We’re trying out a fun and quick interview series called “Four in Hand,” named after the four-horse carriages driven by a solo driver. Here’s how “four in hand” works here.
The interviewee receives a list of a dozen or so horse-related questions. Of those questions, said interview subject picks four to answer. Not all require deep horsey knowledge. And most are fun. You’ll see.
Author Jennifer Fusco
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1. The Kentucky Governor has invited you to join him and the First Lady in their box at the Kentucky Derby. Tell us about your outfit.
Well, it’s more about the hat than the outfit, isn’t it? My hat is pink, flamingo pink, with feathers and a pink satin bow. It is big and blocks the people’s view behind me, but I don’t really care because I’m sitting in box seats with the Governor and his wife. I imagine my dress as an eggshell white to tone down my pinky pink hat. But pink pumps, of course!
2. Your escort for Royal Ascot will be a Mr. Bond – James Bond. Which Bond do you want to accompany you?
My goodness, what a tough question! For me, it’s a toss-up between Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. If we’re talking modern day though, I’m choosing Brosnan, as long as he wears a tux!
3. Do you have a horse? (Name, breed – if known, color, most memorable experience)
I don’t have a horse. I live inside city limits. If I did, I’m sure it would the situation would resemble that of Chestnut on the CBS TV Show, “Two Broke Girls.”
4. Did you have a horse or pony in childhood? (Name, breed – if known, color, most memorable experience)
I did, actually, I had 3 horses. They all lived at my Grandmother’s house in North Carolina. All of them were brown and named Peanut, Major and Tobey. Peanut, was of course, my favorite, until I fell off him one day. My biggest mistake was never getting back on. Even today, I don’t ride horses, but I watch them from a distance. What beautiful animals!
Thanks for the drive, Jennifer!
The latest, the third, MARKET OR DIE book by Jennifer Fusco
Even if you’re not an author wanting to sell a book, you might be selling/promoting something, so you might be interested in the MARKET OR DIE books. (FWIW, her exercises and lessons don’t sound as dire as the title might suggest.)
To order books and keep up with the MARKET OR DIE doings, especially free mini lessons on the blog, check the MOD website at http://www.marketordie.net/index.html
Jennifer’s website is http://jennifer-fusco.com/index.html
Tags: 2 Broke Girls, Four in Hand, Jennifer A. Fusco, Jennifer Fusco, Kentucky Derby, Market or Die, marketing for authors
If you can’t see the embedded video, a behind-the-scenes look at HBO’s series “Luck,” click here.
HBO gave us a sneak-peek in December at the first episode of its new series “Luck.” This episode will air again when the series begins its run on Jan. 29.
“Luck” is set at and around Santa Anita. Dustin Hoffman plays a gangster just out of prison. Nick Nolte plays an Kentucky hardboot trying to keep his potential Derby horse under wraps. As a bonus, performances from jockeys like Gary Stevens and Chantal Sutherland are so smooth, you’ll do a double-take when you see them.
Still, “Luck” is not a “sunny skies and mint julep” view of horse racing. I don’t think anyone expected that anyway.
Spoilers ahead – and dark humor
Tags: Dustin Hoffman, HBO's Luck, horse racing movie, horses in the movies, John from Cincinnati, Luck, Luck on HBO, Nick Nolte, racing in HBO's Luck
Provocative images are ahead, although they can’t be that bad, right? They were on “CBS Sunday Morning.”
Still, CBS ran a disclaimer prior to the piece and so will I. No blood, no gore that I could see. Still, brace yourselves. If the horse sculptures don’t get you, the social commentary with the historical figures might.
If you can’t see the CBS News video embedded above, click here.
I’d been seeing unidentified pictures of the horses from this exhibit, especially the horses hanging suspended from the ceiling, for weeks. They looked slightly familiar.
Tags: "Maurizio Catelan at the Guggenheim, Guggenheim Museum, how to look at modern art, Maruizio Cattelan, Maurizio Cattelan "All
If you can’t see this embedded parody of the classic Old Spice commercial, “White Collar”-style, click here.
Had I been able to embed the video of the scene, especially the Behind-the-Scenes video from the USA Network website showing a clip of the scene and all the riding lessons that went into it, I would have, but the above fan-edited parody will have to do for the moment.
A go-to scene in many movies and TV shows set in New York city is a character galloping after or away on a commandeered police horse for a chase. The TV show “White Collar” recently did its own interpretation.
The link here will take you to the “White Collar” website where you’ll see actor Tim DeKay, who plays FBI agent Peter Burke, saddling up again.
Tags: horses in movies, movie horses, movie stunt horses, Tim DeKay, White Collar, White Collar horse riding, White Collar riding, White Collar TV
Don’t think I’ve forgotten … January 8 is Elvis Presley’s birthday. In case, you’ve forgotten, Elvis was a serious horse-lover and, by all accounts, an excellent horseman. Anyway, here’s some news in honor of the Big Day.
If you can’t see the embedded video about the Circle G Foundation, click here:
A British lady is leading efforts to preserve Elvis’s country retreat where he’d honeymooned with Priscilla and had kept some of his horses.
Tags: Circle G Foundation, Elvis, Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley's ranch, Elvis's horses, Lesley Pilling, The Circle G Foundation website
If you can’t see the video embedded above about the horses used in TV’s “Merlin,” click here.
Check out the film credits of Horse Master Dylan Jones. You’re see “War Horse” listed, as well as its competitor this holiday season “Sherlock Holmes.”
Dylan is part of Dolbadarn Film Horses, a family-owned and – run Welsh company that provides horses to the movies. Click around the Dolbardarn website meet some of their horses.
The website doesn’t mention Facebook, but you might want to Like Dolbadarn’s Facebook page, too. Lots of cool photos there.
“Merlin” on the Syfy network is about exactly who you think it’s about – the wizard who worked with King Arthur.
Tags: Dolbadarn Film Horses, Dylan Jones, horses on Merlin, Horses on Syfy's Merlin, Merlin on TV, movei stunt horses, movie horses
Roy’s singing “Four Legged Friend” in a Bob Hope movie called “Son of Paleface.” If you can’t see the embedded video, click here.
One of my pet peeves about Rose Parade coverage on TV is that producers tend to cut away from the equestrian units. Not this year, by cracky. Especially if you have access to RFD-TV.
In celebration of Roy Rogers’s 100th birthday in 2012, the TV network’s float will feature their stuffed Trigger and Bullet, bought at the Christie’s auction of Roy Rogers memorabilia last year.
Uh, they’re not gonna cover them nose-to-tail with flowers, are they??
Tags: 2012 Rose Parade, RFD TV's Rose Parade float, RFD-TV, Rose Parade, Roy and Trigger perform, Roy Rogers 100 birthday, Roy Rogers and Trigger perform, Tennessee Walking Horse, Trigger, Trigger Jr.
If you can’t see the embedded video of Dusty the movie horse playing dead, click here.
No, this handsome buckskin who answers to “Dusty” isn’t in “War Horse.” Be sure to read the YouTube comments in the above link, though. He likes vanilla wafers.
Anyway, Dusty sure is good at playing dead. Just like those fine equine actors who “decorate” the battlefields in “War Horse.”
Tags: "Dusty the movie horse, Sad movie survival tips, stunt horse, stunt horse playing dead
Another little break from “all-’War-Horse’-all-the-time.” BTW, if you can’t get enough “War Horse,” Fran’s “War Horse News” blog is up and running full steam. She’s mixing movie buzz with history about real war horses. Fascinating mix!
A presentation of the horses at the Trowbridge's Ltd. Holiday Open House showcases the personalities of the horses/Photo by Rhonda Lane
You were expecting reindeer? 
Here??
On the Twitter stream, a note from blogger Arabian Glimmer announced an open house at an Arabian horse barn not far from me. A Holiday open house complete with a presentation of the horses, photo ops for children and cookies.
Of course, I had to go. And now you get to tag along. More pictures and a video follow.
Just go get your own refreshments. I only can offer you “virtual” coffee, tea or cookies.
Tags: Arabian horses, Arabians, Holiday Open Barn, Holiday Open House, Trowbridges Ltd.
The video below is from the Wall Street Journal website, via Susie Blackmon’s tip:
If you can’t see the above video from the Wall Street Journal website, please click on this link.
Ever since I saw an advance screening of “War Horse,” I’ve fielded a variety of questions about the movie’s emotional intensity.
Can I take my children? has been one question. Another has been, There aren’t any dead horses in it, are there?”
The vibe out there is, I want to see it, but I don’t want to get too upset.
People are worried. They’ve got enough upsetting them in real life, maybe too much to let a sad movie send them over the edge.
Yet, this is an emotional movie about animals – horses – used in war.
So, let’s get some information. Let’s take some glimpses behind the curtain of movie magic. Knowledge is power. Maybe a little knowledge can give us the power to keep us from losing it in public?
If you’re a purist and you don’t want to know any “spoilers, you’ve probably seen too much already. Still, I hope what little you’ve seen already has piqued your curiosity about the movie.
Still, I don’t think you’ll lose the magic by reading this. You might come away with a new appreciation of the achievement on the screen.
So, consider this another Sad Movie Survival Tip: learn how movies are made. Especially movies with real horses.
Tags: Bobby Lovgren, Finder, hollywood horse trainer, Hollywood horse training, Michael Morpurgo, movie wrangler, Sad movie survival tips, Stephen Spielberg's "War Horse", War Horse, War Horse movie
