Oh God… did I stir up a hornets nest. For a few months now I’ve been on a rampage to enhance faire costuming. Truth is faire garb is not what is used to be once. People don’t seem to care much, which is really frustrating. Everyone wants to have a fair, not everyone is interested in working at having one.

I suggested a costuming guide line - actually I did not suggest. I put into place. That really pissed people off. It is funny though. The guide lines have been noted on every faire for the last 15 years or so, but no one paid attention. Now we say that we do and people have an issue with that. But I’m not discouraged. I think we can get the faires back to the quality they should be. I think Tahoe is right where it should be.

BTW, here is a glimpse of future guidelines… Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for something to do either this or next weekend, there’s nothing more entertaining and fun filled than Valhalla Renaissance Faire. The lake’s most popular summer festival is returning once again over the first two weekends May 31st – June 1st and June 7th – 8th and will transport visitors to a country fair in late-1500s England. While at the festival; visitors will hoist their tankards and bend elbows with ambassadors from foreign lands and juggling jesters, winsome wenches, lords and ladies, peasants, merchants, knight of horseback, squires, soldiers and simpletons in authentic costumes who re-create an Elizabethan country fair.

This year we have expanded on the entertainment providing patrons with a fabulous variety show for all ages. Some of the attractions include

Knights of Avalon will return to Valhalla this year to offer their fantastic full contact joust. http://www.knightsofavalon.org/

Stark Ravens a renown international troupe of actors that specializing in abbreviated classics that are sure to please: from Commedia dell’Arte to Shakespeare and beyond, will slice ‘em and dice ‘em, leaving in the funny parts and adding music liberally! They will perform first weekend. http://www.starkravens.com/

Piccolo Puppet Players will be performing the second weekend. They too are nationally renown fun puppet show for kids of all ages. These zany slapstick shows are presented by Elizabethan or Victorian theme characters. They will perform the second weekend. http://www.piccolopuppetplayers.com/home.htm

Also new are the Siamsa le Cheile. They provide a whirlwind show - the music, song, and dance of Scotland and Ireland. Perfomers include children through adults and also include champion and premiere dancers and dance teachers. We can perform anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes per show, and are considered a “family friendly act” for venues needing shows appropriate for all ages. For more information and additional photos of the troupe, see our web site at http://www.siamsa.net

Additionally we welcome back the Queen Elizabeth and her Court, Captains Dotter singers, Myth and Magic offering their magic show, Out of Kontrol jugglers, Travellers Union showcasing their folk music and children’s interactive storytelling shows, not to mention Bubble Fairy and many many more. Come and mingle with over a 1000 costumed entertainers, shop at 100s of various shops, play games, and partake of an amazing varieties of foods offered.

Check out our website for more information…. www.valhallafaire.com and hope to see you there…

In case anybody was interested in watching some upper-level eventing this weekend, the Woodside Horse Park will be hosting a three-day event, with Dressage Friday, Cross-Country Saturday, and Stadium (Show Jumping) Sunday.

There is no admission fee, but the horsepark is charging parking of $10/vehicle.

Some of you have expressed an interest in watching the upper-level cross country.
Saturday’s (rough) schedule:
8:30AM - OPEN PRELIMINARY
10:30AM - OPEN INTERMEDIATE
11:40AM - *ADVANCED*

A friend of mine will be jump-judging out there, but will probably be walking the A/I courses after the upper divisions end. He walked the course yesterday, and they’ve got some interesting tests in the course, the footing and jumps both looked clean.

You are welcome to walk around the course and watch the jumping from inside the field, as long as you stay out of the way of the horses/competitors, and don’t yell anything that might be construed as advice to the riders (there’s a reason that eventers yell “Woo Hoo!” instead of “Go-Go-Go!” ;-).

Best Viewing: Many folks love to stand on the edge of the “lake” and watch competitors splash through the water-complex of jumps.

PRESS RELEASE — Woodside Horse Trials Offers Chance For Rising Stars

Woodside, Calif., April 15, 2008 — The Adequan/USEA Gold Cup Series comes to the Woodside Horse Trials on May 23-25, and it will be an excellent opportunity for rising riders and their horses to earn valuable points in the year-long series at the advanced and intermediate levels of eventing.

Woodside is the second of this season’s four events in the Pacific League. Although this is the first time the Woodside May event has been a part of the Adequan/USEA Gold Cup Series, in 2007 Woodside was a qualifying event for the Pan Am Games. Gina Miles, of Creston, Calif., was one of the Pan Am event competitors, and she went on to win the team gold and individual bronze medals on McKinlaigh in Rio de Janeiro last summer.

Miles and McKinlaigh claimed this year’s first Pacific League event, at Galway Downs in Temecula on March 28-30, but the pair won’t be competing at Woodside because they’ll have contested the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** four weeks earlier, seeking a spot on this summer’s U.S. Olympic eventing team.

With the favorite out of the race, Woodside’s advanced division will be a wide-open affair, a perfect spot for an upcoming pair to earn valuable points and prizes. The advanced riders will be aiming for $1,500 in prize money, and the intermediate riders will be aiming for $900 in prize money.

At the intermediate level, Alexandra Knowles, of Auburn, the winner at Galway Downs, and Julie Ann Boyer, of Agua Dolce, who finished second there, are expected to be in the Woodside starting field. They’re standing second and third in the national rankings at the moment, and a blue ribbon at Woodside could vault either one to the top of the national leaderboard.

Riders and their horses will be facing 26 fences that course designer Derek di Grazia of Carmel has either newly created or dramatically redesigned. These course improvements are part of the continuing revitalization of the Woodside equestrian facility on Sand Hill Rd. undertaken by event organizer Robert Kellerhouse since re-establishing eventing at Woodside in 2005.

USEA-recognized horse trials hadn’t been held at the 280-acre Horse Park at Woodside since 2001, and Kellerhouse replaced almost the entire cross-country course. “I took over the event because California desperately needed an eventing facility in Northern California, plus it was a chance to start from scratch at a truly unique place. I mean, where else could you organize an event with such a fabulous view of the San Francisco Bay to the east and the hills of Woodside to the west?” said Kellerhouse.

Kellerhouse runs three USEA-recognized competitions at Woodside each year—in May, August and October. Each one attracts scores of entries from Bay Area riders and attracts dozens of other riders from around the state, and from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. Kellerhouse expects to start 350 horses in May.

To be or not to be….

Shakespeare sketch

I’m in the process of getting an Afghan Hound puppy. Its been a lonely few months, feels actually like years. I need something, someone to keep me company. A nice large, furry dog should do it. If you’re not familiar with how Afghan Hounds look like, here is a picture of one:

My new puppy will look similar to these beautiful boys. I’m working with a phenomenal breeder on choosing the pup from the litter. They’re a little older, now 15 weeks. I’m choosing one of the two boys. They’re both beautiful. One is a little more aggressive than the other, but both have fabulous personalities. The pup won’t be making it home will after Tahoe. No way am I going to put my guild or for that matter the puppy through the stress of adjusting through the faire season.

I’m in the process of choosing the name for the little guy. Here are some thoughts. Wanna help me narrow this down? So, the choices are:

Coinn Lotair - a magical hound of a legendary Irish chieftain. - My favorite… Coinn Lotair would be his paper name. He would go by Lotair.

Neuri (PL) - hape-shifters of uncertain origins. They are said to be sorcerers that can take the shape of a wolf for one week once a year.

Cu sith - Scots Gaelis “Fairy Dog” that prays on travelers.

Cwn Annwn - fairy hounds who live in Welsh Underworld. They hunt wrongdoers and protect the innocent.

Arctophonos - One of two giant hunting dogs belonging to Orion in classical mythology. He and his fellow were powerful enough to hunt down bears. Arcto would be his name.

Wawel - Polish Krakow Castle

As you can see I’m going after names that stem from mythology. If you have a suggestion, pass it my way…

Piotrek is in LA by now. We spent three glorious days together. How strange how easily he and I were able to open up and communicate, considering this was the first time he and I have met. Neither of us actually opens up easily. And here we were talking as if we knew each other all our lives.

We spent most of the days in San Francisco. I showed him the Warf, numerous missions, china town, palace of fine arts. As Piotrek is en equestrian we went to see Knight. I have to say Piotrek has one heck of a seat. Knight is not very fond of men, but he took to Piotrek as if he knew him all his life. It was fantastic to see someone else ride him so well.

We also visited SaddleRack, played pool. Finally I took him to Old Calaveras road. Ok, a race car driver, he was in his element. I almost puked….

All in all we had a fantastic time. I hope he will keep in touch. I have a hard time writing to people who do not speak English. But, I try. Here it is different…. I think we will only grow closer. I hope to meet his sister and her family, and the rest of the Mierniks I do not know…

A treat. My cousin from Poland is visiting. I’m excited to spend some time with him. His arrival is a surprise and I relish spending time with him. I’l be playing tour guide. Today, we will take on San Francisco. Plan of attack? I don’t have one. Actually…. to show him as much of SF as I possibly can. Should be fun.

When Eight Belles fell down after finishing second at the Derby, she had suffered condylar fractures of both front ankles.

The death of Eight Belles, the first filly to run in the Kentucky Derby in Louisville since 1999, is generating new debate about the place of horse racing in American culture.

On Saturday, after crossing the finish line 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Big Brown, Eight Belles galloped out and was around the first turn toward the top of the backstretch when she suddenly went down on her front knees.

The on-call veterinarian for the Triple Crown races said nothing could be done to save the horse, so shortly after the equine ambulance arrived, protective screens were brought out to block the view of Eight Belles being euthanized.

Eight Belles killing was heartbreaking…particularly when juxtaposed against the celebration of the Derby winner. We all want to congratulate a winner, but a “loser” however gallant her attempt, is just not close enough and so, she is “expendable” after giving the attempt her all. Heartbreaking, disgusting, dispicable, shocking all apply. But could it have been prevented?

She gave it her all. Who know what she could of been because Big Brown is pretty darn good. The major drama about the jockey is uncalled for. A jockey would not put his or her life in jeopardy or the horses if he felt something amiss. She was also to valuable. My gut feeling tells me - she was tired and stepped wrong and broke her ankle and than stepped wrong again and broke down. I do think people are right about the inbreeding and the durability of the horses because they are bred for speed and are more fragile.

The industry is trying to do something to combat this as in installing the new tracks will help and stiffer penalities for abusers which I feel the veterainains need stiffer policies too if they know a horse they are treating could break down or has a major injury. There is the good and bad side to the everyday racing not just the big events. Owners and trainers taking chances with a horse that maybe hurt which I do not like but again stiffer penalities and policies I hope will help the industry.

There is no way that in this situation that the trainer/owner that have a great reputation in the industry would of run a valuable horse like this especially for her worth in the breeding shed - if they felt she could compete or had something wrong with her and she definitely proved she could compete and as Rags to Riches(filly) did in the Belmont Stakes againist Curlin. As a owner of a horse and a animal lover I disagree with it being animal cruelty. Yes there maybe cases with some trainers and owners but the majority I know truly care what is best for the horse and the human being on the back of the horse.

I have learned there are horses that want to run and love it and ones that hate it - I guess you could say like human athletes. I know accidents and breakdown do happen not only at the tracks but at farms. Therefore, I do think the industry is aware there is a problem with breakdowns/breeding and I hope it can succeed in lowering the numbers over the years. I send my condolences to the owners, grooms and the trainer of Eight Belles.