The Keeneland September Sales - Part II

This is the second segment of the Kentucky trip.

The Hard Work Begins

September 12, 2005

Day 4 – Monday – FIRST DAY OF SALE

Well, after a horrible 5 hours of “I-don’t-think-I’ll-get-up-so-I-have-to-wake-up-every-hour” sleep, I got up at 3:30 a.m. (before the alarm went off).  I actually had a nice dream about Gifford (our draft horse), in my last hour of sleep.  I managed to be ready by 4:30 and we left for Keeneland.  We arrived at 4:50 and found a good parking spot where we had scouted out the previous day.  We left our khaki’s in the car and headed for Barn 38.  I’m glad we found it yesterday during the daylight hours, because we never would have found it in the dark of the dawn.

When we arrived, we put our bags in a room at the end of the barn.  There are small rooms for equipment, feed, lunch, computer tracking, etc.  Judy introduced me to Karl (with a K) and he told us our first job would be cleaning stalls and walking the colts and fillies.  At 5:00 a.m. I walked my first filly – Hip #1331—who saw fit to rear occasionally.

All the horses are walked in front of the barn on a stonedust track built around a tree island, where there are a few benches under a tent.  (Later, they bring a large cooler of bottled water to this spot for both customers and staff—us.)

I walked two fillies while Judy mucked their stalls, then she walked while I mucked.  To muck these stalls, you take a huge, square piece of burlap and put it in front of the stall (the stalls are bedded with straw), then use a pitch fork to pull out the wet straw and manure.  You place an entire bale of straw back in the stall and spread it out, put hay under the feed bucket and water goes in last, and then the filly or colt can come back inside.

You then drag the burlap full of manure and wet soaked straw, to a designated manure dumping area (which will be cleaned out later by large trucks) and empty it.  This takes two people as it is awkward, heavy and unwieldly.  By this time we were joined by many walkers from many other barns, and by the time I took my first colt out, it was a little “hairy.”  I managed okay. You have to realize these are yearlings (one year olds) who have been penned in a small stall for long periods of time.  When they get out into the yard with other yearlings, they want to play.  It's natural.  What we were asked to do, WALK THEM, goes against their nature.

You have to constantly be aware of these horses.  None are really worked or handled a lot.  They are supposed to be haltered and led a bit in training about a month before, but many sales groups just get the yearlings out of their fields the week before the sale, and so they have been handled very little.  Some are worse than others.  You get to know their Hip #’s and know how they will act.  Hip #1071 was very bad and they would only let a male showman take him out.  By 6:30, all the walking and mucking is complete, and it is time to “put a top” on the horses.  You are a two-man crew at this point. 

Judy was pulled away to polish brass chifneys, so I worked with Robert to groom.  While Robert held, I curried, brushed, picked feet, oiled hooves and made sure the horse was clean (most had baths after the walking in the a.m., but I wasn’t involved in that task, and I’m somewhat thankful, because no one left that task dry in any way, shape, or form).

Interior of the sales barn area, where horses are
stood to be "topped off."

After “whites” (white socks or leg markings) were done by someone, we put on leather show halters, hung chifneys on every stall and also showman numbers (each horse has their own number that a showman takes and wears on their belt as they show the horse) to match the sign numbers on the stalls.

Since we have 25 horses, this took us to 7:30 a.m. (we have a few more horses than were listed in the catalogue).  We were told to go get dressed and I got my blue oxford shirt from Beth, who works for the farm and who sent us the letters of confirmation.  I also received a B Sales hat.  I changed in the car as it seemed futile to try to use a bathroom (there were too many people with the same idea).

I was back at Barn #38 by 7:40 and Robert gave all the new showmen (which included me) an orientation to “the way B Sales shows horses.”  However, Joe , one of the owners, told Judy to take out a horse and actually let me practice.  Judy gave me some pointers about setting up a horse for show, and I was sort of ready.

Here’s how it works:  a buyer approaches the Barn representatives (who sit out front on stools – kind of like they are at an exposition) and the prospective buyer fills out a card with the numbers of the horses they would like to see (numbers are in the sales catalogue).  The reps then call the grooms and ask them to ready the horses.  The grooms go and put on the chifneys and a lead, then  the selected horse is brought down to the main entrance to be “topped off” (straw out of tail, mane brushed with wet brush, hooves checked, whites checked, quick toweling, etc.).  The rep then tells the showman taking the horse from the groom where to take the horse in the “yard” to show it.  I learned quickly the “top” “bottom” “far-side” “near-side” of the yard, so I knew where to take a horse when instructed.  They would describe buyers by their clothing like “man in black shirt,” “woman in red hat,” unless the buyers were well known….like Toby Keith.  And yes, our barn showed a horse to Toby Keith and I didn’t even know it.

Sometimes you had to leave one person and immediately take the same horse to show to another person in another spot in the yard.  You could never “go home” (put a horse up) until you checked with the rep that sent you out to make sure no one else needed to see the horse.

That's me holding Distorted Humor/Hello Barbara Sue
colt, waiting to show in the "yard."

My first few showings were probably not the best.  There is a very definitive way a Thoroughbred yearling must be stood-in-hand, and until you get the knack of the chifney  bit as a control, this can be hard to do.  It’s really a dance.  You approach, give your number, stand the horse (the two feet on the side toward the buyer must be placed inside or outside of the two feet on the far side of buyer, so buyer can see the insides of all legs).  Then you wait for the buyer to ask you to walk the colt or filly and you head up your lane, make a wide right turn and head straight back to the buyer, where you stand the horse again.  Sometimes a buyer will ask you to walk more than once.  Some buyers will come and touch the horses, but most do not.  When you stand a horse you have to time the halt with a spin, where you transfer your body from walking toward the buyer to facing the horse (your back to the buyer) and at the same time you have to change hands with your shank lead (a shank lead has a chain at the end of it, which is not found on a normal horse lead) and walk backwards a few steps.  It sounds difficult, but after about 10 showings, you get this down, and soon the horses know what to do too, so things get easier.

I lost count of the number of horses I showed between 8:15 and 11:00 a.m., as we were very busy with at least three “all shows” (every colt and filly in the Barn must be brought out) during the period.  It really can be dangerous and you have to stay very alert and aware of all the horses and handlers in the yard at any given time.  Some handlers are very good and others haven’t a clue, so your life can be in your hands if you don’t know what to watch for in a colt or filly’s demeanor.  You have to know who is and isn’t good at calming a stallion or bringing a horse back from rearing, or steadying a leaping horse.

A very exhausted filly at the end of the day!  You can
see the Chifney bit hanging from door.

At about 11:00 a.m. Karl told me to show Hip #966 to someone.  (The very first horse I showed was Hip #1176).  As the grooms topped the colt, Karl said:  “You’re showing this to an owner of the farm, so make this a good show.”  I wished he hadn’t said anything, quite frankly, because that just made me freak out, but I did the best I knew how to do from what I had learned that morning.  This particular colt was not a good stander, and he wouldn’t square correctly, but I walked him well away and then he acted up a bit on the walk back, so the owner asked me to walk the colt again.  I just took it in stride and walked the colt again, this time correcting him ahead of my turn so he would walk a straight line back.  When I set him up the second time, his feet were perfectly squared, and I stepped him back on the left side to allow the owner to see all the insides of the legs.  He stood and did not move.  The owner told me “that’s perfect.”  So I guess I did okay!

Later, unbeknownst to me, Joe saw me show a colt to a couple who were buyers.  After I was done he came and told me I did a great job with that particular colt.

As the day progressed, I got better and the horses got more tired and easier to work with.  Sometimes we needed grooms to follow with spray bottles of water to keep them moving as they were getting sluggish in the heat.  I felt sorry for these poor young colts and fillies.

Sometimes there were just TOO many horses in the yard and they all acted up.  You just had to be vigilant and correct.  I would actually talk to my colt or filly a lot when I took them “home.”

There were at least two biters.  I wasn’t afraid to chifney them or show them because I came to an “understanding” with them--I talked to them.  One colt (out of Dixie Union) gave some people a lot of trouble, but he and I got along really well and so I showed the Dixie Union colt a lot.  Once a horse trusts you (and believe me, they figure out who they can trust) you are good to go.

I never wanted any of the horses from the “back side” in the beginning (there were four housed there) as they truly were bad news and acted up when there were a lot of horses in the yard being shown.  And I wouldn’t take Hip #1071 either (the one they could only use a male showman with).  He was extremely studly and just plain, all-around awful.  He would need a lot of understanding and time in someone’s care, and I don’t know if a lot of these animals end up in that type of situation (understanding and care I mean).

We, as workers, are served a huge breakfast and lunch.  We ate breakfast in between our initial groom of the horses and getting changed.  I wasn’t really hungry at breakfast (I had a nervous stomach) and only ate a few breakfast potatoes.  With the heat of the day, I was kind of glad because I know my stomach and it would have been upset.  At lunch they served roast beef.  Oh my God!  There was no way I could eat that much for lunch, so I had a slice of bread and butter, green beans, and a cool drink (I hydrated with water most of the morning).

It was very hot today (near 93 degrees) and more of the same is expected tomorrow.  Eating in hot weather is not my favorite thing to do.  There were breaks, here and there, but not many.  You are on your feet all day, literally.  At the end of the day, someone does all of the horses feet with venice turpentine (to harden them), someone gives meds, someone collects all chifneys to be cleaned and put away, someone changes halters (from the show halters to nylon/woven halters), someone feeds, etc.  Everyone has a job. 

I did chifneys and halters, changed my shirt and handed it back in for cleaning, then Judy and I headed out.  I had survived the first day.  I met some horses I really got to like.  Most were easy to work with and seemed pretty quick to learn the routine, while others were stressed, under duress and acted out.  Eventually we will have to take horses to the sales ring, so that will be a new experience.

So far we all get along and everyone seems nice to work with. 

I took my shower when we got back to Joanne’s, did a load of laundry and ate a dinner of Ramen noodles and fruit.  I was not at all hungry.  It’s 9:00 p.m. and I am just beat, so I’ll probably fall asleep after finishing this journal for the night, or maybe read a bit and fall asleep reading, which shouldn’t take long.  I’m really NOT looking forward to the early wake up hours of the morning! L

Installment 3 tomorrow.

Aarrooooooooo!

Adventures In Kentucky: Showmanship With Reaaaalllllly Expensive Horses

I'm not sure if you remember George Plimpton.  George was a gentleman who decided he would spend his life trying different things, and subsequently writing about his experiences.  He started with sports, and moved on to many other types of environments, including bit parts in movies.

My life, in a way, models George's.  I figure you only go around once and you should try a number of different things.  I often journal my experiences, so I can go back and remind myself of details or points I would never remember many years later.

There are a few things that I will never try.  Topping the list is skydiving, followed closely by holding a spider.  No amount of money (and I mean NO AMOUNT) would get me to do either.  I am afraid of heights, and even more afraid of spiders.  So you wouldn't, for instance, catch me signing up at Millie's Spider Menagerie to do some side work.  However, people have pointed out to me that both are alot safer than jumping horses over fences.  They could be right.  But that depends on the day and the horse.

As part of this foray into the unknown, I worked one September at the Keeneland Yearling Sale.  Keeneland, for those who may not be up on the horsey set, is defined by Wikipedia as follows:

"This sale, the world's largest sale of yearlings, has been conducted at various times in the fall since 1944, and was permanently moved to September in 1960. Keeneland accepts all horses nominated to sale, making it the largest market for Thoroughbred yearlings in the world.  In recent years, the September sale has produced a Kentucky Derby winner, an Epsom Derby winner, and an American Horse of the Year."

What follows in the next few days are my observations, opinions and experiences working for a large sales operation at Keeneland in the Fall of 2005.  I have taken out SOME names to protect the innocent...some of whom weren't...innocent, that is.

The photos you will see were taken with a Fuji box camera at the time, because I did not want to take my good camera, which could possibly be trashed at the sales barn facility (or stolen).  The quality isn't the best, but it will give you an idea of things.

So here is the first installment.

Please Come With Me To Kentucky

It all starts with a good friend who spent the first part of her young life working for top horse trainers in Kentucky.  For years she had been trying to get me to work the Keeneland sales with her.  Any sale, any time.  Finally, I agreed.  She made a phone call and what follows is my foray into the world of the rich and famous—horsewise.

In August of 2005 I received my confirmation letter from B Sales.  “Thank you for being a part of our team for the Keeneland September Sale.  We have some outstanding horses, so we are hoping for a busy, successful sale with your help.”

The letter confirmed the dates of the sale:  Monday, September 12^th – Thursday, September 15^th at Barn 38.  Then in small letters surrounded by asterisks:  “Please arrive by 5:00 a.m.”  FIVE A. M.!!!!!!  No one told me that I would have to arrive at 5:00 a.m.!!!!!!

The letter went on to give the following details:

Duties:  Groom/Showman

Uniform:  Brown shoes or boots ONLY.  Please make sure that your shoes or boots are in good condition.  We will provide shirts.  Khaki trousers ONLY (clean and pressed daily).  We do not allow brown or khaki jeans, corduroy pants or pants with leg pockets.  On ship in days, you may wear comfortable, but appropriate clothing (jeans are okay on these days).  Shirts will be issued each day in the morning and need to be returned at the end of each day.  Checks will not be released until all clothing is returned!  Checks will be issued Monday, September 26^th after 12 p.m. at Barn 14 and will not be available prior to that time.

Following are the notes I placed in my journal at the end of every day.  They have been transcribed EXACTLY how they were written to give you a better feel for the trip.  The first and second day were travel days.

September 9^th, 2005

Day 1 - Friday



Sue's Lovely Home



We left at 3:00 p.m. and drove 6 hours to Sue’s in McDonald, PA.  Sue owns a gardening business.  The house and grounds are beautiful.  Sue and her husband, Bob, also own 42 acres with 2 ponds, a pavilion, 13 greenhouses, a large barn and really nice, large pastures for their four horses.  They also have race horses, a dog named Heidi (German Shepherd) and a cat named Archie.  Sue is very nice and I had a comfortable bed to sleep on after her dinner of homemade ravioli.  Since it was dark when we arrived (around 9:30 p.m.) I didn’t see most of the grounds until the morning.  The house is a refurbished farmhouse with a great kitchen with fireplace, surrounded by windows and French doors.  The porch has a flooring of exposed aggregate and nice little nooks and crannies full of swings, country furniture and huge hanging flower baskets.  We will probably stop here on our way back as well, and if we do I’ll buy a plant or two (perennials) from Sue.

September 10^th, 2005

Day 2 - Saturday

We had breakfast at the Market Café this morning (I was up at 7:15 and had coffee out on the porch swing) where I had scrambled eggs over home fries and toast.  Judy and I headed out around Noon.  We arrived at Joanne’s (a close friend of Judy's) near 6:40 p.m., but we stopped twice (once at a rest stop where I then drove for a few hours to give Judy a break and a nap, and once at KFC in Kentucky for a quick dinner).

Joanne lives in a suburb of Lexington.  On the way in, Judy took the back roads and I got to see all of the big farms and places where she used to work when she lived in Kentucky.



My Room in Kentucky



Joanne is a lovely woman.  She has given me a very nice room with a television and she lives across the street from a large park that has a paved, winding path that goes for about a mile and a half, so I took a walk this evening.  Joanne has an apple tree in her yard and Judy picked apples today and made applesauce.  Joanne made white chicken chili for dinner and it was excellent.  She has a nice deck, but the mosquitos attacked, so tomorrow I’m buying bug spray.

Judy showed me how to use the Chifney bit and shank today at Sue’s.   It is the primary bit we will be using to show the fillies and colts.  Getting up at 3:45 a.m. to go to the barns each morning will be harder than putting that bit to use.  It’s almost 11:00 pm as I write this.  I’m going to read and go to sleep.  The movie Stand By Me is on television right now.  I haven’t seen this movie in a long time.

Joanne has two cats and two dogs—a Corgi named Kirby and a Scotty named Maggie.  Joanne’s 3 year old granddaughter is spending the night tonight (Maddy).

Judy taught me how to read the Select Sales Catalogue today.  Looks like we will have 22 yearlings to deal with.  All but two of them are colts.  We are in Barn 38.  This sounds like it is going to be very hard work.

September 11^th, 2005

Day 3 – Sunday

I slept until 7:50 this morning.  I woke to find Judy and Joanne on the deck.  I made some coffee and joined them.  We lounged around a little, showered, got dressed and planned on going to a little stone Presbyterian church out by all the horse farms.  We had stopped on the way in on Saturday to learn the service was at 11:00 a.m.  On our way out to the church, Judy went down a street she used to live on to show me exactly where she had lived.  It was there we spotted the Church of the Nazarene with a service at 10:45.  We decided to stop there instead.  This is, after all, an adventure.

We were greeted by LaVonne (I kid you not) and someone else and we signed the guest book.  I guess word spread fast that two women from Pennsylvania (they asked us at the door where we were from) were visiting, because before you could say AMEN, the pastor came down the aisle to greet us as we took our seats in our pew.

To say that the service was “uplifting” would be an understatement.  It’s safe to say it was like nothing I’d ever experienced.  More evangelical than conventional church-going (I am an Episcopalian....nuff said about conventionality), but certainly a church that has a lot to offer its constituents.  We were even welcomed as part of the service and in the end we joined in a group of people to come forward to pray.  There are tissue boxes everywhere in this church, and a lot of people seem to cry, so I guess that’s why they are there.  After the service we were approached by quite a few people to find out why we were in Kentucky.  We explained and then extricated ourselves from the inquiring minds to go explore more of Kentucky (for me it was an exploration, for Judy it was welcome home week).

After church we headed to the Kentucky Horse Park.  We ate lunch in the restaurant there and then noticed a dressage show being held on the grounds, so we went over to watch a bit.  We wandered around a bit more and went to the gift shop.  I bought a belt.  Then we left and headed out to Old Frankford Pike to see all the horse farms.  It’s unbelievable how many there are and how beautiful they are.  Judy had a lot of stories about them to tell, so the drive was like being on a tour with a very good, knowledgeable tour guide.

We then drove to B Farm, as Judy brought the owner, Fred, some Rolling Rock Beer.  He used to work for Rolling Rock, and it’s a running joke between he and Judy.  We pulled into the driveway of a lovely Kentucky farmhouse and found Fred’s wife, Peppe, at home.  She and Judy are great friends as Judy used to babysit all five of their kids when she lived in Kentucky and worked for Fred.  Fred and B Farm is the farm we will be working for at the Keeneland September Sale.

We sat on the porch a bit and had a “Ale-8-1” or “A Late One” (as pronounced in Kentuckian)!  It’s a fruity ginger ale drink popular in Kentucky.  Then Peppe showed us her garden and we all picked a tomato and sat outside under a big tree and ate it.  It’s the stuff you only read in books.

Fred and Peppe's House in Kentucky

The house, gardens and property would take too long to explain, but I took a photo of the house for my memory-boost.

From the farm we headed to the store to buy some things we need for tomorrow and for dinner for a few nights.  Then Judy drove me to Keeneland to show me where we would be working and to find our Barn #38.  On the way in (Keeneland is directly across from the airport) you could see the big United Arab Emerate planes which had landed and parked for the sale.  We are going to see some Arab buyers at the sale this week, and most likely some Shieks.

We drove into Keeneland, and after several tries, found our barn.  It is quite far from the sales ring, an important point to know for later in the week, when fillies and colts must be walked to the sales ring.  We also scouted out where we would change our clothes (from clean up crew wardrode to sales staff gear), where the bathrooms are and where we would park in the morning.  It is going to be very hot, according to the weather forecast, and it looks like we will be in the sun a lot.  I saw the B Sales shirts.  They are oxford blue button down with a short sleeve.  I am intimidated by the vastness of the barns and surroundings I've just seen.  My stomach starts to gurgle.  What really, have I gotten myself into?

We headed back to Joanne’s where we washed some clothes, ironed khakis, ate dinner and sat around a bit.  It’s not 10:00 p.m., but I’m going to read now to try and fall asleep.  I set my alarm for 3:50 a.m.  We timed the drive and it should take us 20 minutes to get from Joanne’s to Keeneland and our barn.  I’m going to bed hoping things go well tomorrow.

Next installment to come!

Aaarrrroooooo!

Recess

On Wednesday, April 27th, I took our dog Moe to a Pet Therapy Day at a local college.  The day is hosted in the Spring and the Fall for students who are away from home and miss their pets, as well as anyone who needs a bit of "doggy" therapy.  This was Moe's first time to attend.  In past Pet Therapy days, I've taken Piper, our border collie, and Winston, our English Setter.



Moe in full slump.

 Moe was a standout favorite.  He is a smaller field setter, possibly mixed with some hound, a tri-color, and has the best face ever.  Plus, he is VERRRY laid back and after about his first 40 minutes of receiving adoring pats and comments, he showed just how excited he was by doing the Moe slump to the ground.  The Moe slump is this slow-motion roll to the ground that Moe does when (1) he doesn't want to do what you are asking; (2) he is very tired; (3) he wants you to pet him and spend some time with him or (4) he wants you to feel sorry for him.  He uses it well and wisely.  I always know that the Moe slump is unfounded if I can say the word TREAT and up pops Moe into a sitting position.  That's the "out" I used at Pet Therapy Day.

After our hour at Pet Therapy Day, to reward Moe, I took him for a walk to the park.  I put him on the long line we have so he could be freer and enjoy himself.  The park is just behind an elementary school in our area.  It was about 1:30 when I found myself on the part of the trail that is directly across from the school.  Suddenly I hear a bell and two doors to the building opened.  There is a playground behind the school, and the school is surrounded by high chain link fence.  Within minutes, about 40 kids came POURING at full speed out of the double doors.  I stopped to watch them run in all directions....some to the playground equipment, some to the soccer goals, some to the basketball court.  It reminded me of the time I watched a bunch of ants that had been having a large annual ant conference, run en masse in all directions after a dive-bombing bird spotted their convention.  Moe was transfixed as well.

The kids quickly gravitated toward whatever they needed to expend all of the energy they had harbored during their last interval of class time.  Swings were pumping, slides were mobbed, basketballs were flying and some, who were not quick enough to grab anything, were simply running around in circles.

I continued my walk on the trail, then doubled back.  I was just in time to see the children now responding to whistles, lining up, and walking as quiet as little mice in our rock walls when our cat Harry is around.

All of this got me to thinking about our dogs and RECESS.  Dogs are very much creatures who need to expend energy.  When you let our dogs out to the yard, you'd better stay out of the way.  In fact, you are probably making a huge mistake even uttering the word O-U-T.  You can't even spell it in our house.  You can't even spell it backwards.  But it's RECESS!!!!

They've sat quietly in the house, often dormant for hours, trying to please us in whatever we ask.  Taking their little dog naps, following us upstairs and down for some interim energy breaks....but it isn't until they go OUT that RECESS begins!

Here's a video of what happens when our dogs go out on recess at our house.     This was taken this past summer, and shows Moe and Piper having a great time expending their long pent doggy energy (this is about 3 hours of pent up energy).  And the end of the video isn't even when they stopped.  It went on for quite a while.

I've learned that you just have to let the dogs have their recess time quite often in order to have happy, healthy dogs.  Even older dogs need some enthusiastic times.  Our Winston rallies every time there is an OUT.  Maybe not for very long, but long enough to show he still values recess. 

And when recess is done, they all file in quietly, finding a pillow or comfy couch cushion to take a nap and be the wonderful, quiet dogs they are in the house.

Aaaarrrrooooooo

The "What Is Going On Here" Photo Quiz

Okay....for today you get to guess what you think is going on in the photos of the dogs and cats.  Some may be easier than others.  Have fun.

(1)  What is going on here?  Is this (a) not really a dog but a floppy toy that we positioned to look that way; (b) a dog that likes to sleep in a very odd way; (c) a new border collie dance craze?

(2)  What is going on here?  Is it (a) a robber found his way into the house and shot Daisy?  (b) Daisy is protesting because the television is off? (c) Daisy is having too much fun at playtime?

(3)  What is happening here?  Is this (a) Burton believing he is a cat and as such should perch like one? (b) A test of the grit our couch is made of?  (c) A protest against there being no room on the couch for Burton to lay down?

(4)  And what is this?  Is it (a) Emma using her lazer eyes to mesmerize Bethy and Moe into thinking she is one of them? (b) Emma being Emma and going wherever and whenever she pleases? (c) A "which of these things is not like the other" film from Sesame Street?







Take the challenge.  See what you come up with.  You're invited to also make up your own stories here!

Aarrooooo!

Oh Dorothy.....I've Had A Flying House Experience!

I woke up this morning and finally figured out what happened.  Unbeknownst to me, because it probably happened when I was asleep, our entire house, yard, barn and extranneous elements were taken up in a tornado and thrown back down in Seattle, Washington.

How do I know this?  Well, for one, I know that Seattle's weather will prove me out.  Seattle has between 201 - 264 cloudy, rainy or combination-of-both days.  Typically, in PA, we've had some sunshine and warmer weather by now.  Not so.  So I'm going to base my entire theory on this premise and the fact that I sleep soundly enough to have a huge revolving funnel be able to carry me away without knowing it.

Here's a chart of Seattle weather to date in April:

EXACTLY!  This is what has been happening!

Look, I know that April showers bring May flowers, but if that is the case, we are going to look like Holland come May, because we are inundated.

Needless to say, this gloominess does nothing for the spirit.  People need sunshine to flourish, just like plants.  Dogs need to be walked, parks need to be visited...I'd love to get out of my car just once and not carry an umbrella.  I'll probably carry that thing even after the sun finally comes out because I'm so used to having it as an extra appendage.

I actually looked at a CRAFT KIT the other day in Borders!  THIS IS REALLY SCAREY!

I'm about to mail out a bunch of mail today.  I've written a note on the backs of the envelopes "When you get this, will you please call me and let me know where the postmark is from?"  Because I'm convinced those calls will say:  SEATTLE!!!!

Arrrrooooooo!

The Gifford Chronicles - Final Episode

The Gifford Chronicles

Gifford Comes Home

In Part III, Buddy had been sold at auction for a disappointing price.  It was getting close for Gifford to be sold.  As you are reading my husband's account of what went on next, remember, I am back home worrying and fretting, waiting to hear of the outcome.  It was at a time when we had no cell phones.  So Paul had to find a phone to call me and give me the final outcome.  This was a difficult day for me!!!

One hour later, Gifford was about to enter the arena. My heart was thumping. Although I had told Gary I might bid on Gifford, I intentionally did not tell him our maximum price.  It was not high and I did not want to influence in any way Gary’s possible "no sale" decision.  As Gifford was led into the arena, Gary was stationed behind the auctioneer, ready to provide additional information if necessary. I was out in the bleachers, sitting directly in front of one of the spotters so I could not be overlooked. As his handler ran Gifford up and down the narrow strip, the bidding started with my bid of $1,000 - I guess I was nervous because I didn’t have to start that high.

After a few others had jumped in, I increased my bid to $1,400 and later tried to raise it to $1,450. Fortunately, the spotter waved me off, informing me with humor I was already in at $1,400 and no one else had raised the bid. Right, I thought, bidding against yourself is even more stupid than bidding against your wife.  The gavel fell and I held my breath waiting for Gary to say "No sale!"  Silence.  Gifford was ours!

I found Gary a few minutes later and told him that I was the successful bidder. His reaction was a big smile. He simply said "Jesus!" and laughed.  I know he was disappointed at the price but equally happy Elaine and I now owned Gifford.  He knew how attached we were to him.

I had told Elaine I would call her immediately after the sale.  In the event Gifford had been sold to someone else, I already had rehearsed a story for Elaine: Gifford was going to a very nice (non-Amish) owner I had met after the sale who planned to use him as a trail riding and show horse. Fortunately, that lie was not necessary.  Elaine was overjoyed.  The "Giffster" was coming back to Silver Mark Farm and we were now owned a registered Belgian draft horse.

After eating (more gravy), paying the auction and re-registering Gifford in our name, we loaded him and a stallion Gary had purchased on behalf of a friend, and we returned the 625-odd miles to Pennsylvania.  We arrived at Gary’s farm around midnight and I left Gifford to be retrieved the next day.  We had a loaner horse at the farm to keep Pharaoh company (a mare named Judy) and making the exchange at night would have been troublesome.

I returned the next day to find an exhausted Gifford spread out in a stall.  Once awakened, Gifford’s new shoes were removed [all horses sold at this auction were supposed to have shoes and come with a new halter, although many had neither].  The shoes were removed because Gifford  has huge feet and it would be too dangerous for Pharaoh in the field if he remained shod.  We loaded Gifford into our own trailer and I took him home.  I had brought the mare Judy back to Gary when I came for Gifford.

Nobody was happier to see Gifford arrive and Judy (his replacement barn buddy for Pharaoh) leave than Elaine.  Judy, a pretty filly and away from home for the first time, possessed few, if any, of the qualities that had so endeared us to Gifford.   She bites, refused to go into her own stall, constantly annoyed Pharaoh in the field and was a real bitch most of the time.  Bottom line – she drove Elaine nuts.  Gifford and Pharaoh greeted one another like long lost buddies.  All was well again at Silver Mark Farm.

In total, Gifford had traveled over 1,280 miles to end up exactly where he had begun his journey.  We love him and he was worth it.  So ends the tale of Gifford’s totally excellent adventure to the Topeka Draft Horse Auction.

Gifford being ground driven for the first time!

Addendum:  Since then, Gifford turns 12 this year.  He has been trained to drive a cart and drive a "team" (2 horse) vehicle.  Here are some photos of him in training.



Gifford's first time "under cart" and he is as calm as they come!



Since we handled Gifford so much in the months we had him, he had plenty of experience with gizmos and equipment.  His training went well and was relatively easy.  Hope you enjoyed the Gifford Chronicles!

Aarrooooooooooo!

The Gifford Chronicles - Part III

Normally I would try to finish The Gifford Chronicles today, but blogger has blog limits, so the final piece will be posted tomorrow.

Topeka - At The Auction (Continued...)



It is an unfortunate fact that not all horses sold at auction go on to full and productive lives appearing in horse shows or working in the fields. Some arrive either past their prime, broken down or otherwise unusable. They go cheap and usually to the "kill" buyers. Once bought, these horses are put in a "kill pen" for holding until transport. I had thought at the time that most go directly to the slaughterhouse, but not so.  In many cases, the buyer/broker takes them to his farm, and feeds and cares for the horses while evaluating their fate. Some will be sold privately or publicly (at other auctions) at a profit.  Those remaining are taken to Canada or Mexico for slaughter, to be processed into horsemeat for sale abroad, primarily in Europe.  [At the time of the initial writing of the chronicles, there were horse slaughter establishments still open in the United States as well.]

Preparing the horses for the sale had actually begun a week before departing Pennsylvania. A blood sample had been drawn for a "Coggins" test, required for any horse leaving the state, the negative results of which are required at all shows and sales. A health record is also issued, showing which shots the horse has had.  A visit from the farrier for shoes had been on Monday, two days after power washing Gifford and Buddy in a local auto dealership garage (I am not kidding). 

Unwanted hair had been clipped, especially around the lower legs and ears, followed by miscellaneous other grooming. The braiding of manes and tail would be done on site an hour before entering the auction arena (as seen in the previous blog post--braiders are hired at the auction, and good braiders take very little time to braid the horses' manes adding ribbons to the braid.).  I should note that Gifford and Buddy are show horses and were to be presented as such, complete with glitter, rose buds, and ribbons.  On the other hand, their more "macho" field-tested brethren received little more than a quick rinse from the garden hose to clean off the mud.  Whether this would be the last time Buddy and Gifford had to endure such primping remained to be seen.



The crowd at Topeka.  Notice the horses standing quietly
surrounded by people, many with their Amish handlers.

 Once prepared, each horse is taken (usually by an Amish boy hired for the occasion) from its standing stall, and walked through a maze of aisles and passageways to the holding area outside the auction arena. This area can only be characterized as organized chaos.  In addition to horses lined up in numerical order [upon arrival, each horse is assigned an auction number--this number is glued to each side of its rump, where it must stay until after departing the auction grounds], there are at least a hundred or so people milling about.  That no one is kicked or stomped on by the horses is a testament to their temperament and the agility of those around them.

     Once horse and handler have worked their way to the front of the line, they enter the arena when their number is called.   The horse is run up and down the narrow arena so potential buyers can see leg and hoof action, conditioning, etc. Within two minutes, the horse is sold and taken back to its stall, to be retrieved by its new owner.

Based upon his lower number, Buddy was the first of the two horses to be auctioned. The experience of the last two days had shown that this was a buyers, not a sellers, auction. With only a few exceptions, the horses were going for far less than what would/should be expected.  Perhaps it was the economy. Perhaps it was the crowd.  Who knows?

Contrary to what may be thought, successful Amish farmers are good businessmen and are not poor.  Although it was difficult, if not impossible, to tell who was doing the actual buying, over ninety percent of those present were Amish and with all those horses to sell, most horses had to have gone to Amish farmers.

Buddy was sold for $1,450, to whom we have no idea.  Although Gary could have "no saled" Buddy [if the seller does not like the sale price, he has seconds to declare to the auctioneer "no sale", keeps the horse and pays a financial penalty for doing so] he accepted the disappointing price. The farm had mares expected to foal within a few months and there was simply no room to bring Buddy and Gifford back home.

For the final piece of this puzzle, tune in tomorrow!

Aarrooooooooooo!