Yes, VA! We're stupid.

[Shammy Davis]

Once again the great Commonwealth of VA loses. Happy Holidays to us. Major publications report that Black Tie Affair stands in WV for 2005. Gee whiz (not my real choice of words), between our 30 days of racing and nominal stallion line-up, investment in pigs maybe the better opportunity. I can at least make a buck with the pigs. What are we Virginians to do? Help! Happy Holidays if you don't live in VA and if you do live here: Just suck it up and invest in pork futures and beef jerky. Best wishes -Shammy

P. S. Does anyone have the real information on why this move was made? Please post if you do, so that I can try to reason why?

[Kristie]

Don't know the reason for sure, but know that West Virginia breeder's fund is pretty good. Also know the farm in Virginia that stood him last year didn't do a terrific job. Know one lady that bred 2 of her mares to him, cost her an absolute fortune, took them 3 or 4 covers to get the job done (because they kept scheduling her for the 4th or 5th breeding of the day, never had any trouble getting her mares to settle in previous years) and the mares weren't all that well taken care of. She was pretty torqued and I think she's planning on leaving both the mares empty this next year as it got so late in the breeding season. If they treated everyone the way they treated her, I'm not surprised he's been moved.

[Shammy Davis]

Kristie: Thanks for the info. I'm not surprised. What gripes me is that VA also has a good breeder/owner program which has been expanded and then the state loses a quality stallion like Black Tie Affair. It's just beyond comprehension, but fortunately for me, I don't have to deal with these below average performing farms. Best wishes - Shammy

[Sam]

I'm going to ask a REALLY stupid question, but what is the travel time? How long does it take to go from the farthest point in VA to the farthest point in WV? Is it really that difficult to send mares back and forth?

I'm used to California We drive for 8 hours and we're STILL in California. Now I drive for an hour in any direction and I can be in one of 4 states or 2 countries. Kind of unnerving.

[Shammy Davis]

Sam: From the coast of VA (not including our Eastern Shore) to WVA line is plus or minus nine hours. The length of WV is a different story depending on your route, but I would guess 6 to 8 hours because of the poor roads. Add 2 to 4 to each if you are towing a loaded stock trailer or 8 horse trailer. The reason why Charlestown and Mountaineer are close to the VA, PA, MD, DC beltways is because most of their customers are from the Pittsburg and DC metro areas. God help you and your horses if you breakdown in central WV. It has beautiful scenery, but it is right out of the movie Deliverance. You'll want to be a Grizzly Adams to survive a breakdown during the winter. Best regards to all my former WV friends, Shammy

[Kristie]

Merry Christmas Sam. Another problem is that there's not exactly any easy way to get from point A to point B. Draw a straight line between any 2 destinations and then triple the mileage, because of all the mountains and inaccessiblel areas. The road system in West Virginia, it isn't so good! haha

[Sam]

and then lets throw some snow in there for good measure, eh?

Cripes .. pass, thanks. I'll stick to California. That snow thing ... not cool. COLD, but not cool.

[Shammy Davis]

AHHHHH Sam - now that CA has Arnold and its new phonetic state pronunciation, why would you want to leave for WV. All WV has is beautiful scenery, coal, 2 high $$ race tracks, and some old song that John Denver sang before he broke up with Annie. Sam, CA is where its happening: Petersen on Death Row and the web, Blake on trial, Arnold running against the constitution and for President, and all those great propositions, and the list will go on and on and on. I know TEXAS, if she were really being honest would move to CA in a heart beat, but we all know that she is just trying to prove that TB's can thrive on tumbleweed and that you can put a Wal-Mart label on anything, including a horse. Maybe we should call him Sam, too. The whole thing just brings tears to my eyes, but my solution is easy. Hell, I just cuss my state for losing Secretariat, Riva Ridge, Black Tie Affair, First Landing, et al, tip a couple Coronas after dinner, and consider hauling my stock, including the hogs, to MD, KY, NC, and some of the others. It is truly a nightmare come true. I don't know how I could ever have considered you being angry. I guess I could blame my mother's family. She was a Riddle. It doesn't take a bright movie goer to figure out how smart that side of the family was. Hell, I'm going to be the first signature on a referendum to have Penny Chenery's body at her death returned to VA to be buried next to Sun Beau and Hildene at her father's Doswell farm, soon to be new state fairgrounds. It's the least she can do for VA as all her father's great horses were buried in KY after making billions for its horse industry. The great Sun Beau wasn't even Chris's horse. At least here in VA, we can say that Secretariat's Farm Owner and Manager is buried here. I'm thinking that a nice hot dog stand next to her tombstone will add class to the plot. All I know now is that I started with something and now have nothing. Looks to me like TEXAS has found the status quo. I just hope I can live through it all. Angry you say. Not at all. I'm just pissed off. I'm never going to a Black Tie Affair again. With this state's luck, it'll just end up being another pig roast with Jimmy Dean singing tunes about his spicy Virginny sausage. Why shoot, I'm even beginning to have dreams that Sham won the 3 C's. If he had I wouldn't be writing this stupid littly ditty. Happy Holidays - Shammy

[Sam]

blink



double blink

I ... really have nothing to say. I can't figure out how much of that was sarcasm since I can't find much of an agenda in it

When did Texas grow boobs? Wait ... you aren't talking about those flabby old man breasts are you? See, those are the reason old men are not allowed to go around topless ... I still think someone needs to arrest Rick Flair for indecent exposure

Ah well .. at least California is never boring. Crazy as hell .. but never boring

__________________
"In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Chanukah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Chanukah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!'" -Dave Barry

[chiggins6]

LOL - many cheery adjectives descibe TEXAS, but "she" wouldn't be one of them I would choose. Shammy's been into the moonshine, again, Sam. Been pickin banjo with that small-eyed feller up there on that porch.

[Shammy Davis]

Hi Sam and C6: Sorry to leave you mesmerized by the sarcasm. When I wrote it, I probably had more than my ample amount of 2 after dinner Coronas. I guess the phrase "stupid ditty" in the last sentence really explains it all. For the joke on TEXAS go the thread "Equine Vets - good, bad, and ugly" and the last posts will bring you up to date. Further, John Denver wrote and sang a song, "County Roads" about WV. Mountaineer and Charles Town are doing booming businesses and many NE trainers are moving their horses south for the year around racing. Boston's Suffolk Downs is on its heals financially. Other than that, I'm just dejected that the TB horse industry in VA allowed many of it's quality horses to leave the state. It took years for men and women like Paul Mellon, Chris Chenery, and Marion DuPont Scott to build the VA TB into a world recognized racehorse and then, after their deaths, have KY reap the rewards. I can only conclude that our younger generation is not up to the task. Penny Chenery, as an example, had no personal investment in VA as her father did and being in debt, understandably, looked for a high $$ solution. At the time Chenery's estate was in large debt so who could blame her and her siblings, but for the smaller VA breeder it was a great lost. Certainly the significant advertising draw had been lost. Next year, Meadow Farm in Doswell, VA will be reopened to the public as the new state fairgrounds. Historically, that is of significance to all VA TB breeders, owners, and trainers as it brings to light the sad fact that our commonwealth has done very little to examine the importance of the TB industry to our overall economy. At the time of Chris Chenery's death, no one, with the capital was willing to take on the responsibilities to carry on Chris' work. Meadow Farm has stood for 20 years in utter disrepair. Secretariat's stall, the last time I was there, was full of trash, and the farm was ill maintained and disfigured with wood rot and chipping paint. For those of you who are not aware, horsemen packages for VA bred TBs has been expanded to include, as I understand it, all states, yet we still have the Maryland Jockey Club running our 30 day meet. Maryland runs racing almost year around with the exception of the VA meet. Do you believe that they are interested in expanding VA racing to oppose their racing? I think not.

So there. Another year is soon to come. The VA Racing Commission is going to make a decision to add a few more days to our one annual meet. VA TBs will, as is the case every year, be shipped to KY, MD, and NY for sale or racing and horses like Black Tie Affair will stand their last few season in WV. Happy New Year - Shammy

[Sam]

I feel your pain Shammy ... but at least you HAVE a TB industry ... poor though it may be.

I've only got scrub ponies and lawn ornaments out here.

[Shammy Davis]

Scrub ponies and ornaments? I feel your pain, SAM. I'm going to shut up now. Happy New Year - Shammy