Saturday 24 November 2012

Saturday; mostly pictures

I had a whole bushel of words for you today, but the hours rushed away from me and now it is eight o’clock and my brain has turned itself off. So today is mostly pictures.

The loveliest thing of the day was watching Kauto Star parade around Haydock, the place where he stamped his class and his guts and his great, beating heart on four glorious occasions. The old warrior looked better than ever, his head held high, the look of eagles in his eyes. The new stars, coming out to strut their stuff, looked a little mere and ordinary by comparison. The decision to retire the great horse whilst he is still fit and well was a good and honourable one, but there was a sliver of regret in me as I watched him, looking as if he could hack round the three miles in a canter and give the young fellows a run for their money.

There are some very exciting new young horses this season, and some lovely prospects just coming into their pomp, but nothing will thrill me quite like Kauto. He was, truly, a horse in a generation. As Ruby Walsh once said of him, live on British television, to happy, watching millions: ‘Ah, I love him, anyway.’

I shall miss him.

I miss my dogs today, quite a lot. ‘Why do dogs have to die?’ asked the four-year-old cousin, in a spirit of enquiry. I did not really have an awfully good ontological answer to that.

I miss my mare, who is very much alive, but five hundred miles north. I look at pictures, to quench the yearning. ‘Oh,’ says the four-year-old, a dying fall in her voice, ‘she is so beautiful.’ And so she is, and I am lucky to have her.

 

Today’s pictures are a random selection from the last few months. I was going through the files and plucked these out for you. There are some archive shots of the Duchess and the Pigeon too:

24 Nov 1

24 Nov 2

24 Nov 3

24 Nov 4

24 Nov 38

24 Nov 6

24 Nov 6-001

24 Nov 6-002

24 Nov 9

24 Nov 10

24 Nov 11

24 Nov 39

24 Nov 14

24 Nov 15

24 Nov 17

24 Nov 17-001

24 Nov 18

24 Nov 18-001

24 Nov 22

24 Nov 22-001

24 Nov 24

24 Nov 25

24 Nov 26

24 Nov 28

24 Nov 28-001

24 Nov 29

24 Nov 30

24 Nov 31

24 Nov 33

24 Nov 35

24 Nov 37

4 comments:

  1. Absolutely gorgeous photos today. Isn't it fun to go back through the old pics and have a little trip down memory lane? Really love that one of Red rolling in the grass.

    Oh and I get such a kick out of your conversations with your small cousin.I hope you will share a lot of those!

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  2. As always stunning pictures! And the snow on the nose (and forehead) brought a tear to my eye, such loveliness.

    robyn

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  3. Utterly melting picture of the Pidge at her most adorable today (had to add it to my Favourites in my ongoing PIGEON folder),
    splendid close-up of Red's eye and the veranda seems to be straight out of a Checov's play!

    ReplyDelete
  4. P.S. The one in black and white I could not resist.

    ReplyDelete

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