Yearlings, Cars, and the Triple Crown

Hello everyone,

A bit has happened since I wrote my last blog in late May.

I survived the Triple Crown, which is always a good thing, and survived the aftermath of another failed attempt. On one hand, a failed attempt means a lot less work for me as a journalist in the weeks after the Triple Crown (even with all the controversy that surrounded the Belmont) but I almost always root for it to happen because I think that having a Triple Crown winner could definitely help the sport. As someone who wants to grow horse racing on an international level, anything that helps the sport is good in my book.

With the wrapping up of the Triple Crown came my next “adventure” as well. I found a part time job prepping yearlings on Fridays and started last week. While it is extremely hard work for my out of shape body (even if I was in shape it would be hard as nothing can really prepare you for manual farm labor), it is extremely fun and educational. I have only worked one day so far but I learned a ton and both the farm owners and yearling manager have been willing to answer every question I throw at them. If you know me, you know that I like to learn as much as possible so having people who not only answer my questions but also don’t make me feel like an idiot for asking them is the perfect set up for me.

Besides the out of shape part, the biggest challenge for me last week was that the job is an early morning wake-up call and I’m not one of those people that just pops out of bed in the morning. But much like I do when I plan on watching works at Keeneland, I popped out of bed last Friday ready to go, which is a very valuable asset.

Overall, I’m really enjoying being on the farm and getting to feel like I’m having a hand in a part of the industry. Not only am I learning a ton, but I also get to be outside and around horses (and yes, I already have a favorite), which makes me much happier than sitting in an office watching the hands on part of the racing industry go on around me. Right now I have a near perfect ratio of writing work and hands-on yearling prep so I really have the best of both worlds.

On the non-horse/job front, for those wondering about my car issues that I reported in my last blog, the car is up and running. Thankfully this time the problem was a cheap fix and I had her back in one day so all is well. Other than that, I don’t have much left to report.

Until next time,

Mel