they are driving back as well after this is all over. She has some good connections in England where some of the original foundation Gypsy horses are being bred, and we are trying to see if she will set up a farm here in Kentucky for the horses she plans to import. We need breed diversity in Kentucky, and we need to support new equine operations. And where else can you get such good vet care, farrier care, pastures, proximity to the KY Horse Park.... an easy sell.
Linda Starnes, who is a Parelli practitioner, and I watched the Parelli demo..amazing. I have seen him before, but each time I see him I get a bit more out of the concepts. Problem is, to do it right means I need to spend a lot of time with my horses, and I hardly have time to feed them right now. Maybe when I retire? I sure hope I retire soon because my list is LONG. (But then I look at the savings account... and know that if I retired now, I might be standing in line at the Food Bank... Well, that might do my diet some good anyway. Of course, so would NOT eating French Fries for lunch.)
I left the Parelli demo early to meet up with John Hockensmith at the Dos Cavaleros pavillion. This family has established a ranch in Texas and is passionate about the Lusitano breed, and is going all out to educate America and the world about this breed, that just a few years ago fell into the endangered breed status due to a drop off in breeding operations. To tell you the truth... I can't tell the difference between a Lusitano and a Andalusian... and I know there is a difference. That is the ignorance that these folks are going to cure. (OR do you all know these differences, and I'm the only ignorant one? Very possible....)
Didn't realize how tiring it is to be cold all day. WOW, very little energy left at the end of the day. I trudged out to the car at 6pm.. and THIS TIME it was a breeze to exit. And I found my car.
[Did I tell you about how many people get off the shuttle and wander around aimlessly looking for their cars? A lot push their "panic" button on their key fob, just to have their car talk to them... but then there are a whole bunch of cars flashing and beeping and I'm not sure it does them any good. I tried my Panic button and it didn't work. Looks like I had better not panic any time soon.]
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Weg Day 8
Today is Cross Country day. One of the most popular of horse sports, cross country day pulls not only those who event, but all horse owners and many non-riders as well.
The WEG course has been talked about as being VERY challenging. Eventers like to use the term, that the course "Asks the question". I always wondered exactly what that question is. (And do you have the answer?)
Maybe the question is: Are you ready to rumble? To which your eventing horse, and the rider on top, had better say: YES. (Note to self: If my horse says MAYBE, I will send him to Mr. Ed school)
But YES, if you are ready, and your horse is ready-- physically, mentally--then you get to face the largest and most challenging jumping situations in the world. Those of us on the sidelines, hardly understand what is going on while watching these 1000-lb animals throw themselves up in the air at a solid 5-foot wall of a jump. (It's physics again. You know, energy = mass X speed or something like that)
Makes you wonder where in your life you are "asked the question"?
Are you ready to throw yourself in the air, with the faith that you'll land safely on the other side??
Oh man, just too serious here. Asking about life and all... Let's just get back to WEG and all the little things that make you want to say HMMMM.
I ran into two men (at separate times and places) on the Horse Park from Southeast KY. One from Harlan County and one from Pikeville. Just goes to show you that there IS some interest down there in COAL COUNTRY for this event... although I know many of the Eastern Kentuckians think those of us in Lexington are just tree huggers... or snobby -- or both. [I threw that in specifically for a friend of mine down there.... Hi Rick!] Now I'm gonna just go over here to a tree and give it a good hug. And turn off my lights.
OOPS, better watch it, coal talk is SERIOUS around here!
THe cross country was over around 2pm and there were crowds pouring out of the park at that time --but still a lot of visitors left. I don't have any numbers but it surely was the largest crowd so far. Late in the day (around 5pm), the wind picked up and word was spread around the booths that there was a big storm that should hit in about 30 minutes. You never saw us move so fast to pull everything under the tent, and button it up.
Even Wayne Hipsley (board member and volunteer for the day) was moving fast. Big Wayne, you might call him if you saw him. Uh-oh, I think I'm not supposed to call my board members names. But he's got a sense of humor I HOPE.
The temperature dropped. Brr. I actually had to buy another KHC vest. They are warm and cozy. (Shameless plug: Do you have your KHC vest for the winter? Great Christmas present. Go to kentuckyhorse.org and click on STORE.)
And THEN the expected nightmare hit. The parking lot exodus. Hundreds of cars all winding their way through the lot, er- I mean hay field, down ONE FREAKIN DUSTY ONE LANE ROAD OUT OF THE LOT. And at the end of that long line was Ironworks Pike, which was CONVENIENTLY turned into a one lane road going right, and has always been a one lane road going left. Can you spell ROAD RAGE? Took me 50 minutes to get out of that lot.
Well, the good news is I got my Blackberry out and answered some emails. And the radio had some oldies but goodies on. If it weren't for the fact that friends were waiting at the BAR for me, I could have been pretty content. The gin-and-tonic was calling me. I was glad to answer the call.
The WEG course has been talked about as being VERY challenging. Eventers like to use the term, that the course "Asks the question". I always wondered exactly what that question is. (And do you have the answer?)
Maybe the question is: Are you ready to rumble? To which your eventing horse, and the rider on top, had better say: YES. (Note to self: If my horse says MAYBE, I will send him to Mr. Ed school)
But YES, if you are ready, and your horse is ready-- physically, mentally--then you get to face the largest and most challenging jumping situations in the world. Those of us on the sidelines, hardly understand what is going on while watching these 1000-lb animals throw themselves up in the air at a solid 5-foot wall of a jump. (It's physics again. You know, energy = mass X speed or something like that)
Makes you wonder where in your life you are "asked the question"?
Are you ready to throw yourself in the air, with the faith that you'll land safely on the other side??
Oh man, just too serious here. Asking about life and all... Let's just get back to WEG and all the little things that make you want to say HMMMM.
I ran into two men (at separate times and places) on the Horse Park from Southeast KY. One from Harlan County and one from Pikeville. Just goes to show you that there IS some interest down there in COAL COUNTRY for this event... although I know many of the Eastern Kentuckians think those of us in Lexington are just tree huggers... or snobby -- or both. [I threw that in specifically for a friend of mine down there.... Hi Rick!] Now I'm gonna just go over here to a tree and give it a good hug. And turn off my lights.
OOPS, better watch it, coal talk is SERIOUS around here!
THe cross country was over around 2pm and there were crowds pouring out of the park at that time --but still a lot of visitors left. I don't have any numbers but it surely was the largest crowd so far. Late in the day (around 5pm), the wind picked up and word was spread around the booths that there was a big storm that should hit in about 30 minutes. You never saw us move so fast to pull everything under the tent, and button it up.
Even Wayne Hipsley (board member and volunteer for the day) was moving fast. Big Wayne, you might call him if you saw him. Uh-oh, I think I'm not supposed to call my board members names. But he's got a sense of humor I HOPE.
The temperature dropped. Brr. I actually had to buy another KHC vest. They are warm and cozy. (Shameless plug: Do you have your KHC vest for the winter? Great Christmas present. Go to kentuckyhorse.org and click on STORE.)
And THEN the expected nightmare hit. The parking lot exodus. Hundreds of cars all winding their way through the lot, er- I mean hay field, down ONE FREAKIN DUSTY ONE LANE ROAD OUT OF THE LOT. And at the end of that long line was Ironworks Pike, which was CONVENIENTLY turned into a one lane road going right, and has always been a one lane road going left. Can you spell ROAD RAGE? Took me 50 minutes to get out of that lot.
Well, the good news is I got my Blackberry out and answered some emails. And the radio had some oldies but goodies on. If it weren't for the fact that friends were waiting at the BAR for me, I could have been pretty content. The gin-and-tonic was calling me. I was glad to answer the call.
Friday, October 1, 2010
WEG Day 7
Hey, whose brilliant idea was this for me to write these things every day??? Oh yeah, my idea. Dummy.
Great day at the park today, lots of visitors, bright sunny day, good attendance at the demonstrations at Equine Arena, and talked to people from all over the place!
Germany, Ireland, England, Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon... the list goes on and on. We like to ask where people are from, and what horses they have.
Which makes you realize (again) how much horse people have in common no matter what age, geography, language, or breed. Most people love to tell you about their horse(s), and have a story to tell. About a horse that takes care of them, or a horse they rescued that THEY take care of. It works both ways. And (dare I say this?) mostly women.
WEG brought a lot of women to town, lots of girlfriends who made the trip together, and also some couples who are lucky enough to pair up with a spouse who also likes horses. And WOW some really senior citizens. Some could hardly walk but they came anyway, isn't that great? The shuttles helped them get around, they took their time, rested when possible and enjoyed the whole thing.
Did I mention that the Dippin' Dots were particularly good today? [food again...]
Don Pelly of Shaker Village stopped by to talk. The American Endurance team stayed at Shaker Village so he was able to interact with the riders, coaches, chef d'equipe, families and horses of our endurance team. Don said there were vets there every day checking the horses. Unfortunately, the team did not do well in the race, as four out of five were pulled for vet reasons: two lamenesses and two metabolic (heartrate, I imagine). With our dry weather, the ground is hard as concrete and that race is 100 miles!! Tough on legs, joints and hooves. Any weakness, even one that does not show in a normal trot out, will appear somewhere down the road before completing that 100 miles.
If you've heard of Spaulding Fly Predators... Mr. Spaulding came to visit our booth today. I would say his visit was drawing people like flies, but....
Also talked to someone about a product that has been used for years in hospitals and the military... a spray-on microbial that kills bacteria, and lasts 3 years. You could spray down your stalls, for example, and if a sick horse came in, it would kill any bacteria the horse left. You could treat leg wraps, stall mats, inside of trailers...and reduce (I don't want to say eliminate since that sounds too definite... have to do more research) the amount of sickness and infections that are spread. Sounds too good to be true, but one of the major equine businesses is testing it right now in Central Kentucky and getting great initial results. We will keep you informed.
Dinner tonight at an Indian restaurant with hubby and Anna Zinkhon, a KY Horse Council board member and volunteer. Anna owns a stable in Campbell County and was one of the founders of the Northern Kentucky Horse Network, a group of over 300 horsemen and women up there "towards Cincinnati".
Until tomorrow... (OOPS, it's past midnight, so--) Until today....
[Where is Albert Einstein when you need him?]
Great day at the park today, lots of visitors, bright sunny day, good attendance at the demonstrations at Equine Arena, and talked to people from all over the place!
Germany, Ireland, England, Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon... the list goes on and on. We like to ask where people are from, and what horses they have.
Which makes you realize (again) how much horse people have in common no matter what age, geography, language, or breed. Most people love to tell you about their horse(s), and have a story to tell. About a horse that takes care of them, or a horse they rescued that THEY take care of. It works both ways. And (dare I say this?) mostly women.
WEG brought a lot of women to town, lots of girlfriends who made the trip together, and also some couples who are lucky enough to pair up with a spouse who also likes horses. And WOW some really senior citizens. Some could hardly walk but they came anyway, isn't that great? The shuttles helped them get around, they took their time, rested when possible and enjoyed the whole thing.
Did I mention that the Dippin' Dots were particularly good today? [food again...]
Don Pelly of Shaker Village stopped by to talk. The American Endurance team stayed at Shaker Village so he was able to interact with the riders, coaches, chef d'equipe, families and horses of our endurance team. Don said there were vets there every day checking the horses. Unfortunately, the team did not do well in the race, as four out of five were pulled for vet reasons: two lamenesses and two metabolic (heartrate, I imagine). With our dry weather, the ground is hard as concrete and that race is 100 miles!! Tough on legs, joints and hooves. Any weakness, even one that does not show in a normal trot out, will appear somewhere down the road before completing that 100 miles.
If you've heard of Spaulding Fly Predators... Mr. Spaulding came to visit our booth today. I would say his visit was drawing people like flies, but....
Also talked to someone about a product that has been used for years in hospitals and the military... a spray-on microbial that kills bacteria, and lasts 3 years. You could spray down your stalls, for example, and if a sick horse came in, it would kill any bacteria the horse left. You could treat leg wraps, stall mats, inside of trailers...and reduce (I don't want to say eliminate since that sounds too definite... have to do more research) the amount of sickness and infections that are spread. Sounds too good to be true, but one of the major equine businesses is testing it right now in Central Kentucky and getting great initial results. We will keep you informed.
Dinner tonight at an Indian restaurant with hubby and Anna Zinkhon, a KY Horse Council board member and volunteer. Anna owns a stable in Campbell County and was one of the founders of the Northern Kentucky Horse Network, a group of over 300 horsemen and women up there "towards Cincinnati".
Until tomorrow... (OOPS, it's past midnight, so--) Until today....
[Where is Albert Einstein when you need him?]
Weg Day #6
After yesterday, I am changing the counting system. Instead of WEG Day #1, #2, #3 etc. it will be "WEG Day -10 and counting". Counting the days to the end...
Oh, it's not that bad. But some days are longer than others. And overall, it's a blast!
First of all, confession time. The staff at the booth DID save me a piece of Swiss chocolate. A cute horse shaped chocolate filled with mint. Very Yum. So the Chocolate War is officially over before it started. Now if I could just wander down to the Swiss tent and procure some more for the rest of WEG....
Started yesterday at 7AM sharp at Keeneland with the two women from France who wanted to watch the thoroughbreds breeze. Early morning at Keeneland is so beautiful, with the fog just setting lightly over the track, the sun just a suggestion through a peach and pink horizon. The soft thomp-thomp of hooves on the artificial track, the glistening muscle and pounding hooves as they race down the stretch. Very friendly exercise riders who say Hi and smile at all the tourists lining the fence. We got some good pics by the track and in front of the row of jockey statues by the paddock.
Then on to the track kitchen for a hearty breakfast. With WEG in town, the track kitchen was busy - not with trainers and exercise riders but with tourists. Oh well, it did dampen the environment a bit, but the scrambled eggs and bacon were just as tasty. (Do you get a sense from this blog that I am all about food?)
Tim Folck, a great guy who helped start Quarter Horse Congress with his Dad, and a key factor in getting us our Traveler's Agribusiness sponsorship, stopped in to chat... he is working on some exciting plans relative to getting national level quarter horse and stock horse events into Kentucky. According to Tim, there are now as many Quarter horses east of the Mississippi as there are out in Texas and west. So using the new Horse Park indoor arena as a draw (which is already heavily booked for next year and beyond), we can be the center of Quarter horse activities too, on
"this side" of the river. The KY Horse Council looks forward to supporting this step forward for our competition horse owners.
Other stuff from the booth... lots of visitors yesterday, the traffic is picking up. We have a sense that Saturday will be a peak day, with the popular Cross Country event scheduled then. We are seeing many more people who have come in for all four days of the Eventing competition (Thursday through Sunday).
As soon as I got to the booth, I made a sale, WOO WOO! (I've never had the pleasure of being in a retail job, so making a sale is new for me...)As the woman is walking away, Pat (one of our KHC volunteers) asks "Did you charge her the sales tax?" OOPS! Had to chase her down and ask for 12 cents... Do you believe I did that? I should have just taken 12 cents out of my wallet, I mean -- REALLY! As far as my retail skills, I guess I had better not quit my day job. From that point forward, I let the volunteers handle the cash. I can't be trusted.
Got to go to Freestyle Reining last night. The only tickets I bought about 18 months ago, planned for a night with my husband watching this event which sounded fun. Then last week, the hubby says, "Oh, I'm going to Washington that day." So there I am, all dressed up and no where to go. Or no one to go with. A girlfriend filled in at the last minute, and she was thrilled to have the chance to see it. She asked, "DO I owe you anything?" to which I replied, "Not in cash but I'll get payback sometime later.' What a feeling of power to know your friends owe you a favor. Hmmmm.... stall mucking???
The freestyle was fun but not what I expected. COSTUMES! some cute, some weird.. and some riders really hamming it up, others straight as an arrow. They all had a few required components - you know, the spins, the sliding stops, the lead changes, the fast and then slow circles. But many threw in extra stuff, like piaffes (from dressage), or jumping off the saddle at a canter and running along side the horse for a few strides then jumping back on at a canter. Or sitting backward in the saddle. And three bridle-less, and one saddle-less.
Hey, I bet my horse can do all that! Not.
Ended the day with a 10PM dinner with Wayne Williams (Speaking of Horses Radio), Madelyn Millard, our board president who was interviewed by Wayne for the radio show, (shameless promotion: Visit http://www.speakingofhorses.com/Video_Archives.html), and Tom Tweeten from Minnesota Horse Council Board and EquiScentials. Good dinner, a bit chilly sitting outside, but my brain was dead by that time so I was useless as a contributor to the conversation.
Into bed at midnight --- ZZZZZZZZ
Oh, it's not that bad. But some days are longer than others. And overall, it's a blast!
First of all, confession time. The staff at the booth DID save me a piece of Swiss chocolate. A cute horse shaped chocolate filled with mint. Very Yum. So the Chocolate War is officially over before it started. Now if I could just wander down to the Swiss tent and procure some more for the rest of WEG....
Started yesterday at 7AM sharp at Keeneland with the two women from France who wanted to watch the thoroughbreds breeze. Early morning at Keeneland is so beautiful, with the fog just setting lightly over the track, the sun just a suggestion through a peach and pink horizon. The soft thomp-thomp of hooves on the artificial track, the glistening muscle and pounding hooves as they race down the stretch. Very friendly exercise riders who say Hi and smile at all the tourists lining the fence. We got some good pics by the track and in front of the row of jockey statues by the paddock.
Then on to the track kitchen for a hearty breakfast. With WEG in town, the track kitchen was busy - not with trainers and exercise riders but with tourists. Oh well, it did dampen the environment a bit, but the scrambled eggs and bacon were just as tasty. (Do you get a sense from this blog that I am all about food?)
Tim Folck, a great guy who helped start Quarter Horse Congress with his Dad, and a key factor in getting us our Traveler's Agribusiness sponsorship, stopped in to chat... he is working on some exciting plans relative to getting national level quarter horse and stock horse events into Kentucky. According to Tim, there are now as many Quarter horses east of the Mississippi as there are out in Texas and west. So using the new Horse Park indoor arena as a draw (which is already heavily booked for next year and beyond), we can be the center of Quarter horse activities too, on
"this side" of the river. The KY Horse Council looks forward to supporting this step forward for our competition horse owners.
Other stuff from the booth... lots of visitors yesterday, the traffic is picking up. We have a sense that Saturday will be a peak day, with the popular Cross Country event scheduled then. We are seeing many more people who have come in for all four days of the Eventing competition (Thursday through Sunday).
As soon as I got to the booth, I made a sale, WOO WOO! (I've never had the pleasure of being in a retail job, so making a sale is new for me...)As the woman is walking away, Pat (one of our KHC volunteers) asks "Did you charge her the sales tax?" OOPS! Had to chase her down and ask for 12 cents... Do you believe I did that? I should have just taken 12 cents out of my wallet, I mean -- REALLY! As far as my retail skills, I guess I had better not quit my day job. From that point forward, I let the volunteers handle the cash. I can't be trusted.
Got to go to Freestyle Reining last night. The only tickets I bought about 18 months ago, planned for a night with my husband watching this event which sounded fun. Then last week, the hubby says, "Oh, I'm going to Washington that day." So there I am, all dressed up and no where to go. Or no one to go with. A girlfriend filled in at the last minute, and she was thrilled to have the chance to see it. She asked, "DO I owe you anything?" to which I replied, "Not in cash but I'll get payback sometime later.' What a feeling of power to know your friends owe you a favor. Hmmmm.... stall mucking???
The freestyle was fun but not what I expected. COSTUMES! some cute, some weird.. and some riders really hamming it up, others straight as an arrow. They all had a few required components - you know, the spins, the sliding stops, the lead changes, the fast and then slow circles. But many threw in extra stuff, like piaffes (from dressage), or jumping off the saddle at a canter and running along side the horse for a few strides then jumping back on at a canter. Or sitting backward in the saddle. And three bridle-less, and one saddle-less.
Hey, I bet my horse can do all that! Not.
Ended the day with a 10PM dinner with Wayne Williams (Speaking of Horses Radio), Madelyn Millard, our board president who was interviewed by Wayne for the radio show, (shameless promotion: Visit http://www.speakingofhorses.com/Video_Archives.html), and Tom Tweeten from Minnesota Horse Council Board and EquiScentials. Good dinner, a bit chilly sitting outside, but my brain was dead by that time so I was useless as a contributor to the conversation.
Into bed at midnight --- ZZZZZZZZ
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