One of the most noted "rites of passage" for the changing seasons here in the Bluegrass, besides allergies, is BABIES!!! And of course our favorite form of babies are the foals. There is something simply breathtaking about being able to drive not even 10 minutes from downtown in any direction and being surrounded by beautiful farms for miles and miles. We tend to joke that we're worried one of us will randomly drive off the road as we gawk at the fuzzy bundles racing through their paddocks, playing with their foal friends or simply taking a much-needed nap. It's wild to think that one of these long-legged, semi-uncoordinated animals might one day be the next Kentucky Derby or Oaks winner ....
We were lucky enough yesterday to go to Fares Farms and be given a wonderful tour by General Manager Shannon White, who is just a phenomenal woman. The Thoroughbred industry can be tough if you're female ... and Shannon is very willing to offer her insights into the industry to our Scholars. We can't thank her enough for all she has done! We got to tour mare and foal barns, peek at paddocks that are being redone, discuss bloodlines and the Thoroughbred industry and even pet a foal. It was a wonderful field trip for our students and we're so excited that Shannon is so good to us. We couldn't have asked for a better tour guide!
This morning, I got to get an even-more-up-close peek at a fuzzy foal, this one named "Patty" for her birth on Saint Patrick's Day (we all hope she's got the luck of the Irish!). I moved one ready-to-pop mare to Peninsula Farm (also a fabulous supporter of our Program -- they gave us a tour of their Standardbred facility back in the fall!) to foal out and brought another momma and baby back to their home farm. Needless to say, I couldn't resist snapping this pic of her.
As corny as it sounds, I really can't believe how fast they grow up!
Interesting Blog! Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more posts!
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