So last night I’m doing night stable quite late, because I got stuck at the St. Cloud sales longer than I had planned (thanks to my visiting Irishman getting comfy in the bar, but that’s another story…) and I’m still doing my boxes around 8 p.m. It’s light so late in summer these days it’s easy to lose track of time. So I’m picking out George’s box and I hear a mighty clatter in the street – two loose thoroughbreds, saddled, were careening up the pavement at full gallop. Valerie, my exercise rider, goes to help with the roundup. She comes back an hour later with the news: Horses caught, luckily no obvious injuries. So what happened? A trainer’s 12-year-old daughter decided to impress her friend by suggesting they saddle up a couple of horses and go for a nice relaxing trail ride. Dad was away, and since night stable had been done (for those who keep regular hours), no one was around to stop them. There are several problems with this, not the least of which is that the friend didn’t really know how to ride a horse, much necessarily a thoroughbred. The best part is that the kids were begging Valerie not to tell anyone. She informed them that people have eyes, and word would get around even if she didn’t say anything (not to mention that the horses were wearing the distinctive blue bridles for which this trainer is known). She advised them to fess up and tell Dad before Dad heard through other means. I don’t know the end of this story, but I wouldn’t want to be the kids. Or the owner of the horses that got loose…or the trainer who had to tell the owner what happened. Looking after staff, horses and owners is stressful enough in this business. Thank god I don’t have kids!
On another note, Brazil and Rose got through their races fine at Compiegne on Tuesday. Rose ran like a typically green horse that had never seen a track before, but finished respectably and will come on from this. Brazil’s race was strange for a few reasons. It was an apprentice/young jockey race, and one horse got loose and lapped the track before being caught and eventually declared a non-runner, but not before trying to reseat the jockey twice. When the race finally went off, one horse decided to stay in the stalls. This caused everyone else to think there may be a false start, so the race turned into lots of inexperienced jockeys trying desperately to stop horses that didn’t need or want to be stopped. After about 200 meters they realized there would, indeed, be a horse race today, so they rode on, but it was too late for Brazil, who had no idea what was going on. She finished respectably, and it didn’t do her any harm to be stopped from bolting off in front. She, too, will progress from this and is now ready to try something for real.
Next up: Turfani and Versaki at Longchamp on Saturday.
Gina, you are wrong. You do have kids. They just have four legs and can get into just as much trouble … with the exception of getting pregnant and doing drugs! Or would that be doing drugs first and then getting pregnant. Whatever. I am glad too I don’t have kids … the two legged variety that is.
Is there something about being involved with horses that stops women wanting kids? If so they are really missing something. When your old and grey, you both might think differently. I like horses, but I still have two sons.
Meanwhile back at the race track. Running Turfani on the likely firm ground this Saturday, might not be a very good idea, judging by what happened last year, after her win at Chantilly.
There is always another day.
I’ll take my chances on the kid thing, John; we’ll see what happens if I ever get lucky enough to be old – I’m already grey! As for Turfani, she seems a bit more solid this year, leg-wise if not stomach-wise, so I’ll take that chance. I haven’t won at Longchamp yet and she could be just the ticket!
I am old (calendar wise but not mentally) and grey and do not miss having children at all. I am glad for you Johnie that you have two sons as it sounds like you enjoy them. I will stick with my horses.
We’re not all THAT bad 0.o?!?!?! Are we??
Well we were all children once. I had my “bad” times too. Some of us are just not cut out to be parents. I am one.
So that was why I saw 2 riderless, saddled horses running past Place Marine last week on my way home from work???