Bookends

Jill's Journal: We’re finally getting some summer heat and it looks like humans aren’t the only ones feeling it.

Caught on film: a pair of bookends in the sun. What luxury it must be to enjoy a mid-afternoon nap like my Dad’s horses!

Horseback Riding Lessons

Jill's Journal: It’s been well-established our girls are crazy about horses. It must be in the genes. They -- particularly Erika -- simply love every manner of equine. Their Grandpa knows this and, as a bit of a cowboy himself, is only too happy to encourage it. With our few weeks stopped here on the Central Coast, Kristi very kindly arranged for the girls to take horseback riding lessons from a riding buddy of hers. Grandpa and Beppy stepped in to pay for the lessons as a present for the girls and I think it just may have been the best gift anyone has ever given them. They’ve counted down the days/hours/minutes to each lesson and loved their time on horseback. Now, of course, they think they need ponies! Erika has been plotting for months how to fit one into (yes, into) the RV and somehow I don’t think this experience has dimmed that dream in the slightest. :)

Thank you so much, Grandpa and Beppy!

Los Angeles-Area Racetracks

Jill's Journal: Some people dream of visiting every baseball stadium in the country, but for me, it’s every Thoroughbred racetrack. We’ve done a pretty good job on this extended road trip, hitting every one we’ve come even relatively close to. The tricky part is being at a track during the days or weeks or months they’re conducing live racing. We seem to hit most places in their off-season, but that’s okay. I’m happy with a glimpse. Perhaps most importantly, we’ve learned other tracks in the country – particularly in California – are not quite as welcoming during dark days or during the off-season as, say, Keeneland in Lexington. (Oh, Kentuckians have it so, so good. There’s a reason Central Kentucky is racing Mecca.)

During our time in Los Angeles and Orange County, I was so thrilled to get the chance to visit the four area tracks. Weeks after a stellar day at Santa Anita in Arcadia, we headed down to Hollywood Park in Inglewood. Rob and I had been here for live racing before, many years ago, and remembered it as a beautiful place, known as “the track of the lakes and flowers.” It has a rich racing history and was the home base of Zenyatta, so the girls were extremely excited to see it too, even though Hollywood’s racing season is long off. Our excitement came screeching to a halt when we learned at the gate Hollywood Park charges an entrance fee of $10 per person – that would make $50 for our family – even though there was only simulcasting and no live racing. I haven’t been to every track in the country, by any means, but I don’t recall having been to one that charged more than $5 on a regular live racing day and I certainly haven’t ever paid for simulcasting, much less at $10 a head. Ridiculous. I wasn’t about to pay that for a short visit, so we left, bitterly disappointed.

We swung around to the side and got a peek at the grandstand from a distance, but it wasn’t quite the same. I was able to tell the girls Zenyatta had probably walked on that horse path in the foreground, so they were still pleased. :)

What a difference we found at Fairplex Park in Pomona. Part of the Los Angeles County Fair, Fairplex is not a high-class track, but it provides a fun atmosphere with some decent racing. I didn’t expect to see much of anything at Fairplex, as we got there right at dark (it gets dark early here, or did until this blasted Daylight Savings racket this week!). There was absolutely no access to the track as it was completely fenced off, but a security guard at one of the gates saw our Kentucky plates and took mercy on us. He kindly opened the gate and told us how to get to the track.

Obviously this picture is so dark, but it was taken from the backside (the grandstand is across from us) and we could clearly see the tight turns which makes Fairplex famous as a bullring (a little track completely devoid of the wide, sweeping turns and long stretches which make Thoroughbred racing so great). I was thrilled to get this tiny peek (thank you, Fairplex security – you kick butt over Hollywood Park!).

We had one more stop to make to complete our circuit of L.A.-area tracks and we did that this weekend. Los Alamitos Race Course in…Los Alamitos. This isn’t even officially a Thoroughbred track, but a famous Quarter Horse one. They do conduct some Thoroughbred racing, although if a Thoroughbred finds his way into the starting gate at Los Al, he’s probably better off looking for another career as a hunter/jumper or a backyard pet. Most racing here is conducted at night under the lights and we saw very little of the facility. Still, it was nice to complete our superfecta of L.A.-area tracks. I can’t wait to get to San Diego and finally see Del Mar!

Medieval Times

Jill's Journal: If there’s one part of their history studies the girls have enjoyed almost as much as Ancient Egypt, it’s the Middle Ages. We really delved in deeply in second grade history this year, complete with several books in our literature classes to back it up, and skimmed over it pretty nicely in kindergarten as well. Of course, the great thing about homeschooling is that when one child in the family learns it, the others also absorb quite a bit without even meaning to. And so, with visions of knights and castles dancing in the girls’ heads, I knew just the perfect place for us to visit…

…Medieval Times! To our delight, the five other members of our immediate family on my side drove the many hours to join us. We so love getting the whole family together anyway and then Grandpa and Beppy made it even more special by being kind enough to treat us all. There’s eight or nine Medieval Times in North America, including this one in Buena Park, California, and it is so fun to indulge and get lost in another time. If you’ve never been to Medieval Times, it goes something like this... You come to a feast at the castle as a guest of the king. You’re treated to a three-course Medieval-era meal, which of course means no utensils. You eat with your hands, drink your soup, and are served by serfs and wenches. While eating you enjoy Medieval-era entertainment, including some spectacular horsemanship and falconry. Finally, a tournament ensues, with knights jousting and fighting to the “death” with lances, swords, alabaradas, bolas, and all the other deadly weapons of the time. Each section of the castle has its own knight to cheer for and he plays to the crowd, tossing out flowers to selected ladies and choosing one to be his “queen of the tournament.” Beppy got a flower, as did Erika and Madelyn. Poor little Victoria was feeling mighty left out until our knight chose her to be his special lady and gifted her with a keepsake banner. The entire experience is such a grand time. Sure, maybe it’s a little goofy, but that’s part of the fun. I knew Erika would love it – and oh, she LOVED it and is wishing time travel were possible – but Madelyn surprised us all by proclaiming repeatedly it was even better than Disneyland. She wants to go again for her birthday. All our girls can’t wait for another chance to visit.

Have I mentioned the horses? Andalusians, Friesians, Lipizzans, and more. These stunning, beautiful equines are the true stars of the show. Is it any wonder we all loved it?

Of course, pictures and a description don’t do the experience justice and my camera didn’t appreciate the lighting so the snapshots are all a little blurry. No matter; I think the girls will look back at these photos and the joy they felt at the time will all come rushing back to them.

Santa Anita: The Great Race Place

Jill's Journal: Santa Anita Park in Arcadia may not have the glory of Churchill Downs in Kentucky or the grandeur of Belmont Park in New York (the only other two tracks in the country with a similar breadth and scope), but it has a special vibrancy and California casualness that still makes it one of my favorite racetracks. And it’s beautiful. On a clear day, the San Gabriel Mountains make an exquisite backdrop for the poetry that is gorgeous Thoroughbreds doing what they love to do.

Santa Anita also isn’t quite as old and historic as Churchill or Belmont – Churchill’s got about 60 years and Belmont’s got about 30 years on “The Great Race Place” – but I suppose Kentucky and New York also have a good number of years on California regarding statehood.

Santa Anita opened in 1934. Original stockholders included Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, and Harry Warner (one of the founders of Warner Bros.). It’s pretty safe to say that every major California-based racehorse to hit the national scene came through Santa Anita (Seabiscuit, Silky Sullivan, John Henry, Sunday Silence, Silver Charm, Zenyatta, and many more). During World War II, racing at Santa Anita was shut down and the facility was used as a Japanese internment camp. Later, in 1984, the equestrian events for the 1984 Summer Olympics were held here.

These days, Santa Anita is still the flagship track of California. The important races here carry as much prestige in the racing industry as important races at other tracks do. Plus, whether you're a hard-core handicapper or a family looking to enjoy a day at the races, it’s a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

Superfecta of super Cal jocks: Longden, Shoemaker, Pincay, and McCarron.

Between the races: a carriage horse and the scale where the jocks weigh in…and out.

Madelyn was only too willing to practice her jockey skills at the nice playground in the infield. (They do pony rides on the big racing days too!)

This was a personal thrill: in the far reaches of the parking lot, we spotted a gate open and headed over to investigate. It turned out to be the head of the European-style, downhill turf course, a feature unique only to Santa Anita throughout American racing. The crew working on the course could not have been nicer and let us walk part of the course and check out the starting gate. I was giddy. Racing friends will understand!

Here are the girls with a memorial to the legendary George Woolf, aka “The Iceman.” He was killed in a tragic fall here at Santa Anita in 1946 when he was just 35.

Woolf was aboard California favorite Seabiscuit during the famous 1938 match race at Pimlico with Triple Crown winner War Admiral. Woolf served as a more-than-able substitute for Red Pollard while the latter was recovering from injuries. Of course, the working-class Seabiscuit beat the blue-blooded War Admiral and the rest is history.

This is the adorable John Shear, a modern-day hero. He’s worked the paddock at Santa Anita for over 50 years. Last year, when he was 90-years-young, he threw himself in front of a frightened, runaway horse to save a 6-year-old girl from being trampled. The girl was fine. The horse was fine. Shear sustained a broken pelvis, internal bleeding, and a host of other injuries. But horsemen are tough and here he is, a year later and now 91, back at work. A humble hero.

"The Bald Eagle." This is a bust of the tremendous, late trainer Charlie Whittingham and his faithful dog Toby. Among his many accolades was the distinction of being the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby when he was 73. He broke his own record when he won it again three years later.

My favorite picture of the day; this one was taken by Rob. It's a perfect shot of the notoriously crotchety but amazingly tough and tenacious racehorse John Henry. With a heart as big as the sky, he is the epitome of a legend.

A Cowgirl Birthday

Jill's Journal: Our sweet Erika turned eight today and she had one birthday wish: she wanted to be a cowgirl (and dress like one too). Erika is normally our dainty dress-wearer who would wear dresses 365 days a year if given the chance. She usually looks forward to the prospect of a new birthday dress for months in advance, so she surprised the heck out of us by asking for a cowgirl outfit instead. To prepare, a few weeks ago she very carefully picked out Wranglers (because that’s what the cowboys wear), boots, a belt, a hat, a western shirt, and a bandana (she insisted she needed a bandana!). She tried very hard to talk us into spurs and a lasso also, but we have our limits.

And so, decked out in her new duds, we embarked on what she later declared the “best birthday ever.” Rob and I needed our annual birthday pictures, so she patiently indulged us because she knew what afternoon fun was in store.

While waiting for our pictures to print, the girls enjoyed an escalator. Are our kids the only ones enamored with these things?

They get such an inexplicable kick out of riding them.

On the plus side, escalators are far cheaper entertainment than a carousel, which we also indulged in today because a birthday only comes around once a year.

After lunch, it was off to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Erika was introduced to Henry, her trusty steed for the afternoon.

See the smile on this freshly-minted 8-year-old’s face? She was in H.E.A.V.E.N. Absolute heaven.

Erika and I took an hour-long trail ride in L.A.’s famed Griffith Park. This is one of the entrances to the beautiful park.

This was Erika’s first time riding alone, without someone leading her, and she felt so grown-up and proud of herself, which is exactly how one should feel on an eighth birthday. I think it’s safe to say she loved every single moment. I know I loved watching it.

We practically had to tear the poor child away from Henry at the end of the day. She did not want to leave. She needs a pony. If only one would fit on the fifth wheel. Erika wouldn’t tell, of course, but I suspect a pony is exactly what she wished for when she blew out her birthday candles after dinner.

Happy Birthday to our most favorite 8-year-old, cowgirl or not, in the whole, wide world.