I thought about writing an end of year post but I'm not one to look back too much especially when I have so much to look forward to in my future.
On the flip side I thought about writing all my goals for 2011. I have too many variables which are out of my control so while I have goals, they all depend on which direction some things (out of my control) go. Too many "if...then" statements make for a very long, boring and drawn out blog post.
Therefore I settled on confessing my quirkiness in finding the key to Ollie's mind. I've resorted to digging deep. Very deep. Now I am deep in an effort to learn more about his ancestors to better understand his quirky behaviors. I'm thinking he takes after his grandsire on his dam's side. Hall of Fame racer DAMASCUS!
Am I nuts to think Damascus and Ollie resemble one another...
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| Ollie (Hola C Bright) running around in an indoor arena |
From what I've read, Duffy helped Damascus keep his cool prior to his races and they credit Duffy with Damascus' wins in the Preakness and Belmont. Duffy was not utilized on Derby Day where Damascus was a stressed out nervous mess and ran third. After Duffy came into the picture, Damascus became a cool calm winning machine.
Many great thoroughbreds have their own personal ponies. Such as Curlin and Poncho (also spelled as Pancho).
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| Curlin led by his reliable stable pony Pancho in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. |
With Toby by his side, Ollie is going to be able to conquer all he faces with confidence. Bring it on baby!
Since my OTTB, Echo Dancer, was sired by Eastern Echo by Damascus, this is a wonderful thread for me, too. I have several books about Thoroughbreds "back in the day," particularly "Names in Pedigrees." I love reading about the foundation sires and dams of the modern-day Thoroughbred.
ReplyDeleteI too have plans for doing SOMETHING with the dressage and my horse. I was basically idle all last year, riding a total of five times. The biggest challenge is getting him fit (and me too ;o) with lots of walking--trail rides. Hope to start lessons again this spring.
Happy New Year--and Happy Birthday to your two!!
They do look alike... especially the ears, eyes, and forehead. The photo of Toby and Ollie together in the window is too cute for words.
ReplyDeleteYou are not crazy thinking Ollie looks like his grandfather!! The same of the head, eye set and ears are almost identical!!
ReplyDeleteLol I meant shape of the head!!
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one who thinks Ollie resembles his grandsire! I think they have very similar heads!
ReplyDeleteSo TBDancer - our horses have the "Teddy" line in their blood. Which I guess was a good thing. I just don't know that much about bloodlines. But I do know the good race horses!
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