I was going to start out this post with something about how most girls go through the infamous “Horse Phase”, but then I realized that I’d just end up with dozens of “but I didn’t!” comments, so instead I’ll begin this post thus:
Yeah, I went through the Horse Phase. Mine was a little different from the other Horse-crazed girls I knew at school, though. While most of them dreamed of ribbons in the manes of Shetland ponies or wild mustangs or that sort of thing, I dreamed of
the thundering
hooves of
thoroughbred racehorses.
This obsession can be entirely blamed on this book, which my dad bought me for some unknown reason (since I had no real interest in horses at the time):
I read it when I was, oh, 12 or 13 years old, and was instantly intrigued by this world previously unknown to me: a world of racehorses– those brave, elegant, hotblooded creatures– and the people who loved them. I went on to read a bunch of the books in the series and then I started reading other books about racehorses and before long I was watching horse races on TV. I’ll never forget my first Kentucky Derby: an underdog horse named Grindstone who triumphed over a bunch of strong contenders. And that was it: I was hooked. I wrote a short story about that race for school, and from that point on I was a horse racing nut.
I drew thoroughbreds, I wrote about thoroughbreds, I read about thoroughbreds, I dreamed of owning a horse farm someday. Then I wanted to become a jockey, which I figured I could get away with because I’m short and scrawny, but reality eventually set in when I remembered that I have zero athletic ability and that I’m terrified of anything past cantering on an actual horse. Still, I wanted to get in on the action somehow, and I daydreamed up stories about my future horses and figured out what color silks my future horse farm would have (white bars on a teal body, and white sleeves).
My strongest desire was to see a horse win the Triple Crown: a perfect trifecta of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, a feat which has only been accomplished eleven times in over a hundred years, and not since Affirmed in 1978.
So of course the Racing Gods thought it would be most amusing to toy with my heart, and over the course of my next several years of keen race-watching I got to watch heart-wrenching near-misses by Silver Charm in 1997, Real Quiet in 1998, Charismatic in 1999, War Emblem in 2002, Funny Cide in 2003, and the most soul-crushing upset of all: Smarty Jones in 2004. I’d been a fan of Smarty since watching him just romp the field in the Arkansas Derby. “That horse,” I said, “Is going to win the Kentucky Derby.” He did. Then he won the Preakness. And then… then he lost the Belmont to a horse named Birdstone, son of Grindstone, who I’d fallen in love with years before. Oh irony.
After that my interest started to wane a bit. It was a combination of usually being scheduled to work on Saturdays (when most “big” races are run) and simply sort of moving on from the obsession. But while I may not be quite as obsessed as I used to be, I still love the Sport of Kings. I can’t think of anything quite as thrilling as the two minutes that are the Kentucky Derby (this weekend, by the way!) and I can’t think of anything quite as nail-biting as the post parade for the Belmont when a Triple Crown contender is running. I love the spirit of thoroughbreds, I love the stories behind them and their people (insert obligatory “I liked ‘Seabiscuit’, bite me” comment here), and who knows, maybe one of these days I’ll actually get to see a Triple Crown Winner.*
Until then, I present the greatest race of all time (which I can’t watch without tearing up, by the way. I blame the Rudy music):
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* In actuality the fact that horses these days are bred for speed more than distance has me questioning the idea of preserving the lengths of the original Triple Crown races, even for nostalgia’s sake. I envision a “modern day” Triple Crown as having a 1 1/8 mile Kentucky Derby, a 1 1/16 mile Preakness, and a 1 1/4 mile Belmont. But on the other hand, who am I to mess with the Derby? <3
Holy shit. I’ve heard of Secretariat, of course, but I’ve never seen that vid before. That is absolutely mind-blowingly amazing.
A Horse Called Wonder….. ahh, memories, I must have read about Wonder over and over (and over) again while teenager.
And yes, I had a horse-phase, everyone did 😀
Well do I remember my own “horse phase”. It was the Saddle Club series for me, and I still pick them up from time to time when I see them. I wanted to be Carole, the one who knew so much about horses and eventually had her own. I had a ton of horse books. Including some about race horses, like Man O War. Then my reading about horses led me to unicorns and pegasi, and eventually to dragons, and I was lost to fantasy from then on.
I don’t think I ever really got over the horse phase though. When I was younger, my parents took me to Chincoteague Island in Virginia so I could see where Misty of Chincoteague came from. In college I actually got to ride one, thanks to a school-sponsored trip to a stable. They put me on a palomino named Magic, and I was in heaven. Then, thanks to a pony sim site I used to play on, I was introduced to a site called mare stare, where you can watch horses on webcams. Pregnant mares mostly, to help their owners in case they start to foal and nobody is around. And if I ever win the lottery, I’m buying myself a farm and riding lessons.
Ah the nostalgia…
I read every horse book I could get my hands on, from the Thoroughbred series, to Saddle Club, to the Black stallion books. It’s funny looking back – I always imagined I would have a horse by now.
Unfortunately, I’m allergic to horses.
Other girls had posters of teen heartthrobs on thier walls … I had a poster of Secretariat!
wow, am i the only guy who had the same phase? the Thoroughbred series was a fav as was the saddle club. the black stallion is the only one that still gets read nowadays tho…by me at least 😉
Hehe. I had the horse phase and I’m pretty sure that every book mentioned by the other commenters I devoured at one time or another. I think I slammed through nearly thirty of the Thoroughbred series before I wandered off. I didn’t so much go for the Horse Racing aspect as the breeding-a-winner aspect. I even signed up for Equus magazine and read it religiously for years. I don’t have any practical experience, though, despite reading all sorts of articles of every aspect of horse care. >_>;;
I, like Kaelynn, am completely allergic to horses. Pretty violently allergic, too. My eyes water up so I can’t see, I get hives everywhere, and can barely breathe despite my delight at simply currying a horse.
So… I work with actors instead. Trying to get a bunch of actors ready for a big show can be directly mapped with training a horse (or horses) to get them ready for a race. It’s terrifying how much from Equus magazine applies to theatre majors.
17 years later and I’m still on the Horse Phase. It was the Black Stallion movie that did it for me…but I read the Saddle Club, the Wonder series etc. I even work at a store that sells riding apparel and tack for horses. It doesn’t pay all the well but when people ask my why I do it my answer is “Because I love to”. Can’t really blame me can you?
For the Record: When Secretatariat died his heart weighed 22 pounds. That’s like almost 1/2 the size of a normal horses heart. His stablemate SHam, who finished Second in the above video, had a heart that weiged about 15 pounds when he died – also larger than the normal horses heart.
ETA to say…His heart was twice as big as a normal horse’s heart. DOH.
I do the same thing every time I watch that video…*sighs* But funny you should do a post about this topic near and dear to my heart…
BUT.
THIS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjK8OD4gQtc
Yes, that’s right, a movie made about Big Red (and Penny Chenery)…I about came unglued when I found out about this movie! OMG. *squee and flopfaint*
(p.s. the begining of the trailer is epic, EPIC I tell you!)
I never had a horse phase, but a female friend of mine isn’t over hers yet, and next year she’s going to let me ride one of the horses she’s taking care of. =D
@ Verace – I did too! *grin*
@ Alii – I went to school for Media & Theatre Arts. I had a professor with a saying: “Actors are sheep”. His logic being they needed to be fed, kept happy, and herded around. Same principle!
@ Elsi – That’s the best reason for a job! Also: I’d heard the heart story before. It really is somethin’ else.
@ Zhire – OMG. AWESOME. I recognize the quotes at the beginning of the movie. From Job, right?
@ ‘zilla – ZILLA! Riding horses is fun. *nod*
Ahhh I loved that book when I was younger!! I was actually never that into watching races, but I loved books and images of horses. I read as much of The Black Stallion as I could (and any other horse books I could get my hands on). Cried at Black Beauty. Watched as many movies as I could… XD
I still love horses. If a video game has horses I am that much more likely to play it (it was one of the things I tried to do ASAP in Oblivion). Even if it isn’t a good game (but no, I haven’t played the Barbie one…)
I’m not quite sure of the quotes, though I did recognize them myself. I’ll have to look it up now!
And who wouldn’t tear up with music like that in the background of that video?
Oh man, I am so watching that movie.
If you have a PS2 laying about, have you tried Gallop Racer yet? It’s a horse-racing game (duh) that I’ve been playing since… well, since I got my PS1. The last one I bought was GR 2003, and I still enjoy it.
Basically, you have your own stable of horses that you race, then once each horse retires you can keep them around for breeding. You do start out with the “bottom-rung” as far as quality goes, but the more you win the better the horses that you can buy get. There’s titles you can win and stuff, and it’s pretty absorbing (I can literally spend all day playing it >.>).
Also you can visit your horses in the stable or on the breeding farm and just watch them. 🙂
Vid of one of the races- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NQrdatvUJc