RECREATION & LIFESTYLE

Recreation & Lifestyle

Welcome to Recreation & Lifestyle, which includes leisure riding and other aspects of the equestrian lifestyle for you and your horse loving friends and family.

Looking for the perfect present? See the Gifts & Jewelry section. Redecorating? Find a Painting, Photograph or Sculpture in the Artwork section. Need to check out a movie or crawl up with a good book or magazine? See our Entertainment section where you will find and Books, Movies, Games, and Magazines. And don't forget about Fine Art in some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Looking for love or a trail buddy? Riding Partners is the spot to seek other riders who share your passion. Find a place to ride with that special person in our Trail Riding section and if you need more time away, take a look at Vacations. Want to know about the next horse show or special event? Don’t miss it! Dates and locations are included in the Calendar of Events for Recreation & Lifestyle.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

by Marion Altieri

CAPTAIN is a wonderful social services organization that serves many good people in Saratoga County, New York, every year. Their main fund-raiser is an annual Gala, which we on the Committee dubbed, An Unbridled Affair because the Gala happened every Summer during the Saratoga (Thoroughbred) race meet. In 2014, I was still on the Committee, and suggested that we honor Mucho Macho Man and Wise Dan, two of the sport’s biggest equine stars. Both equines are millionaire rock stars, with thousands of devoted fans. No doubt, many of those fans would be thrilled to attend the Gala, and schmooze with the horses’ human connections.

Of course we’d invited all the connections of both Horses. Patti and Dean Reeves, Mucho Macho Man’s Owners, were so gracious. (They attended: came early, stayed for the whole shebang and tore up the dance floor. The Reeves own Reeves Young, a major Georgia construction company. That’s their business, but their horses are their shared passion.)

Moton Fink a Chicago-area businessman, was a savvy investor—but his most rewarding moves came when he began his career as a Thoroughbred breeder and owner. Introduced to the sport when he was young, he found his greatest joys in the barns and at the track rails at the beloved Arlington Park. Mr. Fink was so delighted about our plan to fête his Champion that he bought an entire table for his crew. He told Trainer, Charles LoPresti and his team, so they’d know to wear their best-bibs-and-tuckers. (God bless him, Mr. Fink gave our regional social services organization the same support he’d given the Eclipse Awards’ planners.)

We’d mailed invitations to Mr. Fink and to Mr. LoPresti at the only address we had for them. Time went by, and two days before the Gala, we’d still not received any RSVPs from Wise Dan’s people who were in Saratoga. (We surmised that, since Mr. Fink had bought a table, doing the formal RSVP wasn’t necessary. Not an unreasonable assumption, but we needed to know things, like meal choices – any vegans in the crowd? – etc.)

By Chad Oldfather

Ada was born in Minneapolis, but we moved to Oklahoma City when she was nearly two so that I could begin a career as a law school professor. Her twin sisters Audrey and Laura arrived not long after, and I often describe the change in terms of a hockey analogy: Lea and I went from being on the power play to being shorthanded. It was a busy time.

So, it’s no surprise that we can’t pin down the precise moment when Fate put us on the path to the barn. Was it the time, when we still lived in the Twin Cities, that we’d gone to the Wisconsin State Fair and walked through the horse barn? We paused to look in a few of the stalls, me lifting Ada high enough for her to see, getting her close but remaining mindful of the signs asking us not to touch the horses. Something about that moment led me, for the first time in my life, to pause to appreciate the majesty of these animals, and even to remark on it to Lea. I’m not generally one to get mystical, but it was a remarkable coincidence…if that’s what it was.

Lovely Matched Pair in Charleston SC (photo by EIE)

By the EIE Editorial Staff

Customarily we fly from one destination to another, land and enjoy, then hop back on a plane home. This time, we drove and took our time enjoying the beautiful sights of America and the horses along the way. Here is part one of our journey which includes Virginia Beach, VA, Asheboro, NC, Charleston, SC and St. Augustine, FL where we experienced these amazing places for the very first time. Enjoy these photos in celebration of Independence Day in America!

Stay tuned for our next series of photos coming up in Part 2!

Click any image to view full size and start a slideshow.

When Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew retired from racing in 1978 to stand at stud at Spendthrift Farm, no one could be certain he would be a successful sire. But just four years later, his dark bay daughter Landaluce won the Hollywood Lassie Stakes by twenty-one lengths―a margin of victory that remains the largest ever in any race by a two-year-old at Hollywood Park. California horse racing had a new superstar, and Slew was launched on a stud career that would make him one of the most influential sires in North America. Like her father, Landaluce soon became a national celebrity, and was poised to become the next American super-horse. But those dreams ended when the two-year-old died in her stall at Santa Anita four months later, the victim of a swift and mysterious illness. Today, with her "I Love Luce" bumper stickers long gone, the filly has been largely forgotten.

In Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion, Mary Perdue tells the story of a horse whose short but meteoric career could have changed racing history forever. Sparking comparisons to Ruffian, Landaluce helped elevate California horse racing to the national stage and could have been the first filly to ever win the Triple Crown. In telling this story, Perdue explores the lives and careers of Landaluce's breeders, owners, and trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, as well as her famous sire Seattle Slew―and shows not only how one filly captured the imagination of racing fans across the country, but also set the stage for another filly turned super-horse, Zenyatta, in the decades to come.

Excerpt from "Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion" by Mary Purdue

Good From the Beginning

“Young horses…are usually very green…, and then develop…but she was good from the beginning.” --Laffit Pincay

Thirty-two-year-old Laffit Pincay, top rider for the Wayne Lukas barn, made his way from the jockeys’ room to the paddock at Hollywood Park on the bright, sunny afternoon of Saturday July 3, after having hurriedly changed into Beal and French’s hunter green silks with white polka dots. Already among the top jockeys in U.S. racing history, and inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame seven years ago , Laffit had more important things on his mind besides the upcoming race for maiden two year old fillies he was about to ride.

It was the middle of a big holiday weekend at Hollywood, with a crowd of nearly 34,000 on hand to enjoy some of the West Coast’s most important stakes races , including today’s feature, the Hollywood Express , in which Laffit would ride favorite Time To Explode against a field of ten of the circuit’s best older sprinters. Then there was the Hollywood Oaks on Sunday for three-year-old fillies, and the American Handicap on Monday. Laffit had top mounts in all of them. Wins in these races were vital for Laffit to wrest the meet’s riding title from younger jockey sensation and defending national champion Chris McCarron, who was ahead of him in total wins. Laffit’s ultimate goal was to surpass his idol Bill Shoemaker’s record of 8,883 lifetime wins, and he needed to be aboard winners every day to make that happen.

By Fran Severn

What is it with women and horses? Why are so many women obsessed with horses, riding, and all things equine? With so many other activities available, what draws us to these great, sometimes mysterious beasts? Other people are dedicated to their hobbies, but not like us. Foursomes meet regularly to play a round of golf; Mahjong and bridge clubs toss tiles and bid fiercely every week. Some women attend their Zumba and aqua-aerobic classes with an almost religious fervor. But they rarely reach the level of total dedication that identifies horse lovers.

And it seems to be an all-or-nothing fascination. You are either born with this disposition for loving horses, or you are, at best, disinterested. Those who don’t share our passion don’t understand it, or us. And we don’t understand them.

There is little scientific research that explores why so many women love horses. Freud said it had to do with sexuality and how women really want to be men, but with Freud, everything had to do with sexuality and women wanting to be men. To be fair, there are fundamental differences between the physiological and psychological makeup of men and women. Women have a deeper limbic system. That’s the part of our brains that controls behavior and emotions. Our limbic system predisposes us to be concerned with bonding, reproduction, feeding, sheltering, and protecting those under our care. Our female brains are wired to be more intuitive and emotional. We are generally more empathic than men, and we pick up non-verbal cues and body language much more easily than they do. The guys are hard-wired for domination and action. Empathy is generally viewed as a weakness, and intuition is often written off in favor of concrete, provable evidence. Where horses are concerned, by and large, women prefer trail riding, dressage, or working with rescues, while men gravitate toward high-energy competition like rodeo sports or three-day events. One comparison often heard is that women love horses, while men love riding.

By Bob Velin

In the fateful early-morning hours of October 10, 2019, Errol Spence Jr.’s life changed in a flash.

Driving his $300,000 Ferrari 488 Spider at frighteningly high speeds in downtown Dallas, Texas, his hometown – he'd been drinking and wasn't wearing a seatbelt -- Spence, then 29 and in the prime of his undefeated boxing career, lost control of his car when he hit a median and was ejected through the windshield as the Ferrari cartwheeled multiple times and was totally destroyed. The entire crash was caught on tape by a nearby security camera, ironically called Knockout.

Miraculously, Spence, nicknamed “The Truth,” not only survived but suffered no broken bones and only some facial cuts and the loss of a couple teeth. Just a few weeks removed from successfully defending his welterweight titles against Shawn Porter, Spence quickly realized he had cheated death and lived to talk about it.

“I don’t know how or why I got saved, but thank God,” he later wrote on Instagram. “The thought of leaving my (three) little girls and them growing up without me still (messes) with me, but I’m triple blessed and must be here for a reason . . . My accident slowed me down and gave me a different perspective on (things) I was taking for granted.”

Armed with a new lease on life, Spence found that new perspective in a 60-acre ranch he purchased in DeSoto, Texas, just south of Dallas.

“I was just trying to find answers, you know? I needed to go somewhere new and start over and get out of that dark cloud that was downtown,” he said by phone recently, “and be in a better element, because I’m already like an introvert; I don’t like being around people that much anyway.

“The ranch life is way better for me because people can’t just hop upon me like in the city. So if you want to see me you really have to come out to see me. I’m enjoying the peace and quiet and being with my family. So yeah, I was looking for something different.”

While he may not like being around people that much, he discovered he very much liked being around horses. So much so that he eventually bought 10 of them. He also had some cattle that came with the ranch.

“I really can’t tell you why I bought (the ranch), it just came upon me to do it,” Spence said. “Once I did, I started buying horses and I bought more cattle and fixed the place up. It gave me a peace of mind after living downtown. And the serenity of being out there in my back yard . . . nobody bothered me. It was a beautiful thing after being in a high-rise where you always run into people in the elevator and you hear the cranes going in the morning.

Reading an interesting book can be a highly enjoyable experience. Although many prefer a movie over a book, there are still a huge number of people who love nothing more than reading. For these book lovers, the movie versions can be less thrilling and exciting.

Below we have compiled a list of the best books for those who love horses and also like to talk about the runners at the Grand National.

1- Black Beauty (Anna Sewell)

<p;> Black Beauty is one of the best books that you can lay your hands on. It is an 1877 novel which was authored by Anna Sewell. The book became hugely popular and is considered as one of the top ten best-selling novels for children. The English author died only five months after the publication of the book.

Black Beauty recounts the story of a horse that goes through difficult phases of life and encounters many hardships along the way. It is narrated in the first person as an autobiographical memoir. Each chapter of the novel gives a lesson to the readers by recounting an incident in Black Beauty’s life.

Photo courtesy of the Roy Rogers–Dale Evans family and museum

An excerpt from Happy Trails: A Pictorial Celebration of the Life and Times of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss.

Early in Roy Rogers’ career as a Western star, Republic Pictures created a fictitious promotional campaign to introduce him to the public. Press agents decided it would add to Roy’s appeal if they told potential moviegoers that he was a real cowboy born in Cody, Wyoming. Citizens in Wyoming and Ohio wrote to the studio protesting the false reports. Within a few days an accurate biography of Rogers was released.

The studio sent Roy on press junkets after each of his films was released. According to Republic executives, Roy came across much better in person than on the screen. They felt his eyes were more expressive and his shy smile more appealing. Fans agreed, and his personal-appearance tours proved to be profitable ventures.

Roy was grateful for his success and went out of his way to show his gratitude to his family and friends. With a portion of the money he earned, he purchased his parents a home in California and got the Sons of the Pioneers a contract working with him in all his Westerns. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction to be doing something for those he loved and those who had befriended him in the lean years.

While actors Roy Rogers, Gabby Hayes, and Dale Evans and members of the crew were waiting to shoot a scene in Helldorado, Gabby entertained everyone with humorous stories of his vaudeville days. Dale was listening to the tale while sitting atop her horse. When the story ended she let out a loud laugh and in the process dug her heels into her ride’s side. The horse took off like a shot, and Dale tried desperately to regain control of the spooked animal.

Roy quickly recognized that Dale was in trouble. Her horse was at full gallop and despite her screams, the steed would not stop. Roy quickly jumped on Trigger and took off after Dale. Once Trigger caught up to Dale, Roy reached out and scooped his costar off the frightened horse.

No one associated with a Roy Rogers movie was surprised at the actor’s heroics. Roy was a great deal like the characters he played on the screen: daring, helpful, and as patient as Job. In a letter home to her parents, Dale explained the daring rescue. She wrote that Roy was a courageous family man who talked constantly about his wife and two children. She believed that she had never met a more giving person in her life.

Blanche – Photo courtesy of Margaret Ransom

By Margaret Ransom

Margaret Ransom, an award-winning writer who has worked in the horse racing industry for decades, moved from California to Texas and started The Bridge Sanctuary in 2021. Its mission is to bridge the gap from forgotten horses to forever safe horses. Here’s the latest installment.

I wanted to update you all on Blanche, the pregnant Tale of the Cat mare pulled from a last-chance-before-slaughter auction back in September.

Great expectations

Since she got here, everyone at The Bridge Sanctuary maintained a palpable excitement for Blanche’s bundle of joy arrival, me especially, like an expectant grandmother for my daughter who had had trouble conceiving. Blanche is inherently sweet and kind and trusting and I looked forward to putting my arms around Blanche’s belly at least once every day to talk to the little one growing inside, telling it how much I couldn’t wait for its arrival and that I loved it. I was always concerned knowing what I knew about her past, but the pregnancy for Blanche seemed to be going swimmingly. Until it wasn’t.

It was an unseasonably warm December day for Texas, and it started out ordinary and routine, just like every other. At each meal, morning and night, all the horses, ponies, donkeys and goaties who call The Bridge Sanctuary home get a customary once-over, my eyes searching for any bumps, scrapes and cuts and abrasions or, God forbid, blood. Blanche always got a little extra time, my eyes searching for any signs a baby was coming. We knew she had previous foaling issues and it felt like I was always on alert for something that said she might deliver early. Up until and including that day, there were none. No bag, no wax, no discomfort. Nothing.

“Nope, no baby today,” I said to her as I walked back to the tack room and exhaled with relief. Now foaling out mares is not my forte, I have done it a few times and always successfully in my past, but I had made plans for Blanche to go down the road to our veterinarian, Dr. Jackie Rich’s Deer Haven Farm in nearby Lott, or to my friend Donna Keen’s farm up in Burleson. While I’m not exactly a foaling rookie, it had been a long time and things here at The Bridge weren’t exactly ideal for foaling, at least up to that day. And I wanted Blanche and her baby to be with other mares and foals, not the handful of seniors, ponies and donkeys who call the sanctuary home. But God had other plans that Thursday…

Robert in front of his medals: By Isabel J. Kurek

By Robert Dover

Today, I get asked two questions all the time:

• “ How can I become successful and make my riding dreams come true when I do not have the money I need for horses, training, and competing?”

• “How can I get a sponsor?”

These are both legitimate questions, especially in a time when a great horse may cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. I always consider the person who asks me these questions and that rider’s ultimate goal, whether it is the Olympics or to be a good professional trainer in a specific area of the country. I explain the hard work, dedication, focus, humility, sense of humor, honesty, and grit required of anyone seeking to be excellent in any endeavor in life. I also emphasize the need to love and embrace the road being traveled—its highs and lows, successes and failures—in order to find true happiness along the way.

Finally, I tell it like it is, explaining that there are normally two reasons someone chooses to sponsor a rider: Either the sponsor has an emotional attachment to that person and wishes to help as a parent might help a child, or the sponsor is attracted to the prior and potential achievements of the rider and wants to become a part of that success story.