This past weekend marked my last “free” one for the next, like… 2+ months. I don’t know how this always happens, but it does, and while I do generally like being busy (especially since a lot of those weekends will be at horse shows!), I also sometimes enjoy having less on my plate. Of course, I still managed to fit A LOT of horses into the weekend, because would I even be me if I didn’t? At the heart of things, I’m still just a kid who loves ponies.
JenJ hit me up at the end of last week and asked if I could fill in for a day of barnsitting for her place on Saturday, which I was happy to do.
I was planning on giving my two boys the day off anyway, so it worked out. Then she asked if I’d be willing to clip Taran while I was there, and since my day was open, I said sure. I have to give Taran many props, despite being very annoyed with me and ready to go back to his turnout, he was one of the best-behaved horses I’ve ever clipped… and I used to have a little bodyclipping side business, so I’ve clipped a lot. He was almost a statue. Hopefully he copes a little bit better with these high temps without all that extra hair.
After that it was home to shower and eat lunch, and I found myself with many hours left to kill before Belmont time. Naturally I did what any obsessed self-respecting horse person would do and put up the Belmont undercard races on the TV and the live stream from the jumper ring at Upperville on my laptop.
And yeah, I saw Olivia go, because stalker. Frankie was a beast, I recognized him instantly even among an endless stream of bay and brown horses. I had a couple other friends in that division too, so I wasn’t just keeping an eye out for her, but I found her easily anyway.
After that it was Belmont time. In 2015 I watched American Pharoah’s historic win on a screen outside the videographer’s trailer at a horse show, where I just happened to walk by as they were coming into the stretch. I didn’t really follow the TC races much that year, so I was a little bit removed from everything. This year I followed it start to finish, and loved Justify start to finish, so I was on my feet whooping and hollering and jumping around like an idiot for the entire stretch drive. The dogs scattered, I almost sprained my damn ankle, and I got at least a whole day’s worth of cardio. Say what you want about horse racing, but there are few things that can rival the thrill of watching a magnificent horse running flat out into the history books.
Also I about came undone when Mike Smith was talking to him and giving him smooches after the race. It really showed just how one special horse can make all of someone’s wildest dreams come true, just by being their fantastic selves. Horses… we don’t deserve them.
By the time I capped off the day by going back out to feed Jen’s crew, I’d definitely managed to fit all sizes, shapes, and kinds of horses into one day.
Sunday was filled with my two favorite and most familiar faces:
but those adventures (because whenever these two are involved, it’s ALWAYS an adventure) are stories for another day.
breedrideevent.com 
OMG YOU SAW US?????
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I DID! Y’all were great!
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Thank god that was the day you saw hahaha
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Well I watched a bunch of the Ch/Ad before you and that was… well. It took over half an hour to see someone actually make it through the whole course and jump off.
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Yeah it was a tough one- I felt like it played really well to Frankie’s strengths, but there were some scrappy rounds I saw out there
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I am certifiably OBSESSED with Justify! His damsire is my OTTB’s sire (Ghostzapper) so I absurdly feel “close” to him. I’ve never stalked the TC races like I did this year! I couldn’t watch the actual race because I would likely pee my pants or have a nervous breakdown, but I watched social media feeds and watched the instant replay INSTANTLY. So very exciting. I will own every Justify t-shirt, baseball hat, Breyer model, key chain and whatever else they sell with his likeness on it! š
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Mike Smith kissing him at the end of the race was so šššš what a race.
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Justify made it look effortless. What a horse!
On another note: I just noticed Presto in the blog’s header!! How long has he been up there?!
On yet another note: are roached manes allowed in eventing? Cause Henny would rock that look!
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Hahaha I stuck Presto up there last week. He kind of blends in a bit.
I’ve thought before that Henry would look good with a roached mane, he has the neck for it, but his mediocre rider sometimes finds herself needing to grab a chunk of it, so it stays. š
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i didnt notice Presto up there either. DUH. and omg when i got Remus he had a roached mane. NEVER AGAIN ( I too need an oh shit handle once in a while) š
That haffie is adorable and the white pony too. I might have stolen both of them š
Cant wait to read more about the adventures of Henry and Presto š
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I think Baffert should shoot me some sort of royalty for NOT watching the races. Since I was a kid, I’ve always cheered for a Bafftert horse and the big red one would’ve been no different. I stopped following the TC in 2014 when Dad passed and there have been two TC winners since then, so me not watching is obviously in his favor haha.
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Justify was incredible. And his trot! Damn. He’s just in a class of his own.
I think Captain Naughtypants McSideye is a very fitting name for Presto, 10/10.
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That’s the look I got when I told him to drop the fly mask. Turd.
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Justify was standing in the start gate like, “Oh hey, hold my beer, I gotta go win this thing real quick…” He never really looked like he was working that hard to me. He’s such an athlete! As he came down the stretch I said to the tv, “go get it Buddy, it’s all yours!” And he was all, “duh.”
Plus, did you see him trotting after? Horse can move. Definitely going to keep an eye out for some of his babies in a few years!
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I’m so torn. I love that Justify won the triple crown, but I also wish he’d sucked at racing and become my next dressage horse. š¤£
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