In which a freelance writer contemplates the publishing industry, horse racing and the human-animal relationship. Hey, I'm not the first to ponder the connections.
"The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business."
John Steinbeck
This is one of the few doctors I would let operate on me and I don't say that lightly. What a wonderful approach to teaching medical students the art of "slow medicine," something we desperately need. Horses are the perfect vehicle to teach med students about patience, trust and healing.
Someone has been driving my truck and he's still there!!! Imagine what you would have thought if you had found a bear in your truck, like this man did. Everyone but the truck survived the encounter.
Perhaps not the most typical Memorial Day post, but the story of Crisp B. Bacon, the pig born with a deformity who got a new lease on life from a veterinarian who adopted him rather than euthanize him, is a memorial in itself to selfless acts of love.
I don't know how I missed this until now but better late than never. This sounds like a wonderful story of man helping beast helping man--the full circle of life.
There is hope for pups separated from their owners in disasters. This one is especially moving since the dog was trapped in his crate that somehow wrapped around a tree until a rescue worker pulled him to safety.
No Triple Crown and a disappointing run from Orb in the Preakness. He made a nice move down the backstretch to go between horses and settle into third. Then Goldencents passed him on the inside and he found himself boxed in between horses. Although he did have room if he had fired at that point, instead he went backwards and only made a very late stretch run under a lot of crop action from Rosario.
No real excuses except he didn't run his race. Was this because he was on the rail? Maybe. Other jockeys said it was heavy on the inside, but Roasario moved him into the middle of the pack, away from the rail. It was at this point that he looked to have been in perfect position to make his move, and he just didn't fire.
That is how it goes in this most fickle of sports. But kudos to the old guy, Gary Stevens, winning his sixth Preakness at age 52. Wire to wire, out of traffic, just taking charge. He too, in my opinion, beat up on his horse pretty well.
I don't think we will see either Orb or Oxbow in the Belmont but only time will tell.
The 4 month old white lion cub Kwanza has been hand raised by the owners of the Darling Downs Zoo in Australia and seems to have developed a special bond with Honey, the Zoo dog. I wonder how much longer the two of them will be able to wrestle this way?
Firefighters in Sacramento rescued an adorable dog from a storm drain using air pressure to force it out. Latest word is that the dog, with no tags or ID, is safe and sound looking for a new home.
Best Mother's Day ever for this owner of two poodle mixes, reunited with each other and with her, thanks to the great work of volunteer firefighter in her upstate New York community.
Pretty clever. Apparently this five month old Huskie puppy learned to get ice for himself from the refrigerator just by watching people do it! Can't wait to see if he learns to open the door and help himself!
I won't say I told you so but I will say that Orb is a very nice horse. Watch this replay and you will see that he flew from the half mile point on--coming four horses wide around the turn and only being nudged with the stick once by rider Joel Rosario. He hand rode the horse down the stretch and kept him under a steady hold for the first half mile. Rosario guessed correctly--that the pace was fast and that the horses in front for the first part of the race would tire themselves out.
That time will hold up especially considering it was a sloppy track.
The families that own this horse have been in racing for generations and never had won a Derby, so that part is fitting. They are throwback owners who truly do respect the horse. The Phipps family raced Easy Goer back in the late 80s and he too was a classic race horse although he did not have the distance in his pedigree that this guy does.
Do I think he can win a triple crown. Actually I do. But I also know that they won't race him unless they think they can win.
This is Orb, my pick for the Derby singing about the greatest two minutes in sports!! If he's not your pick, I hope you hold a winning ticket and that everyone comes home safe and sound.
I will admit that some of those toys look familiar but none of the ones in my house end up being put away or carried so gently! And can you believe she only colors on the paper and doesn't eat the crayon?!!
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