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Our Editor Responds: Thank you?

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Our Editor Responds: She did race at Santa Anita, but I never saw her in the flesh. To young to get into the track on my own and I had stopped going to the morning work outs once I owned Nia.

About the past–I usually begin with positive–no–ridiculously sappy feelings. Then I summon Mr. Brain to the party and we end up in a tie. Even so, I fall for nostalgia over and over; so far, reality has not been able to kill it. Maybe that goes for horses, dogs, and other athletic heroes too.

I’m not clear on your relationship to Ruffian. Was she “just” an appealing horse? A female celebrity and eccentric? Someone else’s wonderful and iconic TV horse? Or did you have a personal connection to her? Either way, I’m learning something here. (For one thing, haven’t thought about R. for years).

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Our Editor Responds: Yes, one’s “ridiculously sappy feelings” are justified when watching that tape (though 4gawds sake CAN the canned music!!!!)

As for old People. whereas my peers took off running when old folks were around, I didn’t. And I learned things from them about a time, not my own. It may be the basis of my love for the “back story” Anyhow, during that time of “firsts” my parents relented and got me a horse. Ruffian was on my radar as she was with the other stable brats. She was sooo beautiful, tall, light on her feet and spirited. Her young death (and the awfulness of trying to save her) was a total shock. Like the death of James Dean. And things stick in your gut when your young, framed by your hurts (or at least I am). A painting may have triggered my memories, but Bill Nack brought the moment back in a powerful way.

Bill Nack is a great storyteller. Just don’t read the wikipedia article, which contains more of the painful details.

Some friends have a Kentucky Derby party in Santa Monica every year. I won $30 betting on Barbaro the year he won. I don’t go to the party anymore. His death two weeks later took all the fun out of it for me.

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Our Editor Responds: Thank you for the validation Susan. When he describes her crying…….I’ve sat through enough 12 step testimonies to know a good story teller when I hear one. In my research I often end up falling down the rabbit hole and sometimes it leads back to “the long ago”. In this case, a search for painted horses. Hula has a series on great museums. One is the National Museum of Racing. The other is a site I discovered the Ruffian painting at (if you select it, it leads to the artist). Before I owned my own horse I used to ride my bike to Santa Anita to watch the morning work out…maybe the recent visits makes that rabbit hole deeper. Patty Hearst/Billy Jean King-Bobby Riggs/Secritariate/Seattle Slew then Ruffian. The beautiful looser.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/139008/great-museums-horse-power-the-national-museum-of-racing

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Our Editor Responds: Humanity – born in Africa, raised in the middle east.

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Our Editor Responds: You can watch them in the desert, if your on FB and join “Friends of the Sand Wash Basin Mustangs” a really wonderful site …. My earliest memories are pre-language and involve a level of trauma. I didn’t choose it, it, being my nature. When I think of the old art broads, I also include Beatrice Woods, Alice Neele and Louise Bourgeois. I think of you as being much more thoughtful then O keefe, who was a bit of a self centered pill. Better to be like Woods – what a gal. No, I’m more like Bourgeois – a thoughtful pill. One who embraced her dark adapted eye towards in her work