The Seabiscuit Effect

There is something about times of economic recession, times of general woe and depression in the populace that gives superhuman efforts put forth by the little guy a special glow. It gives it a meaning that transcends boundaries, and the actual event is elevated beyond reason and crushed close to the national breast.
In this case the "little man" is Johnny Flynn. Which is actually kinda funny, because he stands 6' tall. But that's 6' tall on the basketball court, which just barely puts him out of pygmy status. Syracuse's epic game against the University of Connecticut was one of those moments in history that gives you, me and Joe Plumber, hope. It was the epitome of "Reality TV". Like watching Publisher's Clearing House show up at your neighbors with their gargantuan check, or like having the fairy godmother of basketball wave her magic wand over that bunch of hooligans that gets together down at the local court and immediately elevate those scrappers to star status. These sort of events give us hope for a better tomorrow- that we can achieve greatness even if we weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouth- even if we aren't perfect. We too, can exceed ourselves: all it takes is a tremendous amount of guts and titanium determination.
This isn't exactly a new phenomonon. At the tail end of the great depression, a little bay racehorse, barely above pony status, rose to the highest levels of racing. He kinda had the pedigree, but he wasn't built to do it. He didn't exactly look the part. He took down the east's blue-blooded racing star, War Admiral, in one of the smashingest upsets of all time. He broke down and came back to beat the up-and-comers soundly, depsite all the odds being stacked against him. He was Seabiscuit, and even after all these years, his performances are still fodder for the big screen. He's still a national hero.
It'll be very intersting to see how far Johnny Flynn can lead the Orange down the path to immortality. You couldn't ask for a better stable of performers if you were a coach. They're all guts and heart. Raise your glass... here's to hope.

The better they are, the harder you fall

In over 20 years of riding horses- horses of all levels- I've come to this conclusion: The better they are, the more likely you are to take one HELL of a digger off them.

Some horses aren't necessarily great show horses, but they are great horses to show. These ones are successful in the pen- but almost to the last this is due entirely to what is between their ears, versus what they do, how they look, or how they move. This is Oliver. He's been exceedingly successfull- especially for a 3 year old gelding. Top 4 in the nation in a brand new class.. in his first full year of showing. Amateur Champion. ROMs in ever class he shows in. He is consistency personified. THAT is what wins for him. Movement? He's a bit above average. He's not exceptional in that department. He IS exceptional in his attitude. It takes something over the top to beat him, and that brings me to the OTHER type of horse.

The exceptional individuals- the exceptional movers.. the ones that set themselves apart somehow.. by being almost "freakish" in one department or other. These ones.. they stand above the crowd, they almost glow with that extra "something" they have. Unfortunately, that extra something lends itself to a "keen-ness", an extra sensitivity, that can, at times, make them hard to ride. They are the ones that go for weeks being a bronc, for no reason other than.. other than... well... who knows really? They are the ones that take to pitching simply because the wind and rain hit the wall near them... or someone is sweeping... They are aware of every molecule in their environment. Every vibration. That sensitivity is what sets them apart. It's what makes them special. It is that something "extra" that causes them to go from being good to great.

Of course, as a rider, one has to decide... is it for the fun of the ride, or the prize at the end?