Leah's Dream of the Oympics
Some really wonderful things have happened lately. The first is that I recently got a letter from a woman named Kim about Jerry Norwood. Here's the note she sent me:
Hi,
I am sorry to bother you...but I was wondering if you could help me with any info on Jerry L. Norwood who was a horse breeder? I came across your blog when I was searching his name to try to get any info on him.
I own a horse that I have traced back to him...he bred the horse. I was just looking for more information/pictures or anything on my horse from his racing days. I am not even sure if this is the same person you mentioned in your blog....he was supposedly in PA then?
My horse will be 23 this coming year.
If you know any leads I can follow...I really appreciate it!!
Sincerely
Kim
Remember my post about Jerry? (Saturday, Jan 18, 19 2008, scroll down the page )and the half-broke horses I was talking about? Well, that's the same Jerry. He's been around a long time, and this is one of the horses he bred. She calls him Hogan but his real name is Catty Shack.
This is the second instance of someone contacting me regarding the history behind a retired racehorse. I'm beginning to think that a smart thing would be to create a database of retirees and what their careers were like.
This is also the second time that photographers have been either deceased or no longer working at tracks that the horse won at. The point we're at with Catty Shack is that we have to find Jim McGreevy if we want to get his win pictures. I met a McGreevy at Thistledown when I was there, and at that time I think he was shoeing horses. Do't know if he's the same one, but anyway, Jerry sold Catty Shack to Jim for 20K and Jim trained and raced him for his entire career. The horse ran in 33 races and won 4, making about 45K. He's a gorgeous horse; she sent me links to photos of him. He doesn't look 23! He looks like he's in his prime.
I think it would be a good idea to start a Website for people who have retirees and want to find out about their horses’ careers. It is such a compassionate thing for them to do, and Thoroughbreds are so gifted at returning sensitivity and affection; what better way to honor your noble friend than to treasure his records? (Even if he retired as a maiden).
Just two days ago I got more exciting news, from my Cousin in Richmond, VA. Her name is Blair. She has 3 kids; on son and two daughters. They are my second cousins, once removed. The daughters are both horse lovers, as was Blair. The youngest, Leah, is about 10 and is evidently an accomplished rider at her age. Not only is naturally physically talented, but she also has very mature intuition with regard to her mounts. To me that's important; when you can specifially ad instantly identify subtle signals that the horse communicates, you gain the ability to make ongoing adjustments to optimize their performance. That's often the difference in a few points or ticks on the clock.
She has her focus set on making the USET and competing in the three-day eventing competition. You have to be good, but you also have to be well-mounted. For her, this could be hard, since she is far from being connected, and obtaining a good horse is a costly and daunting prospect for a family with no liquid assets. You’re always well-mounted in the Olympics; but you must be well-mounted to get to that point. She has a long road to travel and will need considerable sponsorship.
So I'm going to take a moment to advertise Leah's Website and read her very articulate descriptions of her experiences. Please donate if you can afford to; every little bit is appreciated; she cannot get there without you. Also please have a look at Leah's slideshow (you can also see it on her wesbite):
Hi,
I am sorry to bother you...but I was wondering if you could help me with any info on Jerry L. Norwood who was a horse breeder? I came across your blog when I was searching his name to try to get any info on him.
I own a horse that I have traced back to him...he bred the horse. I was just looking for more information/pictures or anything on my horse from his racing days. I am not even sure if this is the same person you mentioned in your blog....he was supposedly in PA then?
My horse will be 23 this coming year.
If you know any leads I can follow...I really appreciate it!!
Sincerely
Kim
Remember my post about Jerry? (Saturday, Jan 18, 19 2008, scroll down the page )and the half-broke horses I was talking about? Well, that's the same Jerry. He's been around a long time, and this is one of the horses he bred. She calls him Hogan but his real name is Catty Shack.
This is the second instance of someone contacting me regarding the history behind a retired racehorse. I'm beginning to think that a smart thing would be to create a database of retirees and what their careers were like.
This is also the second time that photographers have been either deceased or no longer working at tracks that the horse won at. The point we're at with Catty Shack is that we have to find Jim McGreevy if we want to get his win pictures. I met a McGreevy at Thistledown when I was there, and at that time I think he was shoeing horses. Do't know if he's the same one, but anyway, Jerry sold Catty Shack to Jim for 20K and Jim trained and raced him for his entire career. The horse ran in 33 races and won 4, making about 45K. He's a gorgeous horse; she sent me links to photos of him. He doesn't look 23! He looks like he's in his prime.
I think it would be a good idea to start a Website for people who have retirees and want to find out about their horses’ careers. It is such a compassionate thing for them to do, and Thoroughbreds are so gifted at returning sensitivity and affection; what better way to honor your noble friend than to treasure his records? (Even if he retired as a maiden).
Just two days ago I got more exciting news, from my Cousin in Richmond, VA. Her name is Blair. She has 3 kids; on son and two daughters. They are my second cousins, once removed. The daughters are both horse lovers, as was Blair. The youngest, Leah, is about 10 and is evidently an accomplished rider at her age. Not only is naturally physically talented, but she also has very mature intuition with regard to her mounts. To me that's important; when you can specifially ad instantly identify subtle signals that the horse communicates, you gain the ability to make ongoing adjustments to optimize their performance. That's often the difference in a few points or ticks on the clock.
She has her focus set on making the USET and competing in the three-day eventing competition. You have to be good, but you also have to be well-mounted. For her, this could be hard, since she is far from being connected, and obtaining a good horse is a costly and daunting prospect for a family with no liquid assets. You’re always well-mounted in the Olympics; but you must be well-mounted to get to that point. She has a long road to travel and will need considerable sponsorship.
So I'm going to take a moment to advertise Leah's Website and read her very articulate descriptions of her experiences. Please donate if you can afford to; every little bit is appreciated; she cannot get there without you. Also please have a look at Leah's slideshow (you can also see it on her wesbite):
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3:32 AM
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