Post by Exceller Fund on Oct 9, 2006 23:03:15 GMT -5
Hi all!
After a wonderful - but grueling - 4-days of meeting the public, kissing babies, being blinded by a thousand (million??) camera flashes, dodging humans and golf carts and strollers and wheelchairs and minature horses and gigantic horses and even cows, Mr Dallas is back safe and sound and is currently grazing with his buddies and, of course, Lexi. He traveled like the pro he is and we arrived home a little before 2 AM last night.
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i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/Exceller/Rich%20In%20Dallas/1-Excellerfund-Booth.jpg [/IMG] (Here is our booth at Equine Affaire)
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i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/Exceller/Rich%20In%20Dallas/2-Dallas_sign.jpg [/IMG] (Here is the sign for Dallas from the folks at Equine Affaire. Stay tuned for Dallas' letter to see him in his stall.)
We were all SOOOOOOOOOOO proud of Dallas! He was truly a hit with the public and behaved like a Class Act. Nothing fazed him, and others at the event repeatedly told us how well mannered and content he seems. Several other exhibitors at the event asked Dallas to participate in their presentations, and so he was a model horse for a Confirmation for Performance Clinic and a Saddle Fitting Clinic. At the saddle-fitting clinic he had the audience giggling as he yawned during the long-winded discussion and at one point quietly pulled the wire out of the clinicians microphone as if to say "Ok, shows' over folks". lol
He also made friends with an Ice Cream vendor and was pictured at their kiosk ordering and being served a vanilla soft-serve. Bonnie has this picture to share! Too cute; the vendor fell in love with him and stopped off a couple of times during her breaks to bring Dallas apple slices.
I heard yesterday before we left that attendance was slightly over 100,000 (106,000 to be precise) people during the 4-days. The Exceller Fund booth and Dallas were usually VERY busy with lots of people crowding around to visit with Dallas. On Saturday at 2:00 PM (Prime Time slot!) he had his big event - a 45-minute presentation in the arena where he and The Exceller Fund were introduced to the public. He wore his Seabiscuit costume and Kelly was in her silks and the two looked wonderful. At the end of the presentation the Equine Affaire coordinator realized how great his appeal is to people - and how great he is with them - that she announced people could enter the arena to have their pictures taken with him. I told Bonnie it looked like a scene from a mall at Christmas, with families lined up to meet Santa Claus.
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i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/Exceller/Rich%20In%20Dallas/9-Dallas_public1.jpg [/IMG]
(Dallas on Saturday before his admiring public. Sorry for the blurry shots!)
I don't know what the grand-total is for the donations TEF received, but it has to be significant. The silent auction of his halter alone netted $150.00 I think! But equally wonderful was to watch this horse with the people.........to see a small child reach up and rub his lowered head and say "Thank You Seabiscuit" is priceless. And not just children - one of my best memories was of a son and his elderly, ill father. The father was in a motorized scooter and had oxygen bottles. We talked for a couple minutes, and I asked if he would like to go "backstage" and meet Dallas. The man just beamed, unhooked his oxygen lines and slowly walked to the back of Dallas's stall where the door was. He fed Dallas a treat and rubbed him and had his picture taken and it was obvious watching the son how much it meant to him to see his dad so happy.
At the end of the 4-days the Equine Affaire manager for the Celebrity Horses told us how happy she was with Dallas and how, in her years of doing this, she thought this years Celebrity Horses were the best the event has had.
After Dallas rests a bit I'm sure he has his own story to tell, so I imagine a letter from him will be coming soon.
Paul
(Paul and Kelly in front of Dallas' stall)
(I got to hold Dallas!!! Exceller Fund volunteers - this could be YOU next year!)
Paul & Kelly Linn
Woodridge Farm
Evington, VA
www.woodridgefarm.net/
Phone and fax: 434-369-5433
Think Like A Horse....
PPS - Darlene Robinette sent me a reminder that last Friday was the 9th Anniversary of Exceller's death. I think this past weekend we really made a lot of people aware of the problem and brought home the issue of horse slaughter. We made over $900 in donations from the show! Many times we would have kids, boys and girls, perhaps from age 8 to age 14 that would walk up, read our display board and the short story of Exceller, open up their wallet, backpack, fannypack, etc., and pull out a dollar and place it in the jar. Other people would read the short story of Exceller, see the conformation photo we had on display and then ask "How? Why? Couldn't someone else have taken him?"
The short story of Exceller simply said:
EXCELLER
1978 - He defeated Seattle Slew and Affirmed in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
1997 - He was nominated to Racing's Hall of Fame
1997 - He died in a slaughterhouse.
Bonnie Mizrahi
After a wonderful - but grueling - 4-days of meeting the public, kissing babies, being blinded by a thousand (million??) camera flashes, dodging humans and golf carts and strollers and wheelchairs and minature horses and gigantic horses and even cows, Mr Dallas is back safe and sound and is currently grazing with his buddies and, of course, Lexi. He traveled like the pro he is and we arrived home a little before 2 AM last night.
We were all SOOOOOOOOOOO proud of Dallas! He was truly a hit with the public and behaved like a Class Act. Nothing fazed him, and others at the event repeatedly told us how well mannered and content he seems. Several other exhibitors at the event asked Dallas to participate in their presentations, and so he was a model horse for a Confirmation for Performance Clinic and a Saddle Fitting Clinic. At the saddle-fitting clinic he had the audience giggling as he yawned during the long-winded discussion and at one point quietly pulled the wire out of the clinicians microphone as if to say "Ok, shows' over folks". lol
He also made friends with an Ice Cream vendor and was pictured at their kiosk ordering and being served a vanilla soft-serve. Bonnie has this picture to share! Too cute; the vendor fell in love with him and stopped off a couple of times during her breaks to bring Dallas apple slices.
I heard yesterday before we left that attendance was slightly over 100,000 (106,000 to be precise) people during the 4-days. The Exceller Fund booth and Dallas were usually VERY busy with lots of people crowding around to visit with Dallas. On Saturday at 2:00 PM (Prime Time slot!) he had his big event - a 45-minute presentation in the arena where he and The Exceller Fund were introduced to the public. He wore his Seabiscuit costume and Kelly was in her silks and the two looked wonderful. At the end of the presentation the Equine Affaire coordinator realized how great his appeal is to people - and how great he is with them - that she announced people could enter the arena to have their pictures taken with him. I told Bonnie it looked like a scene from a mall at Christmas, with families lined up to meet Santa Claus.
(Dallas on Saturday before his admiring public. Sorry for the blurry shots!)
I don't know what the grand-total is for the donations TEF received, but it has to be significant. The silent auction of his halter alone netted $150.00 I think! But equally wonderful was to watch this horse with the people.........to see a small child reach up and rub his lowered head and say "Thank You Seabiscuit" is priceless. And not just children - one of my best memories was of a son and his elderly, ill father. The father was in a motorized scooter and had oxygen bottles. We talked for a couple minutes, and I asked if he would like to go "backstage" and meet Dallas. The man just beamed, unhooked his oxygen lines and slowly walked to the back of Dallas's stall where the door was. He fed Dallas a treat and rubbed him and had his picture taken and it was obvious watching the son how much it meant to him to see his dad so happy.
At the end of the 4-days the Equine Affaire manager for the Celebrity Horses told us how happy she was with Dallas and how, in her years of doing this, she thought this years Celebrity Horses were the best the event has had.
After Dallas rests a bit I'm sure he has his own story to tell, so I imagine a letter from him will be coming soon.
Paul
(Paul and Kelly in front of Dallas' stall)
(I got to hold Dallas!!! Exceller Fund volunteers - this could be YOU next year!)
Paul & Kelly Linn
Woodridge Farm
Evington, VA
www.woodridgefarm.net/
Phone and fax: 434-369-5433
Think Like A Horse....
PPS - Darlene Robinette sent me a reminder that last Friday was the 9th Anniversary of Exceller's death. I think this past weekend we really made a lot of people aware of the problem and brought home the issue of horse slaughter. We made over $900 in donations from the show! Many times we would have kids, boys and girls, perhaps from age 8 to age 14 that would walk up, read our display board and the short story of Exceller, open up their wallet, backpack, fannypack, etc., and pull out a dollar and place it in the jar. Other people would read the short story of Exceller, see the conformation photo we had on display and then ask "How? Why? Couldn't someone else have taken him?"
The short story of Exceller simply said:
EXCELLER
1978 - He defeated Seattle Slew and Affirmed in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.
1997 - He was nominated to Racing's Hall of Fame
1997 - He died in a slaughterhouse.
Bonnie Mizrahi