The undercard starts at 9 am EST and the Dubai World Cup runs at 1:45 pm EST. We can watch the action on TVG, HRTV and maybe some other resource, like a casino sports book or – eek! – the local off-track-betting parlor.

If you can’t watch the racing on your cable or satellite system, you can probably pay a fee to watch it online. (My cable system doesn’t have either racing channel, but I bought a subscription to online HRTV back when it was on sale at the end of last year.)

Or we can wait until the races show up in  online replays, which is – my apologies – where my dedicated and cherished RSS feed readers will probably have to watch it because I have NO way of getting in touch with them quickly.

Disadvantage of RSS for breaking news

Those convenient RSS feeds that arrive in our feed readers or mailboxes seem to go out in the evening. Odds are, the latest post here arrives around bedtime so you don’t read it until the next day.

Which, in this case, is too late.  (Insert your favorite swear word here.) I try to write “evergreen” stories – timeless stories — but the equestrian world often enters the world of culture through competitions and events. Sometimes, cool things happen fast.

I have posted the Dubai times on Twitter and Facebook, both of which have their drawbacks for the distribution of breaking news.

So, I realize that I need to finally look into what I’ve been putting off for a while  – setting up an online newsletter.

Why I don’t have a newsletter yet

I’ve been procrastinating because I didn’t want to add Just One More Thing to what y’all have to manage in those Inboxes.

And I wanted to pull together some special goodies for newsletter subscribers that will be available only through that form of distribution.

Plus, there’s also that little thing of the mystery novel that I’ve been writing. I’m finally working my way through the first draft of those crucial climactic scenes. I’d tell you more, especially about the equestrian-related setting of those scenes, but so much of the things I’ve blabbed about, I’ve ended up having to cut.

So, coming soon will be a newsletter. Really.

And, in the meantime, here’s a horseracing broadcast schedule from the NTRA which  will tell you which races will be televised, where and approximate times.

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Cover photo by Barbara D. Livingston/Photo courtesy Eclipse Press

Barbara D. Livingston’s horse photography inspires many of us horse enthusiasts. Her 2002 book Old Friends is the source for the name of one of my very favorite equine retirement facilities.

So, when Eclipse Press offered me a chance to review her book (more about that later), I was excited and awed. I also wondered if I weren’t too much of a fan-girl to offer a good review.

But I also realized that the book could serve as a good research resource, if not an inspirational tool, for writers.

Although Livingston is most identified with Thoroughbred race horses, her book depicting those coats of many colors shows equids of various breeds. There’s a zorse, some Spanish Colonial horses, a some minis and paints, among others.

The photos are dramatic, not simply conformation shots. We see action shots and portraits that include the horse’s surroundings.

With 200+ pages of strikingly gorgeous photos, a reader may need a bookmark. I couldn’t flip through it one sitting. That would have felt like a waste, anyway, as bad as  bolting down a gourmet meal served in an elegant restaurant with good company.

Things I loved – maybe?;)

But I have to admit that I have a few small issues with the book. Things I love about this book tend to be things that frustrated me, too.

There’s nothing big and bad and off-putting – far from it. Just minor inconveniences. After all, I had to sound less like the fan that I am.

Anyway, many photos have no captions nearby, so the image – especially if it’s a full page image or so-called “double-page spread” – isn’t marred by type on the image.

So, I have to note the page number to flip through to the end of the book to where the horses in the photographs are identified. In those caption end-notes, Livingston notes the horse’s name, breed, owner, plus apparent color and registered color. She points out that there is often a difference between a horse’s color and how that color is listed on the registration papers.

Another mixed blessing is that the book is what’s known as “a coffee table book.” At 10″X11″ in size, the photos are big high-resolution shots, so the book’s size makes  carrying the book with you difficult.

Quibble, quibble – I know. But I like to point out what I like or may not like as much in a review, too.

Photo by Barbara D. Livingston from "Horses: In Living Color"/Courtesy of Eclipse Press

A writer’s reference?

As I looked at this book, I thought of what a great reference tool it would be for writers who don’t know much about horses.

Some writers, even ones who write in historical periods where horses were part of daily transport,  think that horses are all black, brown or white.

But this book suggests a range of colors unimaginable to the regular non-horsey writer. A novelist could use a horse’s color as another element that builds a character and makes a book more vivid.

Who could forget the brindle horses that drive most of the action in Sara Gruen’s novel “Riding Lessons?” What if Walter Farley’s “Black Stallion” hadn’t been black? Even the name “The Black” sounds much more imposing than, say,  “The Bay” or “The Chestnut.”

Or even in the based-on-real-life story of Marguerite Henry’s “Misty of Chincoteague,” Misty has a splotch on her barrel said to be shaped like the map of the United States.

One of the photos in “Horses: In Living Color” shows that Misty and her foal were memorialized like Roy Rogers’s Trigger (um, stuffed and mounted for future generations to see.) Her “map of the US” marking, IMO, is subject to interpretation. But what an image those words convey to a reader’s imagination.

“Horses: In Living Color” would be a good starting point for writers considering using coloring and markings of horses as an element of story. Granted, this book is not exhaustive nor complete as far as the scope of colors for horses.

Otherwise, the book would bypass “coffee table book” status and could be used as an ottoman.

Can you think of any other books where a horse’s color was important to the plot or used to give depth to a human character? If so, please feel free to share in the “Leave a Reply” box below, which is past the rest of the story on the website, the ad and the disclaimers.

Would I have bought this book on my own?

Good question! The honest answer is, “maybe not” but that would have been unfortunate. Had I not seen this book, I wouldn’t have thought of using horse color to deepen a story. At least, not on a conscious level.

Hey, before I flipped through this book, I would have laughed at the idea of white racing thoroughbreds (although gray horses can turn white with age) and couldn’t tell the difference between a dun and a grulla.

Even if there’s no clear surface on your coffee table to display one, a coffee table book offers a view of the world that’s  unsurpassed. The clear, sharp photos  allow us to linger over details and immerse ourselves into a scene frozen for our education and enjoyment.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have two points to make.

1.) Eclipse Press sent me a review copy of this book. This is the first time a publisher has offered me a free copy. I usually review books that I’ve purchased myself.  I’m glad Eclipse asked first because some books don’t fit the tone of this website, and I’d hate to have to receive a copy of a book only to have to tell the sender that it doesn’t fit. Books I might review here must fit somehow into the “horses in culture” category, which even I admit can be a bit subjective at times.

2.) The graphic you see at the end of the article is an affiliate link, which means that if you buy one of those books or anything else after clicking on that link, I receive a small commission. Of course, you’re free not to buy anything after clicking on the link. Or you’re free to buy elsewhere, like through the Eclipse Press link which isn’t an affiliate link. Also, keep in mind that a relationship with your local independent brick-and-mortar bookstore can be wonderful. The choice is yours.

And don’t forget to mention any examples of horse colors and markings used as part of the story down in the “Leave a Reply” section below.

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Mounted police units all over the US tend to be the first cutback in municipal expenses. Boston’s, the nation’s oldest, closed last year. Other smaller cities have dropped their units.

But what has me so riled up about the dispersal of San Diego’s small herd of police horses is that they’ll be sold at auction on a police surplus site.

Think about it. This is not the Keeneland Sale or Fasig-Tipton or Tattersall’s.

But a public auction in a venue usually reserved for confiscated material.

Is this a fitting retirement for officers of the law?

Horse auctions for ” left-overs”

Pretty much every Tuesday, thoroughbred exercise rider and equine advocate Alex Brown attends horse auctions. Here’s his article for the Paulick Report on the auctions. He Twitters about the horses sold. Many go to the kill buyers. He Tweets photos of the horse on the auction block and lists the selling price, usually by the pound.

His Tweets are hard to see. But attention must be paid.

When a horse is sold by the pound, he is not going off to a nice farm with a family outside of town.

(If you are one of my child readers and someone told you that a beloved pet was sent “to live with a nice family on a farm,” you were lied to, my friends. Demand photos.)

What did Boston do?

Boston made the best of a bad situation. The city re-homed its police horses. Check this article on The Horse website, although you may have to register, it’s a brief process and registration is free.

Mexican vacation no one wants?

Is public auction a fitting retirement for former San Diego police officers? After all, they could end up on a kill truck to Mexico.

From San Diego, that’s not a long ride.

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Video of a Shire and a pony performing dressage moves together

I bet no one slept through this, like Hong Kong spectators reportedly did during the Olympics dressage competition.

Remember when I talked about putting the show in “horse show?”

This demo is another example.

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* * DISCLAIMER: Before you click on the video link below, you need to know that Hulu may have an advertisement attached to this video for an adult-oriented product that may not be appropriate for this blog’s child readers. The commercial is not graphic, but suggestive. Probably because this video is from late-night TV. * *

Video of Joe Talamo’s recent appearance on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

This year, the second season of Animal Planet’s “Jockeys” took us down the Derby trail.

If you followed the Kentucky Derby prep races this spring and remember some of the Derby coverage, you’ll have an idea of what’s probably coming up next on the show’s season finale this Friday.

More or less.

If you haven’t seen “Jockeys,” check it out on TV or through the website. Or via DVD of the first season.

This second season follows various members of the Santa Anita Park jockey colony, both on and off the track, during the winter meet. The first season followed the jockeys during the track’s Oaktree, or autumn, meet.

Last season, the show was both praised for its storytelling and criticized for pulling very few punches about the dangers of the sport.

The jockeys of season two/Photo courtesy Animal Planet

As a TV insider, I have to admit that I don’t know what was editing for dramatic impact and what was actual documentation, but here are some highlights — and later, IMO, the low lights — of the season.

Highlights

* Aaron Gryder’s and Well-Armed’s romp to victory under the lights in Dubai. The show also mentioned the horse’s previous injury and celebrated his subsequent $6 million comeback.

* Chantal Sutherland and Kristin Mulhall’s shell game with the claiming race  Now I understand why, in the movie “Dreamer,” that little girl’s horse was entered in a claiming race.

* We got to see Chantal calming down horses before they run, thanks to a mic clipped to her silks. She’s been quoted as saying that she treats them like little kids.

* Speaking of running kids, Joe Talamo may be young, but he’s a class act. So’s Iggy Pugliesi, who isn’t a teenager. Iggy’s the personification of grit and determination as he forges ahead down the comeback trail.

* You see that many of the jockeys seem to like the horses. That the horses aren’t simply a resource used to get them to a payday. You see a spontaneity of affection between the jockeys and their favored mounts when they’re all off-the-clock in the backside.

Low lights

* Some of the top riders in the nation acted like 13-year-old punks while razzing Kyla Stra. You’re professionals, people. Is the jocks’ room really Delta House, circa 1962? Toga, toga, toga? Or did the filmmakers get everyone riled up just for the cameras?

* Sometimes, I felt as if I should go to the refrigerator to give some of the couples privacy to conduct their family discussions. Granted, those segments gave us an idea of how a jockey’s career affects his or her loved ones. But sometimes, it felt too personal for cameras.

* The impression that the Santa Anita regulars were watching the actual race when the Santa Anita jocks rode at other tracks, like to Churchill Downs or Aqueduct. I guess they were watching the actual race – via simulcast. But editing gave us the impression that they’d hopped on a plane and followed their jockeys on the road.

* Some horse people can recognize that the races are edited with clips of others added in. I understand why, but it’s not cool, even though producers make no bones about this being a “docu-drama” instead of a “documentary.”

* The canned race calls. I’m not the only one who cringes at the concept of the guy guy who apparently calls every race, everywhere. Granted, I’m sure that was done for continuity and budgetary reasons. But some of the new race fans who’ve come fresh from watching “Jockeys” might expect a more jockey-centric call during the Kentucky Derby next year, instead of the more traditional one of the horses’ names and numbers.

Still a good intro to the sport

Despite my quibbles, I stand by my assessment that “Jockeys” is a good show. It’s still “appointment television/a DVR must” in our house, even for my non-horsey husband. And the show has been a wonderful orientation for new and casual race fans, like my husband.

I’ve always been a proponent of showing the human stories behind sports. Usually, you only see that in broadcasts of major national or international events, like the Olympics or the Kentucky Derby.

Because, when you see the human stories, you see what’s really at stake. Not just money or a title. But vindication. Family security. And, in the case of thoroughbred racehorse jockeys, the ability to walk away to ride another day.

The show “Jockeys” shows that individuals make up the pack surging around the track. Frankly, two individuals per horse&rider team.

If you liked this post, check out previous posts about Animal Planet’s “Jockeys”

• Looking ahead to the first season of Jockeys
  
• I missed the show after the first season ended

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Trainer Link Webb leads 2008 WGC Santana's El Nino, aka "Snip," from his retirement ceremony under the spotlight in front of a standing ovation (Photo by Avalon Photography and courtesy of the TWH National Celebration)

One thing about the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration cannot be denied.

The Celebration, after 70 years, does a good job at putting the “show” in “horse show.”

Despite the recession and the controversies that shadow the breed’s shows, this year’s Celebration drew nearly 200,000 people over the eleven days of events.

Even noted horse blogger Fran Jurga noted the Celebration’s attendance figures, even in these times.

Despite my long association with walking horses, I’ve never been to the Celebration.

Middle Tennessee tends to be hot and humid toward the end of August.  I don’t deal well physically with heat and humidity. But I do watch the Celebration live video stream.

On the last night, the night when the major titles are awarded, 21,576 were on hand to see Watch It Now win the major title of the night, according to The Nashville Tennessean newspaper. Granted, attendance was said to be down.

As I watched the last night on internet pay-per-view, I noticed that only the top of the high upper decks of the stadium were empty. The stadium where the night classes are held can seat as many as 30,000.

And that doesn’t count the number watching on the pay-per-view, like me. Jerry Harris of What a Horse, producer of a cable TV program about the TWH and distributor of the PPV stream, said that viewership for each night ran about 1,000. Except, he added, that he knew of people who had bought the stream so that that friends could come over and watch the Celebration in a party setting.

The viewing parties make the Celebration sound like the breed’s Super Bowl, which is a comparison that winning trainer Jimmy McConnell made in a quote to The Tennessean.

Part competition, part convention and part family reunion

Traditions and activities may come and go, but history is beloved during those last two weeks of summer in Shelbyville, TN.

Classes are scheduled for both morning and evenings. The daytime classes are held in the indoor Calsonic Arena. The night-time classes are held outdoors in the 30,000 seat stadium often referred to as “The Big Oval.”

This year, attendees and exhibitors from the first Celebration in 1939 were asked to stand up to be honored. Historical videos of past Celebrations are played on the stadium’s big screen TV.  The judges’ cards also are shown on the big screen after each class.

Each evening begins with a rider and white horse carrying the US flag while a different musician each night sings the National Anthem. If you’ve clicked on some of the links above, you’ve seen photos of Counterfeit Dollar, the current flag horse

Top show horses can be honored in a retirement ceremonies at the Celebration. This year, last year’s World Grand Champion Santana’s El Nino retired from Celebration competition, as you can see in the photo that illustrates this article.

Other traditions include food and extra activities. Clinicians give demos.  Annual attendees look forward to the local Optimist Club’s donuts and the country ham for sale on the grounds. The first Saturday includes a dog show with fun classes like a costume competition. The indoor arena that’s the site of the daytime classes for most of the eleven days turns into a trade show during championship weekend. Clinicians give demos.

Entertainment

Both show organist Larry Bright and show announcer Bobby Sands keep the crowd entertained. Sands not only announces the gait changes and the gate calls for the classes, but he also gives scores for other sporting events.

Bright has established several musical traditions. He always plays a state song for the winner of each class during the winner’s ride up to claim the prize. Toward the end of each evening, to signal it’s about time to go home, he plays “Just the Way You Are.”

And then there’s the “Flat Walk Boogie,” a song you will only hear played at walking horse shows. To me, it sounds vaguely like “Rock Around the Clock.”

Bright always plays it as each competitor enters The Big Stake.

Traditions of The Big Stake

The title of “World Grand Champion” is awarded in many divisions, but the one that brings in the crowds is the final class on Saturday night, also known as “The Big Stake.”

“Flat Walk Boogie” is a big part o f the entrances of the contenders. All spectators rise to watch each horse enter. Bright plays “Flat Walk Boogie” and the announcer gives the name of each horse and trainer.

Spectators show their support for each contender. This year, when contender Cadillac’s Bum entered, blue and yellow balloons flew into the night sky. Some companies provide a booming business in horse hat and tee shirt production so that fans can wear tokens of their support. One year, when Main Power won, a fellow showed up in a black horse mascot costume.

Then, once all the horses are in the ring, the crowd sits down but not back as the competition begins. Each spectator has a favorite, and each has preference for what to expect of a horse’s way of going.

Just for the record, for the 2009 “Big Stake,” eleven horses ended up qualified to compete and all eleven passed a rigorous USDA inspection for possible cheating.

And, afterward, the winner passed an equally rigorous inspection after winning the title.

Getting folks to your show

I attend all sorts of horse shows. Hunter-jumper, saddlebred, Morgan, Arabian, quarter horse shows. I go to daytime competitions and I go to evening competitions.

Granted, many diversions compete for our free time these days. But I can’t help but think that, if show organizers considered adding other activities and considered the possibility that a horse show could be entertainment, more spectators might be in those stands.

Like they have at The Celebration.

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My Flip MinoHD. They also come in other colors and finishes/ Photo by Rhonda Lane

This post contains an affiliate link, which means that I get a small commission if you click on it and then make a purchase. I also find such links useful because you get reviews, info, sort of one-stop browsing. all on one screen. Anyway, you are free to click on the link just to look and not buy.

Years ago, I traveled like a photojournalist on assignment. Hanging from my left shoulder was a camera bag loaded with a Nikon 35mm SLR camera with a motordrive and a telephoto lens, a potato masher flash with a power pack and ten rolls of film.

Now, thanks to the Digital Revolution, I travel with both a “still” camera AND a video camera. Both fit in a handbag. Sometimes, one goes in each pocket.

My current much less impressive kit is an aging Nikon Coolpix 3200 and a Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Chrome) (this last one is the affiliate link. All it does is take you to a page on Amazon, just for a look-see.)

Recently, Wired Magazine (not an affiliate link, just where you can read about the pertinent article) ran a story about how a lot of us have lowered our expectations about our digital media products.

Even someone like me who has a newspaper and network television production background can be content with “good enough.” But, admittedly, I was never a broadcast engineer, like my husband still is.

Frankly, my entire current still and video kit combined is still half the price of the cheapest Nikon digital SLR. Plus, it’s more portable and less intrusive.

Whip out a Nikon SLR and you become a Photographer. Act pushy about it and you’re a paparazzi. The “observer effect” often applies. Actions and energies change because everyone is aware of the camera.

However, whip out a compact Coolpix, and you’re just another tourist with a snappy cam. Part of the scenery. No threat to anyone.

The Flip MinoHD

Every video that I’ve shot and included in this blog was shot with and edited with Flip-provided products and materials.

Everything you need comes in that little palm-sized gizmo. Software for editing, for uploading, for viewing.

Everything is rudimentary and the learning curve is intuitive. When I first opened the box with its small card of instructions, I felt uneasy. That’s it?? Then, I hooked the camera to the computer and watched the software for managing the videos download.

The rear view of the Flip MinoHD before powering up/Photo by Rhonda Lane

My husband who is a broadcast TV design engineer thinks my Flip is cute, but he’s apparently not in a hurry to borrow it. He still has higher standards.

Yet we both know that there’s a difference between having the perfect gear but not being able to get it out for the shot and having marginally acceptable gear available a moment’s notice so that getting the shot is easy.

Advantages of the Flip:

I recommend the Flip for videographers of any skill level and here’s why:

• Inexpensive – If you’re considering this camera, it’s most likely only going to set you back about $200US, no matter where you buy it.
• Compact – The camera would fit in a front shirt pocket. In a handbag, it fits in any side zipper pocket.
• Easy to use – The controls light up when power is on. Directions on both your camera’s and your computer’s monitors will walk you through what you need to do. You can even assemble your videos into a movie with dissolves between edits. See these videos on our YouTube channel for an example. The camera also comes with an image stablizer, so “camera shake” is minimized, plus you can shoot and walk simultaneously.

Caveats with the Flip

Even when I shot with professional-grade equipment, compromises and caveats abounded.

What you see when you turn on the Flip MinoHD camcorder/Photo by Rhonda Lane

One thing the Digital Revolution hasn’t changed is that you always must keep the trade-offs in mind. Using a long telephoto lens? You’ll probably need a tripod. Shooting with film sensitive enough to freeze action? The enlarged print might look a bit pointillist, making “Saturday at the Horse Park” look more like “Sunday in the Park” – only less artistic.

The same goes for this general consumer equipment. After all, if you want small, compact and relatively cheap, you learn to accept “good enough.”

• Zoom button – Either too sensitive or dead-headed – there’s no in-between. Try zooms while shooting at your own risk. Just remember that the built-in mic will pick up your swearing. If you want to zoom, your best bet is still “sneaker zoom” – get as close as possible.
• Don’t let it flop in the jack – When you hook your camera into a port on your computer, especially if it’s a few inches from a flat surface, put a paperback book underneath it. For those of you with laptops on a table, that’s not an issue.
• No MTV-style “quick cuts” – With the available software, don’t expect to make quick-cut edits. The movie assembling program assembles with dissolves, where one scene fades into another. Most people won’t notice that or care. If you do know the difference between cuts and dissolves, you might care.
• Learn to edit in camera – I tend to simplify by editing as much as I can in camera. I try not to depend on being able to cut things. I still can’t get that to work. But I haven’t ruled out the possibility that it might be a PICNIC issue (Problem in Chair, Not in Computer.)
• Update on the previous issue: When in a pickle, click on “help.” Also, I sent out a Tweet asking for help. I believe in Plan Bs. Anyway, @FlipInFocus came through with a video and links, plus the Help software that comes with the Flip helped, too. (So, it was a PICNIC problem after all.)
• Don’t expect HDTV high resolution – When you watch your vids on YouTube, the HD part, IMO, seems to go out the window. Don’t expect to hook your camera into your home theater big screen and expect your home movies shot with the Flip to look like “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel HD, either.

The Big Picture about the Flip?

I love my little Flip. (Again, feel free to purchase Flip MinoHD Camcorder, 60 Minutes (Chrome) at this link – or not. )

After all, I’m not in physical therapy anymore because I blew out my shoulder with a heavy camera bag.

For more information about the Flip, see these blog posts:

• Dappled Grey’s review shows how the Flip would apply to an equestrian business
• Gadgeteer gives us details and specs and photos – lots of them
• Marzouq tells us some specs and takes us for a drive, which shows off the image stabilization

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webphotographeer/iStockphoto

Let me count the ways. I blog about it. I sign petitions for “racinos” to beef up purses and breeders supplements. When I do get to go to the track, I eat all my meals there and shop in the gift shop, too.

Plus, I recently spent 40 minutes answering questions for a telephone survey about sports with the sole purpose of promoting horse racing on TV.

Because the only sports I watch on TV with any regularity involve horses.

And, daggone it – I wanted to be heard.

Trust me, there were moments during that phone survey when I wanted to bail.

A flawed survey after all

First, the survey person asks:

“Is there a man over the age of 18 in the house?”

There was no way I was going to relinquish the phone to my husband who is an engineer who, may work in sports TV, but is ho-hum about the action. Any action. Lucky me – the truth was in my favor this time.

But I had an admission to make, right off the top, that might make or break my qualifications to take the survey. I think I ran all the words together before taking a breath:

Yes but he doesn’t watch sports in his free time plus he works for a TV sports network. ::breathe::

After all, most surveys include the question, “Does anyone in the household work in media?” The answer usually disqualifies me for any survey.

And yet – wonder of wonders – despite my admitted connections,  she still used me as a survey respondent.

40 minutes of the world’s longest phone survey

What almost sank my efforts was the endless listing of sports with only multiple choice answers ranging from “I wouldn’t miss it” to “not at all.” Like …

“Do you follow mens tennis?” Not at all. “Do you follow NHL hockey?” Not at all. “Do you follow skiing?” Not at all. “Do you follow …?”::yawn::

The list felt endless – apparently, everything but ping pong and curling. Or any of the other equestrian sports, either.

But I steeled my resolve and stayed on the phone.

Questions I could answer

But I did ‘fess up, though, that I occasionally do watch — gasp! — some other sports.

I will watch some figure skating  on TV. And I did watch the Indy 500 the year before last because we’d just brought home a big HDTV. And I do pay attention to the Kentucky Wildcats when they make it to the Final Four, but I try not to watch because they choke when I watch the game. (Yes, my power is that great, my friends.) And we happened to tune in when Michael Phelps won that eighth gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing.

Anyway, I revived a little when she asked, “Who’s your favorite athlete?”

Unlike a diehard team sports fan, I tend to switch loyalties, partly depending upon who is still active in the game.  A horse’s lay-up means I go looking for a new team to cheer. So, yes, I suppose that makes me a “fair-weather” fan.

So, I told her my current fave.

Calvin Borel

“How do you spell that?”

C-a-l …

Another question that I could answer came up. “Who’s your favorite team?”

Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel

“Who? What? Can you spell that?”

Sure. It’s a horse and jockey. They’re a team. M-i-n…

More, more, more

Among the questions I fielded to determine my sports-viewing habits, I was asked what sports publications I receive.

The only copy of Sports Illustrated that I’ve bought home in the past decade or so has — guess who? — Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel on the cover.

I don’t receive any of the racing magazines, so I told her about the two sports publications that I do receive — The Walking Horse Report and The Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse.

Too bad I can’t be a fly on the wall when the survey’s analysts look up those two publications. Talk about obscure equestrian sports.

Creators of ultra-long surveys should realize that people get tired and that the quality of the responses is going to slide as time passes. Even for people like me – passionate folks with an agenda.

You can tell what they’re really asking

If you have the time and patience to hang in with a telephone survey, after a while, you can get the gist of what they really want to know.

This one had a scores of questions clouding the real questions. But some common threads ran through them all, starting with:

“Can you name the sponsors of NFL football?”

But I said told you I don’t watch NFL football.

“Can you name some NFL football sponsors?”

Oh, why not? I’ll give it a shot.

(FWIW, if I were conducting a survey, I would not want to hear a respondent say that.)

Especially if I were wondering about the effectiveness of corporate sponsorship of sporting events.

Bottom line: corporate sponsorships are important to sports

Although she didn’t ask, I told her before the call ended that I know who the sponsors of horse racing are.

I told her that I know who sponsors the Triple Crown races as well as the undercards. I can also tell you the name of company  on the jockeys’ pants. And I know who sponsors the Breeder’s Cup.

I told her what she was looking for – if you’re a fan of a particular sport, you know which corporations are supporting it.

But the call didn’t give me a chance to give the whole picture

Despite how long the call was, after we disconnected and I stretched the kinks out of my neck, I realized that I hadn’t given good props to the other equestrian sports.

When I was a child back home in Kentucky, my grandfather and I used to watch rodeo together when it was on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.

Plus, whenever I can, I attend horse shows of all disciplines – from hunter/jumper to the saddleseat disciplines to western timed events. A quick intro at UCONN a couple of years ago makes me want to take in some arena polo matches this fall. And I’d love to see cowboy mounted shooting on TV.

So, in that respect, I could have represented for ALL of my equestrian peeps. Rats! An opportunity missed!

Time to go scrolling through my caller ID to find that phone survey company again.

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Just a heads-up: the below link to the book is an affiliate link. In other words, if you buy the book, I receive a compensation. If you would prefer to purchase the book elsewhere, that’s fine, too.

Journalist and human rights activist Rupert Isaacson knew something was up from the way a horse behaved around his young autistic son.

What began as a bond between a neighbor’s mare and a troubled little boy turned into a family trip through Mongolia on horseback. Documentary filmmakers joined them in a group determined to take young Rowan to  Mongol and Siberian shamans for healing.

The Horse Boy: A Father’s Quest to Heal His Son
is the chronicle of their journey. The book will inspire you, shock you, make you laugh and leave you in wonder.

An Incredible Journey

Isaacson is also an adventurer and horse trainer. His wife Kristin Neff is a psychology professor at the University of Texas.

Their son Rowan was diagnosed as autistic when he was 3. Bottom line, Rowan’s autism left him, in Isaacson’s words, “emotionally and physically incontinent.”

Think about it. Loud violent fits and tantrums. No toilet training by the age of five.

Two seemingly unrelated events gave Isaacson the idea to go to Mongolia. He noticed that Rowan seemed to have a way with a neighbor’s horse. The generous neighbor allowed father and son to ride together on the mare. During their rides, Isaacson saw Rowan improve and speak.

Also, Isaacson’s work with Bushmen from Botswana brought him and Rowan into contact with Bushman shamans. The shamans had performed healing rituals for Rowan, and the boy’s condition improved after that, too.

Isaacson took the positive-thinking view:

“What if there were a place in the world where horses and healing came together? What if Rowan’s autism could be the gateway to adventure?”

For someone like me, whose idea of adventure is going away alone to an unfamiliar American city where I stay in a business-class chain hotel, the family’s horseback journey into the steppes of Outer Mongolia is mind-blowing.

The Book Itself

Isaacson writes in a vivid, candid style and spares no detail. Nor does he spare his doubts, fears and ambivalent feelings about what he and his wife cope with.

The center of the book has color photos. You can see more photos at both the book’s and the film’s website. The movie is schedule for release later this year.

If all the shaman talk isn’t your thing …

Even if you think shamans amount to a bunch of hokum, the book also works as an adventure story and travelogue. Plus, the bond between the young family, the film crew and the locals they encounter along the way makes for a special story in itself.

Just FYI, the family didn’t abandon more mainstream therapies for autism in favor of shamanism, according to this CNN story about “The Horse Boy” film and book.

Learning more about autism

Still, if no one close to you has been touched by autism, this book will give the condition a face for you. According to the Autism Society of America, one child in 150 is autistic.

While researching this review, I found this essay about another family’s experience in meeting Isaacson at a promotional appearance – and the way their 10-year-old autistic son reacted.

My impressions of the book

As moving and as hopeful as this book is, I couldn’t help but cringe at the idea of this family traveling so far from modern support services.

But what I saw as insurmountable stress, they saw as an opportunity. An experienced international adventurer, Isaacson planned his trip and set out with a local guides.

Unlike Joe Six-Pack or Denise Desk-Jockey — or me, Isaacson seems to have had a pretty good idea of what he was doing.

Suspense

The questions on my mind while reading were numerous. Will everyone in the group stay safe? Will the local guides become overwhelmed?  Will Rowan lose his temper? And how will his parents talk him down? Will his non-horsey mother adjust to weeks of a horseback journey? And what will the shamans do? And, most importantly, what happens after the shamans?

Because, even if you think shamanic healing is crazy talk, you know that — if this experience ended up as a book and a movie –  something happened.

If healing and horses interest you, maybe these other posts will, too:

What’s next for The Epona Center?

My brief stint with a therapeutic riding stable

My healing work (ouch, ouch) at the pony barn

You can follow Isaacson’s updates via Twitter @TheHorseBoy.

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Not from this year's TC races © Wingbeats551 | Dreamstime.com

We’ve had a lot of company lately.

Although things have slowed down now since the Triple Crown races have finished, we’ve had a lot of drop-in visitors in the past six weeks.

Our stats here have paralleled TV ratings, although our numbers are nowhere near as high.

Still, which race do you think drew the most people to their TVs? Let alone prompted Internet surfers drop by here?

Derby Bonanza

The Kentucky Derby is still The Big Kahuna of American Racing. The race offers something for everyone. Fashion, food and celebs combine with a major sporting event. It was the Super Bowl before there was a Super Bowl. And, yes, it’s about the horses, too.

Here at The Horsey Set Net, the number of visitors dropping by the site quadrupled on Derby Day. Mostly, people were looking for where to watch the Derby coverage on TV.

Public interest in this Derby has been among the highest in 17 years, according to various news outlets, including ESPN.

According to The Bloodhorse, about 16 million people watched the Kentucky Derby on TV.

Granted, the Derby has wide appeal beyond the horses. The mix of parties, fashion and celebrities, let alone the giddy arrival of spring, fascinates people.

Preakness

Interest was still high for Preakness Day. The Rachel Alexandra/Mine That Bird duel — both on and off the track — caused a lot of interest. A filly in the Triple Crown races always stirs up excitement.

Our traffic here on Preakness Day was about two thirds of what it had been on Derby Day. Which still meant that a bunch more visitors than usual stopped by — again, mostly to get a TV schedule for Preakness coverage.

TV also did well with the Preakness. Ten million viewers tuned in to see Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird, up about 38 % from last year, according to The Bloodhorse.

But that’s a substantial chunk less than the 17 million who watched the Derby. Maybe The Preakness needs some fancy hats and movie stars, too?

The Belmont

The only Triple Crown on the line this year was for jockey Calvin Borel. No fillies dared to face the 1-1/2-mile long race this year.

Apparently, not many people were scouring the Internet to find out where to watch the race. Our traffic here returned to its normal levels.

I’m okay with that. In other words, most of the people who came here in the past few weeks did so with a mission in mind, usually, to find out when to watch the week’s race.  Some decided that our kind of horse talk was interesting, so they stayed on as subscribers to the blog feed. (If that’s you, thank you.)

For the Belmont, TV ratings sank.  No horse going for the Triple Crown on the line and no  filly taking on the boys. If my math served me well, the overnight ratings as quoted in The Bloodhorse said that a bit more than 3 million people watched The Belmont.

So what does all of this tell us?

The extras matter - No doubt, the glitz of the Kentucky Derby draws viewers to the screen. Then, there’s the suspense of who will win? It’s  a perfect storm/mix of glamor and suspense. It’s one sporting event that hardcore sports fans and casual fans can watch together.

Will this be the year? – Affirmed won the last Triple Crown in 1978. Every year, when the Derby winner crosses the finish line, the speculation begins,- especially if he appears to have some energy left.

People love the fillies - Every time a filly enters the Triple Crown action, fans come to the tracks and viewers hurry to the TV to catch another installment of The Battle of the Sexes.

Which makes it even more terrible when a filly falls.

I honestly think that some people watched the Derby this year to see if something bad would happen. Kind of like some NASCAR fans tune in to see the wrecks.

But all of the horses finished the races and made it back to the barns on their own power.

The irony would be if, as racing becomes safer, the sport becomes less interesting the general public.

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