Farewell Teddy …
Teddy
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Rest In Peace
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Sadly, Teddy, the little horse with the big heart that inspired and amazed us all was euthanized as a result of an injury in an accident at Karen and David O’Connor’s barn at The Plains, Virginia.
The O’Connors, in a brief statement, said: “Teddy got frightened and bolted. He slipped running back to the barn and suffered a severe laceration to his hind leg, severing the tendons and ligaments.
“Doctor A Kent Allen was on the scene immediately and it was determined after examination that the injuries were catastrophic.
“Everyone who knew Teddy is devastated.”
Teddy was a hot propect to attend the Olympics. The 13-year-old eventing super pony had defied the odds and gravity throughout his career.
Standing at just 14.1 hands, the Shetland/ Arabian/ Thoroughbred-cross gelding was the reigning Team and Individual Gold Medalist from the 2007 Pan American Games and had top-six finishes at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2007 and 2008.
He was the 2007 USEF Horse of the Year and had recently been named to the USEF Short List for Eventing for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Ridden by three-times Olympic veteran Karen O’Connor, Teddy developed a huge fan base.
“Seeing was believing with Teddy as it seemed impossible to imagine that a pony of his size could do his job with such tremendous ease,” the USEF said.
He will be greatly missed by all of his many admirers.
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Earlier Post: Super Pony With The Heart Of A Winner
Mind Your Manners And Your Attire At Royal Ascot This Year
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
at Royal Ascot Races
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With the Royal Ascot Races only a month away, the word is out. It seems things have gotten out of control in the recent past as to what some have chosen to wear to this event and the Queen and her authorities will have none of it.
So, select your outfit carefully. Visitors to Royal Ascot this June must adhere to a strict dress code if they want to be allowed in.
First, one needs to be reminded that for centuries admission to the Royal Enclosure was a statement of belonging to the social elite.
Traditional morning dress for gentleman has always been mandatory.
Equally suitable formal attire was expected of proper ladies, which, of course, included hats.
This year, just in case any newcomers were in doubt of how exclusive the honour is, those who transgress the code will be turned away on the orders of Her Majesty’s representative, the Duke of Devonshire.
While gentlemen have not posed a problem, organisers believe that the lines of what is — and what is not — appropriate for ladies have become confused of late.
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There will be no strapless dresses,
with hat or without.
There will be no exposure of undue amounts of skin.
In other words, keep it covered.
So, ladies, mind those shoulders,
check the front and the back.
At Royal Ascot this year,
it will require more than just a hat.
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“The Horse” Featured Exhibit At The American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History has announced a major new exhibition, The Horse, opening May 17, 2008 and remaining on view through January 4, 2009.
The Horse will examine the powerful and continuing relationship between horses and humans and explore the origins of the horse family, extending back more than 50 million years.
The exhibition will also examine early interactions between horses and humans that eventually led to horse domestication, and show how horses have, over time, changed warfare, trade, transportation, agriculture, sports, and many other facets of human life.
Museum President Ellen V. Futter states: “The Horse exhibit will celebrate this magnificent animal while presenting one of the most fascinating stories in the history of life on Earth—the close and complex relationship between horses and humans.
The exhibition will show how the two species have influenced each other through the ages and explore the integral role the horse has played in the history of humanity and civilization.”
Seven life-size fiberglass horses, each over 6½ feet tall, were delivered to the American Museum of Natural History from the Saratoga County Arts Council in upstate New York for display in conjunction with the Museum’s upcoming exhibition .
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions.
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Horse Exhibit: Museum of Natural History
Earlier Post: Saratoga Fiberglass Horses
Right Out Of History: Wagon Trains Celebrate Minnesota 150th Anniversary
Minnesota Sesquicentennial Wagon Train
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The first weekend of May, Minnesota began the kickoff celebration of their historic past with the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train.
In all, about 85 people, on horseback and in covered wagons, buggies, surreys and one stagecoach are taking a week long, 100 mile journey, which will end Sunday at the State Capitol.
The arrival of the Sesquicentennial Wagon Train at the State Capitol is the linchpin for the kickoff for the state’s 150th birthday celebration.
The travelers started with two stuck wheels, a willful mule, a handful of skittish horses and a thrown rider. That was all before noon.
A “green” horse three times took his driver off-road. A mule seeking his pasturemate took off, throwing his rider in the tall ditch grass.
When the group circled at noon, wagon master Olson was philosophical. I’m hoping for a better day tomorrow,” he said Monday. “The first day’s always an adjustment.”
Among the group were Pete Karpe who came from his farm in St. Francis, bringing his Percheron draft horses Trixie and Dixie, as well as his son, Mark, a capable, horse-mad 14-year-old.
Susan Longling, of Farmington, a confessed wagon-train addict, brought her Prince to pull the surrey she’d converted from her grandfather’s dairy (and bootleg liquor) cart.
As a strong sun broke through the crisp morning air, wagon master Jon Olson shouted, “Wagons, ho!” and the caravan rattled across the fairgrounds, onto the road.
Karpe had some trouble at the start, when the rig he drove became stuck in the mud. But once on the road, Dixie and Trixie easily caught pace with the group, their shod hooves ringing on the asphalt.
Townsfolk lined the streets of Cannon Falls, gathering before homes and shops to smile, wave and snap pictures. A group of elementary kids held a hand-lettered sign: “Happy Birthday, Minnesota!”
This was “Americana” at its best!
The caravan continued, past bare fields and stands of cedar and elm.
Clay Christian the logistics man, said “We’ve got it easy”. “We’ve got county roads to go down, bridges to go across, no cliffs to take the wagons apart and lower ‘em down.”
The covered wagon is an icon of the American frontier. Still, in the 1850s, most arrived by water, via Mississippi steamboat.
From there, with the Big Woods of Wisconsin and the Mississippi behind them, settlers fanned out, often in wagons, all over the state.
The covered wagon was like the 19th century sport-utility vehicle, said Matt Anderson, a curator for the Minnesota Historical Society who specializes in transportation artifacts.
And contrary to the archetype, wagons weren’t meant for people. Usually, they were packed with luggage or cargo.
“Anybody who could walk, I’m sure did,” Anderson said.
Although the rigs at camp are more or less authentic, it’s hard to ignore some of the comforts of today: coolers, lawn chairs, RVs, digital cameras and the occasional chiming cell phone.
In spite of unexpected events along the way, when the ride was completed it was said that “A bad day doing this is still better than a good day doing anything else.”
News Link: Includes Story, Additional Photographs, Video
