Peevish Pen

Ruminations on reading, writing, genealogy and family history, rural living, retirement, aging—and sometimes cats.

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Location: Rural Virginia, United States

I'm an elderly retired teacher who writes. Among my books are Ferradiddledumday (Appalachian version of the Rumpelstiltskin story), Stuck (middle grade paranormal novel), Patches on the Same Quilt (novel set in Franklin County, VA), Them That Go (an Appalachian novel), Miracle of the Concrete Jesus & Other Stories, and several Kindle ebooks.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Long Shot

I don't usually watch the Kentucky Derby; I lost my taste for it after seeing Ruffian break down many years ago. I was glad I didn't watch the Derby when bad things happened to Eight Bells and Barbaro.

When you have young horses running hard, accidents—horrible accidents—can happen.

However, I happened to catch the telecast yesterday afternoon. John turned on the TV seconds before the race began. I nearly missed the historic running in which a long shot, Mine That Bird, came from behind—waaaay behind—to win. But I just happened to catch it and see the "accidental" win by a horse that was running with 50 to 1 odds against him.

If you missed it, here it is (if you have a slow connection, this might have some pauses):



That a such long shot—a horse that cost a mere $9,500 in a field of multi-million-dollar horses, a horse that arrived by a trailer towed by a pick-up truck instead of being shipped in a conveyance with all the amenities, a horse whose owner-trainer limped on crutches into the winner's circle—is downright inspiring. It's the stuff fiction is made of.

If Mine That Bird's story had been written as a novel and shopped around, I'll bet no agent or publisher would have touched it. "I can't sell this," they might have said. "Nobody will believe it!"

Well, seeing is believing, and 153 thousand people witnessed it at Churchill Downs yesterday. Millions more of us saw it on TV.

I'm glad I was one of them.
~

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4 Comments:

Blogger Sweet Virginia Breeze said...

I always love it when the underdog comes out on top. I bet a book will be written about Mine That Bird now.

9:03 PM  
Blogger Becky Mushko said...

. . . and I'll bet a movie will soon follow.

9:17 PM  
Blogger Greener Pastures--A City Girl Goes Country said...

That brought tears to my eyes! There's nothing better than an underdog story! Especially in the horse world.

I also lost taste for watching horse races when I watched Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure. I used to work on the track you know.

Thanks for posting that Becky. I was out actually riding! Getting ready for a different kind of racing...

www.GreenerPastures--ACityGirlGoesCountry.blogspot.com

9:38 PM  
Blogger Clementine said...

Wasn't that amazing? I love it when things happen like that!

10:33 AM  

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