Some of these stories have left me with tears in my eyes...those of you that have suffered the loss of a loved one touch the heart, and you have my sympathy and my admiration for getting yourself and those close to you through such saddness. Some very special folks here.
I'm 63
(how'd that happen!)...grew up a tom-boy running around the neighborhood in Bensonhurst, Bklyn...my dad, a WWII vet had a paint & wallpaper business on Coney Island Av. All my grandparents came over and through Ellis Island (one grandpa has his name on the wall there)...I'm of Irish & Italian bloodlines. My love for horses began as a kid in Bklyn, I guess riding the ponies at a place near the Verazzano Bridge, and the Steeplechase ride at Coney Island. The house in Bensonhurst was built by my mom's father in the late 1800's, and stood until only several years ago when some moron tore it down for an apartment building...I loved that house!
My folks moved us to Elmont and I attended Elmont Memorial HS...I got through school by the skin of my teeth, my art classes always kept my grade average at graduating level
...I hated school, and if I had liked it, could have attended F.I.T after graduation...but when we moved to Elmont I saw for the first time, Belmont Park and would hang out at the fenceline to see all the horses go by...from that first sight of the mighty grandstand, I knew what I wanted to do with my life...I think it was meant to be because I went to school with Jim Dailey's kids...he was a legend at Belmont...lead outrider (he brought Secretariat back after his Belmont win)...I drove his son Jimmy nuts asking about the track and wanting a job there...when there were no women working there...I was determined.
After graduation (age 17) I moved out on my own and my first great job was back in NYC...I had an apt in Queens, just off Jamacia Av. I worked for a womens clothing store chain doing window display...the main store was on 5th Av, near St. Patty's...but all I could think about was Belmont...I eventually got back in touch with Jimmy Dailey, met a friend of his and got my first job, walking hots for Ira Hanford...and married that friend of Jimmy's, a Viet Nam vet and one of the best exercise riders at Belmont. I did divorce him years later, and because of that, I left NY for good
...
I've lived in several states,coast to coast, best time was in Ocala on a horse farm there...it was wonderful and that started my 'dream' of having my own horses some day...
I was a crazy hippie back in the day...went to Woodstock, lived a hippie type life...including drugs, went to dozens of concerts and saw some of the great bands play...Woodstock is kind of a blur
...I was wild, crazy and independent...and strong enough to be one of the first gals working on the backside...and later i would do other men type jobs to earn a living...including working for Burlington-Northern RailRoad...along with one other gal and 35 guys, I tore up the old track and laid down the new...hardest job I ever had, but it was great.
I wanted back on the race track so decided to head for CA., wound up in WY. because my dad died and my mom wanted to live with me...couldn't drag her to CA and the track...at the time I was making a 6 mo stop in Colo. and worked on a ranch there, saving my $$ to get to CA. and SA...but when the ranch I was on moved up here to WY. I went with them...mom in tow...to make this part of my story short, I met and married my husband of 25 years...he was an oil field roughneck before he started to farm...when I met him I found out why I never had children, he lost the mother of his kids, she was killed, so when we married, I adopted them both, and now they are married and we have 5 grandchildren...
so I've been farming for the last 25 years, and it's about as hard an occupation you can have...but in that time period I was re united with the Champion Foolish Pleasure, and his owners gave me a few of their mares and I was able to live a dream and have my own horses...and foals. I called my operation 'Foolish Dream Farm'...bred the mares to QH stallions and had a great run for about 10 years...when I began to retire the mares, I sorta weaned myself from the business...I have horses I bred all over the country and Canada...I'm very proud of the foals I bred.(tha's one in my avatar)
Animals are my life long love...and the horses a passion I'll die with...I began following racing the day Carry Back won the Kentucky Derby...I still miss the track and I still miss having foals on the ground... but my life took me on a pretty good ride and although I have no race tracks nearby, we have a wonderful farm to live on, I'm surrounded by mountains and wildlife, married a good man, have good kids and grandkids, have animals in my life, we have 3 dogs, a goofy cat, my horses and guess I have to count the cows (ugh)...we work our butts off...but it keeps you fit, if nothing else!
Lots of other stuff I could include...but this is the basic story of 'who I am'
hope it didn't put you to sleep
