CARDIGAN BAY SETS THE PACE IN CELESTIA!

Cardigan Bay is another famous standardbred pacer and can legitimately claim to being one of the world's best race horses in any style of racing! He was the ninth horse to win $1 million U.S. dollars...the first 8 winners were all thoroughbreds.

Cardigan Bay was born in New Zealand on the first of September, 1956. He was beloved by his owners, trainers and riders and affectionately called Cardy. After winning 29 of 47 races in New Zealand and Australia, he was purchased for $100,000 by a syndicate  in the U.S. with the agreement that he would be retired in New Zealand. He raced in the U.S.from 1964 through 1968.

The plain bay colt, crossed the $1 million mark at the Freehold Raceway in New Jersey and was retired right after that in a Sept. 1968 ceremony in Yonkers, New York. Before returning to New Zealand where he spent the rest of his life on a stud farm, Cardy actually appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show...I know, most of you weren't alive for that Sunday night show but I was. (And I watched the Beatles 1964 performance and screamed all the way through it!)

Below is an interesting Youtube video of one of his races. Watch closely as, right at the end on the back stretch, there is a crash and horses and sulkies and drivers go everywhere. One driver flies through the air and lands in the lap of another driver and the horse carries both of them across the finish line!

https://youtu.be/YGioLHsgKQM

Cardigan Bay was so famous and such a national hero in New Zealand that they actually made a postage stamp with his image on it!

Cardigan Bay died peacefully in his sleep in March of 1988 at the age of 31. Well, at least that was the official word!

To learn what happens to the noble and great horses after they die, peacefully or not, read The Mist Trilogy. Check it out on my new website: www.dancinghorsepress.com
The Mist Trilogy is a 2014 Gold Medal winner of the Mom's Choice Award.

ENTER THE GOODREADS GIVEAWAY

Enter the Goodreads.com Giveaway for a chance to win one of 10 FREE copies of my new book: "In the Heart of a Mustang." The drawing will be held by Goodreads on October 5th...the day of the official release! Just go here:

 
 

    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 

   

       
   

   

     

          In the Heart of a Mustang
     
     

          by M.J. Evans
     

     

         
            Giveaway ends October 05, 2015.
         
         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         
     
   
   

    Enter Giveaway

THE CLOSING OF THE ROY ROGERS MUSEUM

I wrote a blog post about Roy Roger's on his birthday (9 month's ago) and another one about Trigger in 2010 (one of the first posts I wrote!) Today, I report the sad news that the Roy Rogers Museum in Barnson, MO has closed its doors and all the wonderful items in the collection have been auctioned off. 

Mike Fry wrote this piece about the event and posted it on facebook. I found it very interesting and hope you will, too. However, I don't come to the same conclusions he did about my generation. We, as a general rule, failed at our most important job...raising the next generation! We over-indulged them and didn't pass on the morals and values that we were taught. One example is our television programming and movies. Hollywood once felt the obligation to improve society. Now they seem bent on destroying it.

Mike Fry

THE END OF AN ERA.......

The Roy Rogers Museum in Branson, MO has closed its doors forever.

The contents of the museum were sold at a public auction.

Roy Rogers told his son, if the museum ever operates at a loss,

close it And sell the contents. He complied.
Note the follow-on article truly the end of an era.

Here is a partial listing of some of the items that were sold at auction...

Roy 's 1964 Bonneville sold for $254,500, it was estimated to Sell between 100 and 150 thousand dollars.

His script book from the January 14,1953 episode of This Is Your Life sold for $10,000 (EST. $800-$1,000).

A collection of signed baseballs (Pete Rose, Duke Snyder and other greats) sold for $3,750.

A collection of signed bats (Yogi Berra, Enos Slaughter, Bob Feller, and others) sold for $2,750.

Trigger 's saddle and bridle sold for $386,500 (EST. 100-150 K).

One of many of Roy 's shirts sold for $16,250 and one of his many cowboy hats sold for $17,500.

One set of boot spurs sold for $10,625.
(He never used a set of spurs on Trigger).

A life size shooting gallery sold for $27,500.

Various chandeliers sold from $6,875 to $20,000.
Very unique and artistic in their western style.

A signed photograph by Don Larsen taken during his perfect game in the world series against The Dodgers on Oct. 8, 1953, along with a signed baseball to Roy from Don, sold for $2,500.

Two fabulous limited edition BB guns in their original boxes with numerous photos of Roy, Dale,
Gabby, and Pat sold for $3,750.

A collection of memorabilia from his shows entertaining the troops in Vietnam sold for $938.
I never knew he was there.

His flight jacket sold for $7,500.

His set of dinner ware plates and silverware sold for $11,875.

The Bible they used at the dinner table every night sold for $8,750.

One of several of his guitars sold for $27,500.

Nellybelle sold for $116,500.

A fabulous painting of Roy, Dale, Pat, Buttermilk, Trigger, and Bullet sold for $10,625.

One of several sets of movie posters sold for $18,750.

A black and white photograph of Gene Autry with a touching inscription from Gene to Roy sold for $17,500.

A Republic Productions Poster bearing many autographs of the people that played in Roy 's movies sold for $11,875.

Dale 's horse, Buttermilk (whose history is very interesting) sold below the presale estimate for $25,000. (EST. 30-40 K).

Bullet sold for $35,000 (EST. 10-15 K). He was their real pet.

Dale's parade saddle, estimated to sell between 20-30 K, sold for $104,500.

One of many pairs of Roy's boots sold for $21,250.

Trigger sold for $266,500.

Do you remember the 1938 movie The Adventures of Robin Hood, With Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland?

Well Olivia rode Trigger in that movie.

Trigger was bred on a farm co-owned by Bing Crosby.
Roy bought Trigger on a time payment plan for $2,500.

Roy and Trigger made 188 movies together.

Trigger even out did Bob Hope by winning an Oscar in the movie Son of Paleface in 1953.

It is extremely sad to see this era lost forever. Despite the fact that Gene and Roy 's movies, as well as those of other great characters, can be bought or rented for viewing, today 's kids would rather
spend their time playing video games.

Today it takes a very special pair of parents to raise their kids with the right values and morals.

These were the great heroes of our childhood, and they did teach us right from wrong, and how to have and show respect for each other and the animals that share this earth.

You and I were born at the right time.

We were able to grow up with these great people even if we never met them.

In their own way they taught us patriotism and honor, we learned that lying and Cheating were bad, and sex wasn't as important as love.

We learned how to suffer through disappointment and failure and work through it.

Our lives were drug free.

So it 's good-bye to Roy and Dale, Gene and Hoppy, The Lone Ranger and Tonto.

Farewell to Sky King and Superman and Sgt. Friday and don't forget Pat Butrum and Gabby Hayes.

Thanks to Capt..Kangaroo, Mr. Rogers and Capt. Noah and all those people whose lives touched ours, and made them better.


It was a great ride through childhood.

HAPPY TRAILS MY FRIENDS

Anyone under 50...won't understand or care!

IN THE HEART OF A MUSTANG

My newest novel, In the Heart of a Mustang, is available NOW in ebook format. It is available exclusively for Kindles. Click here to order:

 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=In+the+Heart+of+a+Mustang

It will be available in print in September. I'll keep you posted about the release day.

ABOUT MUSTANG SALLY AND HER FRIENDS

In the Heart of a Mustang will be released soon!

My newest book which is titled "In the Heart of a Mustang" is about a boy who is told that his father was a brave and virtuous man, a soldier who traded his life to save the lives of countless others. He was the man that Hunter needed to emulate. The only problem is the whole story is a lie, all of it. The truth, which Hunter discovers as he begins  his sophomore year of high school, is that his father has actually spent the boy's entire life in jail, paying his debt to society, but not mending his ways.

Meanwhile, a wild mustang mare is rounded up by the BLM. The spring rains had been sparse, the forage on the plains even more so. The mare and her herd are rescued from certain starvation and placed for adoption. In a sandy corral at Promise Ranch, a home for troubled teenage boys, the boy and the mare meet. A weathered, old cowboy brings them together - a mentor for one, a trainer for the other.

The bond that forms between boy and horse becomes one that saves the lives of both.

The wild mustangs that roam the western United States are descendants of Spanish or Iberian horses that were brought to the US in the 16th century. The modern horses are now a cross with Quarter Horses, draft horses and any other horse that has been lost or let loose. They are now considered a breed of their own.

The name mustang comes from the word "Mustango" which means "ownerless beast" or "stray horse."

They are popular as riding or ranch horses due to their stamina and speed. In addition, their study legs make them less prone to injury. They come in a variety of colors. Mustang Sally, the star of "In the Heart of a Mustang" is a dun...a light tan body with black mane, tail and legs. See her picture on the cover:

In the book, I give you lots of information on how the horses live and how to train them.

Here is part of what you will learn:

The horses live in grassland areas of the western United States. They must remain on public land that is controlled by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM.) They are allowed to run free on 34 million acres over several states. 

The mustangs live in herds. Most herds consist of 1 stallion and 8 mares with their young. Each herd is led by the stallion and one mare (I call her the "Alpha Mare.")When in danger, the mare leads the herd to safety while the stallion will stay and fight. 

These horses are protected under the 1971 "Wild Horse and Burro Program." It has been updated and amended many times since then. The BLM has set the appropriate management level (ALM) at 26,217. As of March 1, 2015, there were 58,150! As of July, 2015, 47,000 mustangs are being held in holding facilities at a cost of $43 million! 

In the book, Smokey, the ranch hand at Promise Ranch, adopts 12 mustangs. The adoptions in Arizona take place in Florence, AZ at the state correctional facility. There are generally around 500 horses and burros available. Adoptions take place on Fridays by appointment. It costs $150 to $700 per horse paid to the correctional facility and another $125 for a BLM fee. You must be pre-approved to make an appointment. You can call the BLM at 602-417-9421 or by downloading the app here: 

http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/wo/Planning_and_Renewable_Resources/wild_horses_and_burros/adoption_application.Par.32707.File.dat/BLM_4710-010.pdf

BE WATCHING FOR THE RELEASE OF

IN THE HEART OF A MUSTANG. 

I'LL ANNOUNCE IT HERE!

MY NEW BOOK IS ALMOST HERE!

I am excited to announce that my newest book is almost ready for release! I just got the front cover back from the designer. Isn't it cool! The back cover isn't ready yet. The interior editing and formatting is done, however.

The book is titled: "In the Heart of a Mustang." It is a young adult novel about a boy who gets in trouble with the law and is sent to a ranch for troubled teens. There he meets a wild mustang mare that has been adopted from the BLM. An immediate bond forms between the two. The boy learns a lot about himself as the old ranch cowboy teaches him how to train the horse. As tragedy befalls the boy, the mare saves his life. He, in turn, must save her.

You are going to love this story! My next post will be about mustangs.

ADIOS-THE FASTEST PACER IN CELESTIA!

When my husband and I were newly weds, we drove across the country from Oregon, where we were married, to New Haven, CT where Tom was a student at Yale and I was going to start my teaching career at North Haven High School. We had taken the long route through Canada before cutting down into upstate New York. It was late at night and without even a moon to light the way, all was dark as we drove across the farm lands. Eventually, the sky up ahead was glowing with bright lights. When we arrived at the source of the light, we discovered that they were illuminating a horse racing track. Going around the oval were Standardbreds, pulling sulkies. Having never seen a harness race before, we pulled off and went to watch. It was fascinating and so fun.

I have mentioned before that, as a child, my favorite books were anything written by Marguerite Henry. She wrote one book about harness racing titled "Born to Trot". That was my only exposure to harness racing.

So, today, I decided to go back to my usual theme of "Noble and Great Horses" and write about one of the greatest harness racers: the great champion and outstanding sire, ADIOS!

 Adios was born on January 3, 1940, the son of Hal Dale and the mare Adioo Volo. He was born at Two Gaits Farm in Carmel, Indiana. He was trained and driven by Frank Ervin. For a while, he was owned by Harry Warner of the Warner Brothers film studio. During his racing career, he won multiple world championships. His pacing record at the Shelbyville Indiana fair stood for 43 years!

In 1948, Adios was bought by harness racing driver Delvin Miller. Miller brought him to his Meadow Lands farm near Washington, PA, where he stood at stud. While he was a great racer, Adios was even a better stud and is considered by many to be the greatest sire in harness racing history. He sired eight "Little Brown Jug" winners and his sons, Adios Butler and Bret Hanover, both became winners of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. Before he died, Adios had sired 589 offspring. His name is found on consumer products and harness horse equipment. He even has a golf club in Florida named after him!

The Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers are:
Cane Pace, held at Tioga Downs in Nichols, NY
Little Brown Jug, held at the Delaware County Fair in Delaware, Ohio
Messenger Stakes, held at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, NY

There is a different Triple Crown for Trotters.

All North American Harness races are restricted to Standard Bred Horses.  But the races are divided into two specific gaits: a trot or a pace.

 There is a big difference between pacers and trotters. A trot is a two beat diagonal gait, like my Hanoverian, Jazz, does and that we English riders ride either posting (rising up and down) or sitting. The trot of a standard bred is faster than the gallop of the average non-race horse and has been clocked at over 30 miles per hour.

The pace, on the other hand is a lateral two-beat gait. In the pace, the two legs on the same side of the horse move forward together. Some horse naturally prefer to pace. This gait is generally not comfortable to ride as the rider is thrown from side to side. The pace of the Icelandic Horse is one exception. But the pace is even faster than the trot in a harness racing horse.

This famous set of pictures shows that there is a moment in the pace (as well as the trot) when all four of the horse's feet are off the ground.

READ THE AWARD WINNING FANTASY 

"THE MIST TRILOGY"

BEHIND THE MIST, MISTS OF DARKNESS AND THE RISING MIST

Autographed copies available on the website:

www.themisttrilogy.com

Also available wherever books and ebooks are sold.