One more sleep

Tomorrow will be a big day.  It starts with the usual rush around to get the kids to school and their things organised.  But with the added pressure of me having to go straight to the airport after their drop off, to catch my plane to Melbourne, because of course tomorrow night the Famous Pony Black Caviar runs for the 24th time in the William Reid Stakes.  Will it be her Victorian farewell?  Apparently it is, although I liked the way Moody suggests that perhaps the door is not shut.  However we are all assuming it's the last time we see her on a Victorian racetrack.  I have no doubt I will be teary on the night.

I have a little trip before I get to the Valley though.  I've done this part of the highway a lot, and it's mostly been full of pleasure.  This trip will also be fun I have no doubt.  I have a new travel companion, who is fun to be around, and there are many upsides to this person, so I hope it will be a fun trip.  In the afternoon we will turn around and drive back to the Valley and all that waits there.

And while I haven't seen it yet, apparently the MVRC have out together a career tribute to the Famous Pony using my images. I'm not sure whether it is made up of images that are all mine or as part of a video with other still photography.  Either way, it demonstrates that this now extensive and unique body of imagery I have worked so hard to produce over the past 2 and a half years is on its way to becoming the defining set of images that will be used to remember this unique and wonderful champion. And for that I have to thank the Famous Pony herself, for always being the perfect subject.
This is part of the email from the Club I received this afternoon:

"Your photos look great and you will be very proud when they are on the big screen!"







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Legacy of Eight Carat: From the Vault Volume I

Image
We have been back in lockdown here in Victoria. Lockdown 5.0 to be precise and as a result it made us go back to feeling like sad sacks.  After having seen off Lockdown 4.0 a teeny tiny bit triumphantly, where we saw off both Delta and Kappa variants (evil beasts that they are - curse you stinky COVID - curse you), we had literally only just gotten back to work before being very suddenly plunged back into Lockdown 5.0 after the visit of those very nice removalists.   'Thanks very much!!!!' we all shouted indignantly!!!!  A key difference with Lockdown 5.0 was that half the country also into lockdown at the same time which made us feel slightly less sad.  The Victorian Government doesn't muck about anymore when it comes to outbreaks.  Their reaction is swift and severe and not at all namby pamby.  I just wish the same logic would be applied to Sydney which continues to deteriorate, much to my dismay.  This week we took our first tentative steps out of Lockdown 5.0, hurrah f
Read more

Vale Sadler's Wells - champion stallion dies in Ireland.

Image
One of the most important racehorses, and later stallions of our time, the great Sadler's Wells died in Ireland on the evening of Tuesday 26 April 2011.  He died at Coolmore's Tipperary Stud in Ireland, his home since his retirement in 1984.  The stallion was retired from breeding in 2008. His legacy worldwide is immense.  He has left sons and daughters,  and three of his stallion sons, in Galileo, Montjeu and High Chaparral, are leading stallions in the Northern Hemisphere.  In Australia, Galileo and Montjeu had less success, however the impact of High Chaparral was immediate, and immense.  While the horse still has to repeat the success he achieved with his New Zealand bred runners, from which the Group 1 winners, and champion So You Think, were conceived, High Chaparral is still leading the Australian General Sires Title with only a couple of months of racing left. In Europe, Montjeu and Galileo have both sired Epsom Derby winners, in Authorized and New Approach respective
Read more

The physical drain of riding horses

Image
Most people agree that the life of a jockey is a difficult one.  There are a handful that rise to the top, and do extremely well out of the Sport of Kings.  The vast majority however struggle with their weights, and do their best to avoid and/or overcome injury.  Anyone who has ever been pelted off a horse would know that it doesn't tickle!  And of course the older you get, the more it hurts!  We used to fang around on our ponies, bareback, in headstalls and leadropes, never wearing a riding hat.  Completely fearless, and I am sure that on the odd occasion I parted company with my horse, I used to bounce.  In fact I rarely used to fall off, unless the horse came down as well, I guess all those years of galloping around bareback meant my balance and ability to swing my body with the horse was pretty good.  I'd like to say that I could still ride the same, but age and the maturing mind catches up, and you start thinking of the consequences of 'what if I come off', which
Read more