In Celebration of American Pharoah

Last Saturday the horse racing world experienced the thrill of finally crowning it first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. For the past thirty-seven years horses have attempted to make this accomplishment and fallen short. To watch that beautiful animal run the mile and a half with such style and skill makes my heart so full. How proud his owners are, his trainer, Bob Baffert and his jockey Victor Espinoza. What a ride.

In light of this piece of history I have to post a quick video of our own horse. Watching him run is as much a thrill as watching a race on the tube. There is nothing as exhilarating as watching that powerful animal move around the track.

He has a beautiful way about him. This Colonel Frank, named for my dad, born the year dad died. Like Frank Schmidt, this horse will give it his all.

That is our little colt. Not so little any more. We hope this summer is full of scenes like this.

Welcome to a little piece of my heaven!!

Love,
Jeannene

A Rising Star (or so we hope)

It is always the hopes and dreams of anyone who breeds race horses that their new baby will show promise and that promise will develop into talent. We’re no different from the rest of the breeding world. This March we put our newest baby into training. We named this colt Colonel Frank, for my Dad who passed away almost four years ago. This fellow is strong and elegant. A lot like my Dad.

He doesn’t look much like a baby. He’s big. Pretty powerful looking too. In horse lives he really is only just a baby.

He’s a two-year old colt. Just a tike in the world of horses. He doesn’t know anything about the world outside of our small farm. Training gets him ready for his job… racing. He has to learn to stand in the bathing stall and allow water to be sprayed on him without getting all upset. He needs to know the world around won’t eat him. All the stuff we take for granted like trucks, and buildings and open spaces, blankets, and saddles, the shiny reflection of a puddle of water, a large tuft of grass, somebody yanking on your leg and pounding on your feet… I could go on and on. To him they are all potential to be eaten.

He especially has to learn to take a rider.

He’s taking to that pretty well. Our trainer has been putting him in scary places to get him used to all sorts of situations.

Here Victor is galloping him inside an empty barn! Up and down, past the shadows and the puddles. He was a little jumping at first, but Victor, an experienced jockey, had him settled down in no time. Standing inside that shed row with those hooves pounding the dirt floor as he flew past was thrilling. I don’t deny that pride had my chest swelling as we watched him. I don’t think being his mommy had all that much to do with it.

This fellow has a way of going that takes my breath away. I sound a little swoony. I should save it all for my books, but what the hey.

After that lesson Victor took him into the neighboring field with large brick monsters and giant light green snakes to further his education. Colonel kept a keen eye on those things in case they tried to gobble him up, turning his head to keep them in clear view. Victor let him look, but made him stick to his job… walking in a big circle in the field.

He’s learning he won’t get eaten as easily as he thought.

He’s still out there, alive and kicking. He’s got a lot of class. But, I am biased. Heck, we raised him and watched his every move for two years.

This is Recil Payton, our trainer. He trains horses in Salisaw, OK. We think he’s doing a fantastic job with our baby. Thanks Recil to you and your staff.

Notice I can’t keep Cooper out of the picture, not to mention our girl. I’m such a mom.

That’s my little piece of heaven today. I’ll be keeping up with our baby through the months. Bear with me, I like to share with the world.

Love,
Jeannene