Last week I watched a thoroughbred mare sell for $2.5 million. She was beautiful.. and I'm sure she had great lines (a Giant's Causeway daughter). But REALLY.
I just can't relate. $2.5M for an animal with four legs who can only have one foal per year in a time when sales prices are low. Business investment is what they say. I guess you depreciate her over time (one tax deduction), then you use the cost of care as a business expense, and the stud fee (but more outlays of money...)..
It is all beyond me. Not that it works out on paper - I sure the numbers do.
But to know there are people who in this economy can pay $2.5M for anything, let alone a risky investment like a horse. That is beyond my comprehension.
Could have been the sheiks, I suppose. Ah, to live in a country where there is oil and most of the oil money goes to the Royal Family.
So here the rest of us are in the "land of milk and honey" - the good old USA - and we are lucky if we can sell our horses for a few thousand. Or even 10's of thousands if it's a good hunter-jumper.
The problem really is that with one or two million dollar horses, the TB industry once again reinforces the public's perception that they are all rich guys. We know they are not, that the average income of KY thoroughbred farms is $50,000 -- not exactly a royal salary. But the average person will not hear about them.. they will just hear about the million dollar mare.
How are we going to get gaming passed in this state (if in fact that is what will save the industry, at least in the short term), if most of the electorate sees million dollar sales coming out of the Bluegrass? While meanwhile they are struggling to keep their family farm afloat, or to work the night shift in a blue collar job?
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
I've Been to the Mountaintop
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
