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“We were so overwhelmed by the welcome and kindness extended to us.”
their sweet foals. Paulette even coaxed them over for me to pet! Of course, this was during my education on the breeding and keeping
of the ladies. We also got to stop by and meet Jay’s racing pigeons. That is another fascinating industry about which I knew nothing.
Next, we hopped in Jay’s truck to tour a few other farms. I just learned he had it cleaned special for our visit. That was above and beyond the call! Especially after it had rained the night before and there was mud everywhere. And it turns out, Jay is a Vietnam Vet. He was a sniper and wrote a very interesting book (Point of Aim Point of Impact.)
On our way south, Jay pointed out Miguel Gallegos’ farm and explained more about the history of horse breeding in New Mexico.
Our first stop was at Double LL Farms. We
met Blanche. She’s been working at Double
LL Farms for decades. She tried to retire, but she missed it so much she came back to work part-time on the weekends! She pointed out
the broodmares and the stallion barn and the paddock for the foals. We also got to hear about the big Bosque Fire that had happened only weeks before. She talked animatedly about
the many phone calls she got with offers of trucks and trailers and help to move the horses and save the farm if necessary. People had
just shown up with trailers to help move the horses to safety. It was a testament to the horse community. She talked about how scared the horses were and so was she. I saw the line of burnt trees along the property line and I can only imagine the huge flames burning. What a blessing no one, no horses and none of their property was damaged! (Well, a small corner.)
With that done, Jay got a phone call from W.L. Mooring about meeting him at the North Farm and it was time to move on.
Next stop was MJ Farms. We were greeted by Mac Murray himself. What an honor to meet the owner of the Quarter Horse Sire and Mare of the Year. He was warm and welcoming and took us immediately to meet his stallions. I got to pet them all. My 10-year-old self was joyous! We got a wonderful tour of his farm and an education on breeding Quarter Horse stallions.
And then on to meet W. L. at his North Farm. Again, what an honor! W. L. is an institution in and of himself. We toured his farm and talked about everything! We learned about the beginnings of the New Mexico Bred program and his many jobs, from stall boy to jockey to farm manager to breeder and owner. Jay kindly treated us all to lunch at Pete’s where we continued to learn more about horses and the racing industry here in New Mexico.
It meant the world to both Dave and me. We were so overwhelmed by the welcome and kindness extended to us. Jay and Paulette were amazing hosts! We got so much more than the quick tour of a small farm that we expected. There were no small farms that day!
Last weekend I got to go to Ruidoso Downs for the Zia Festival at the racetrack. The Zia Festival is like the county fair - no rides, but a HUGE pavilion of booths with NM handmade items. The track was running some big races specifically for NM bred horses with big purses. Not having been to a track before, I was so very surprised! They had valet parking - for a gravel parking lot which was mostly full of BIG pickup trucks. One of the members of the NMHBA
loaned us his box, so I got to watch my first race that way. I picked a horse - but didn’t put money on it. It won! That was super fun, but
I am glad I wasn’t betting real money because the rest of the races I lost. Saturday, Mary and
I manned our booth - talking up the NMHBA to folks. That was so very much fun! As you know, I love to talk to folks. That night was the big Awards Dinner for the NMHBA winners. The awards went well. Dinner was tamales, but the big hit of the night was the chocolate cake. Lots of folks just skipped dinner and had two pieces of cake - when it started to run out, the fight was on. Grin. It was a fancy dinner and event, but as in Portland, there were all kinds. We had folks in fancy dresses and folks who had been working the farm that morning and hadn’t had a chance to tidy up. Just so awesome to meet real cowboys and farmers! I had a great time. And just so ya know, the racetrack plays an instrumental version of the national anthem before the races. The open covered area where we had our booth made my singing sound loud and awesome! I made you proud. LOLOLO. One lady suggested the track should hire me. The three-hour commute is a bit prohibitive.
Finally, and most importantly, let me
add a word of appreciation to Mary Barber. She invited me to the Zia Festival! She ushered me around the track and the boxes and introduced me to folks with grace and kindness. She was wonderful company. I enjoyed spending the weekend working with her and getting to know her better. I am so very grateful to her for hiring me for this wonderful job and for introducing me to this magnificent community!
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