For Horse & Racing Lovers

[Snag Breac]

I've just spent the morning at the Living Legends retirement home for champion race horses in Greenvale - a fantastic experience. It's based around the Woodlands Homestead (1843) in the Woodlands Historic Park.

We got to pat Better Loosen Up and Fields of Omagh, and spent some time with Rojan Josh, Doreimus, Might and Power and Sky Heights. M&P gets jealous if you go to another horse. He even bit Sky Heights to keep him away from us. Silent Witness was there too. A great day out, and a top spot for anyone interested in history, architecture, gardening, bushwalking or plane-spotting.:thumbsu:

[pipeline]

I've just spent the morning at the Living Legends retirement home for champion race horses in Greenvale - a fantastic experience. It's based around the Woodlands Homestead (1843) in the Woodlands Historic Park.

:thumbsu:

It is a nice place Snag, and a nice idea. The old hayburners seem very content there and I'm sure they're all very conscious of their status as champions - much like old footballers. Maybe something similar would work with them - we could all go out and pat them, tell them how wonderful they were and honour them as they should be.

It's a funny old place, an Indian (as in the sub-continent) bungalow, pre-fabbed in the UK and shipped to the colonies for middle level officials. It worked remarkably well in the Australian climate. When I've been there, I can't help wondering what the good Captain would have made of the sight of the giant planes approaching Tulla on short final.

The kangaroos are a hoot too - the most indolent lot of freeloaders around. I've never seen them doing much more than lying about looking smug and content! Supporters maybe?

[Snag Breac]

I was thinking the same thing about old footballers, Pipes, especially when our guide said that Silent Witness had the greatest mental strength of any horse he'd known. Apparently he stoically endured the rigors of the flight from Hong Kong, and when he got to Woodlands, he had his blinkers taken off for the first time in years - no paddocks in HK. He was briefly wary of all those roos - and yes, they're hilarious - but settled down at once. It sounded as if he had Nathan Buckley-like sang froid. He won 17 races in a row. If we could find another player with that attitude and demeanour, we'd happily fund his retirement.:thumbsu: