Name The Filly Contest - at Oh, HorseFeathers

"What's in a name? "
William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet
(Act II, Scene 2)

Actually, my friend Jo at Frequently Feline informs us that a name can be quite important, particularly when it comes to a cute new foal. In fact, horsey bloggers have been invited to participate in a foal naming contest.

It's not too late to enter! Just submit your idea/s for cute names for this adorable filly.

The black-and-white paint filly was born earlier this week at Harmony Meadows Equine Rescue. The dam's name is Pepper.

"Mrs. Mom" (at Oh, Horsefeathers) informs us that the foal naming contest will end on June 20th. Don't miss out on the fun!

Just post your entries in a comment here:

NAME THE FILLY contest

Rumor has it that the winning entry will receive a wonderful TACKy prize (maybe even a saddle).

Good luck!

Teddy O'Connor: Mourning the Loss of a Power Pony

Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEA.

Teddy O’Connor:
Mourning the Loss of a Power Pony

Olympic hopes have ended suddenly for a promising American pony. Theodore “Teddy” O’Connor, the prized pony prospect for equestrian eventing in the 2008 Olympic Games, was humanely euthanized on Wednesday, May 28, 2008.

Teddy O’Connor had sustained catastrophic and crippling injuries in a tragic accident at Karen and David O’Connor’s equestrian center in The Plains, Virginia.

In May 2008, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) named Karen O’Connor and Theodore “Teddy” O’Connor to the 14-entry short list for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Karen O’Connor has competed in three Olympic Games.

Sincere sympathies and condolences from The Mane Point to Karen and David O’Connor, as well as Max Corcoran (Teddy O'Connor’s groom) P. Wynn Norman (Teddy’s breeder), the Theodore O’Connor Syndicate and all of Teddy’s fans.

Here’s the whole story:

Click here to read “Teddy O'Connor: Olympic Equestrian Prospect Euthanized: Karen and David O’Connor Mourn Prized Pony’s Loss.”

Related Items of Interest:

Chicago 2016 Olympic Planners Choose Equestrian Venue

Grieving a Gelding

Horses and Ponies – What’s the Difference?

My Copper Champion; A Horse with Heart

USEF Names Olympic Equestrian Eventing Team - Short List

Winning Ways

Zero to Fifty-Five

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

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USEF Names Olympic Equestrian Eventing Team - Short List

Announced in May by the United States Equestrian Federation, the U.S. Olympic short list for equestrian eventing for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, includes:

Steven Bradley (46) and Brandenburg’s Joshua (Thoroughbred)

Bruce Davidson, Jr. (32), and Ballynoe Castle RM (Irish Thoroughbred)

Phillip Dutton (44) and Connaught (Irish Sport Horse)

Phillip Dutton (44) and The Foreman (Thoroughbred)

Phillip Dutton (44) and Woodburn (Thoroughbred)

Will Faudree (26) and Antigua (Australian Thoroughbred)

Becky Holder (39) and Courageous Comet (Thoroughbred)

Gina Miles (34) and McKinlaigh (Irish Sport Horse)

Karen O’Connor (50) and Mandiba (Thoroughbred)

Karen O’Connor (50) and Theodore O’Connor (Sport Pony)

Kim Severson (34) and Tiperary Liadhnan (Irish Thoroughbred)

Amy Tryon and Leyland (Thoroughbred)

Amy Tryon (38) and Poggio II (Thoroughbred)

Heidi White (42) and Northern Spy (English Thoroughbred)

Providence

Ah! Memorial Day weekend is here at last. What a wonderful reminder that spring has come.

Every year, on Memorial Day weekend, even as we ponder the sacrifices of those who purchased freedom with their lives, we also enjoy a few consecutive days of rest and relaxation. This seems like a paradoxical juxtaposition somehow.

The school year always draws to a close shortly after Memorial Day weekend too, so we spend a fair amount of time preparing teacher gifts and thank-yous.

Still, the long weekend offers a super opportunity for extended time at the stables - the first trail rides of the season, soapy horse baths (and water fights), and long-overdue tack cleaning and conditioning.

What a wonderful time to count our many blessings.

"The LORD upholds
all those who fall
and lifts up
all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to You,
and You give them
their food
at the proper time.
You open Your hand
and satisfy the desires
of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous
in all His ways
and loving
toward all He has made."
(Psalm 145:14-16)


A Natural Born Jumper?

Today, for the first time, we took our young Paint (coming four) outside in the big arena. We have been riding him Western Pleasure in a Circle Y Western trail saddle. He walks, jogs and lopes like a trooper, and his favorite word is "Whoa." (That's MY kind of horse.)

He was so well-behaved that my daughter even popped him over a flat pole, set between the jump standards. First, he trotted over it a few times with an unexpected spring in his step. Next, he trotted in and cantered out. Finally, he cantered in and out, swapping leads almost automatically. What a good boy.

Summer fun has begun!

Related Items:

The Cost So Dear
Dress Blues
Equestrian Jumping: Avoiding Evasions
Mounting Up Safely
Selecting a Saddle
A Spirited Pair
A Yearling's Reminder

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

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Big Brown Wins Big

Two down, one to go?

Jockey Kent Desormeaux rode Big Brown to victory on Saturday, May 17th, in the 133rd Preakness Stakes, just weeks after his runaway win in the Kentucky Derby.

By the time they hit the back stretch, it wasn't even close.

The Pimlico Race Course (Baltimore., Maryland) crowd went wild, along with trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr., as the big bay thoroughbred raced to the fore, claiming the win by more than five lengths.

The undefeated three-year-old will carry high hopes in the Belmont Stakes (June 9, 2008), as he will be the third horse in ten years to aim for the Triple Crown. The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed (1978).

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

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Halter-Skelter

Halter-Skelter

 

 Sun's soft ray and pasture play

Simply take our breath away.

Colts and fillies run and romp;

Soon the horseflies they will stomp.

Yanking halters, chewing manes,

Living free from ropes and reins,

Horses practice tug-of-war

In their paradise outdoor.

In their frolic free-for-all,

Equines rear up, strong and tall.

Here, untethered, youngsters grow,

Chestnut coats, in sun aglow.

Someday soon, their lives will change,

And their schedules rearrange.

Trained by gesture, cue and word,

As they long for treasured herd.

c2008 by Linda Ann Nickerson

 

Here's this week's entry for Wordless Wednesday (Saturday edition) and Jane’s Inspiration’s Saturday prompt on “adventure.” Photo by Nickers and Ink.

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

A Bit of Horse Sense . . .

A Bit of Horse Sense . . . from The Mane Point


Related Items of Interest:

Break It to Me Gently (Halter-Training)
Church Clothes
Compassion for Fashion
From the Guy in the Fourth Row
Intermission
Living Large as a Petite Lady
The Mirror Lied
Muscling into Fitness
Never Better
Style Revival
Vying for Vintage
Why Try?

Come to Me

(This posting is also an entry for Totally Optional Prompts' "transformation" topic this week.)

Just today, my young sporthorse colt worked under saddle in the big arena for the first time.

As he moves, step by step, through his training, I cannot help but reminisce about the journey that brought us together to this point.

His mother is a gorgeous chestnut Warmblood mare, my very first horse. His father is a fiery red Arabian stallion. This colt is a keeper.

Come to Me

Leave the herd, and come to me,
And we will roam the wilds with glee.
Gallop from the greenest field,
And so become my strongest shield.

We have waited, right or wrong,
To discover joys lifelong.
The trail awaits us, end unknown,
With secret beauty yet unshown.

We’ll mend the miles and race the breeze,
A-galloping beneath the trees.
So carry me beyond mundane,
As I hold tightly to your mane.

Click here for “Come to Me.”

Related Items of Interest:

Choosing a Horse for a Child

Dream of Flying

Foaling in Love

Green Lessons

Home-Grown Fertilizer

Respect Your Elders

A Soft Place to Land

Thanks for Sharing

Unbroken

Winning Ways

Love poetry? Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink. Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

Dandy Day

Dandy Day
(A poetic phrasing from a horse that is grazing)

It’s a dandy day for a turnout,
A wonderful day in the field,
A perfect day to beat burnout,
As sweet dandelions are revealed.

I promise I’ll give you a ride, dear,
If you will allow me to stay.
The grasses are growing beside here,
And they taste much sweeter than hay.

The dew of the morning has rested
On each lovely blade that I munch,
So don’t feel that I have protested,
But please come and ride after lunch.

c2008 by Linda Ann Nickerson 

(Posted for Wordless Wednesday’s Saturday edition and Blog Carnival's "Carnival of the Horses")

Like this one? Find this horse poem and more in Horseplay Secrets: Learning in Rhyme from Equines Sublime.  

A Stroll That's Droll

Riding on horseback outdoors on a gorgeous spring day is a true pleasure, long-awaited. Of course, a brilliant spring day seems to energize both horse and rider. 

As we traverse the trail together, the signs of spring surround us. Mares are coming into season, stallions are calling out to them, new foals are arriving almost daily, young colts and fillies are frolicking, and nature is coming alive again.

What a day!

A Stroll That’s Droll
(A Limerick on My Sidekick)

This morning, as we were out walking,
My pony and I were a-talking.
He let out a neigh,
But I said, "No way!"
And our friends all thought us laughing-stocking.

c2008 by Linda Ann Nickerson 

This post responds to the following prompts: Inspire Me Thursday (“doors”) and Read-Write-Poem (#25).

Image/s:

National Show Horse

photo copyrighted by LAN/The Mane Point

All rights reserved.

Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Chicago 2016 Picks Proposed Olympic Equestrian Venue

Chicago 2016 Picks
Proposed Olympic Equestrian Venue

Chicago hopes to host the 2016 Olympic Games, and the Chicago 2016 Committee is saddling up for the challenge.

On Saturday, May 3, 2006, the Chicago 2016 Committee announced the selection of Tempel Farms as the proposed site for the Olympic Equestrian Complex.

Located in scenic Old Mill Creek, Illinois, Tempel Farms is a Lake County equestrian landmark. The family-owned property boasts 4,000 acres, including several outdoor riding arenas, an indoor arena and an Olympic-quality cross-country course.

Click here to read the whole story, “Chicago 2016 Olympic Planners Choose Equestrian Venue: Tempel Farms is Selected for Proposed Games Site.”

Photo: Tempel Farms

Related Articles of Interest:

Endurance Trail Riding Gear

Equine Insurance: Do You Feel Lucky?

Great Gifts for Horse Lovers

Horse Show Ribbon Displays Made Easy

Illinois Highway Accident Kills Horses Likely Bound for Slaughter

Making a Grand Prix Entrance – Preparing for a Horse Show

My Copper Champion

Mystified – A Rhymed Roundup on Saddling Up

Thoroughly Thoroughbreds

Tress for Success (Braiding Your Horse for a Show)

Winning Ways

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

Off Course - Haikus and Views on Racetrack News

Here's this week's entry for One Single Impression’s prompt (“deserted”).

Off Course –
Haikus and Views on Racetrack News

for Eight Belles
Unbridleds' Song x Away
(2005 - 2008)

Running with the boys,
Lovely filly, second place,
Hopeful contender.

Finish-line gallop,
As grandstanders whoop and cheer.
Clutching ticket stubs.

Suddenly, she’s down.
Ambulances shield the view.
Filly euthanized.

Editorials:
Animal rights and sports fans,
Second-guessing now.

Did they do what’s right?
Would they have saved a stallion?
What about the mare?

The focus shifts now.
Deserting horses for ink?
What a tragedy.

Click here to read the whole story, "Eight Belles Collapses After Kentucky Derby Horse Race: Tragedy Strikes Second-Place Horse at Churchill Downs."

Image: AP Photo/Brian Bohannon (on ESPN)

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Click here for Off Course – Haikus and Views on Racetrack News. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

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Kentucky Derby - Triumph and Tragedy

"A horse never runs so fast
as when he has other horses
to catch up and outpace."

Ovid
(43 BC - 17 AD)

The 134th Kentucky Derby, held Saturday, May 3, 2008, at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky, was marked by both triumph and tragedy.


Big Brown Bounty

Big Brown boldly blasted from gate #20 into the fray, and he never looked back. The three-year-old thoroughbred won big at the Kentucky Derby, stimulating hopes for a potential Triple Crown bid.

Click here to read the whole story, "Big Brown Wins 134th Kentucky Derby: Thoroughbred Racehorse Undefeated in All His Outings."


A Sad Finish for a Much-Celebrated Race

The Kentucky Derby finish on Saturday, May 3, 2008, was bittersweet for horse racing enthusiasts. Although spectators and participants celebrated Big Brown's dramatic first-place finish at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, they lamented the tragedy that befell the second-place horse.

Eight Belles (pictured above), the only filly in this year's Kentucky Derby, finished a clear second and collapsed immediately after the horse race. At the end of the horse race, Eight Belles had broken both front ankles and toppled to the ground. Sadly, Eight Belles was euthanized on the spot.

Click here to read the whole story, "Eight Belles Collapses After Kentucky Derby Horse Race: Tragedy Strikes Second-Place Horse at Churchill Downs."

Related Items:

Horse Race Survey: Equestrian Entertainment (A Guide to the Various Disciplines of Horse Racing)

Kentucky Derby Horse Racing Fans Go Green

The Photo Finish

Racehorse Recovery

Thoroughly Thoroughbreds; What's the Horse of Your Dreams?

Wager Wisely: How to Bet on the Horses

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Or click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!