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| See More Business, Clifford Baker and Georgina at Wincanton racecourse. |
One of my Unicorns died yesterday, at the grand age of 24, a good age for a Thoroughbred racehorse.
He went peacefully in his sleep in his sunny paddock in a beautiful corner of Somerset where he was a local legend. A perfect end and like all of his life, done his own way.
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| See More does battle for the Holy Grail of jump racing |
He was a serious warrior, not a pet. Lean and mean he had 9 years on the racetrack and won many races including the Holy Grail, a Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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| Victory |
Had you not known anything at all about horse racing, or even horses, you still would not have passed him by in his field without a second look. He had that glint in his eye, like all the great ones. He knew things mortals only dream of.
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| Unicorns have passed this way, for sure |
He will be buried on the hilltop gallops where he lived and learned his warrior craft. And all who follow his hallowed hooves will shiver when they pass over him and know that once a truly great one galloped there.
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| See More Business after a local win |
Rest in peace See More Business. How I loved you.
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Anyone who has ever loved a horse will understand this sentiment. I don't usually mix my love for horse racing with my love for vintage things and folklore, literature and art. However there are exceptions when there is a cross over. Those rare magical moments, people and beasts.
Horse racing has a long and interesting history full of wondrous tales of heroes and villains both human and equine. Steeped in tradition, it maintains a mystery and magic often lost in the modern world. Humans invented the Thoroughbred racehorse for their own pleasure. Without having dreamed them, they would not exist at all. Their existence is both flawed and enhanced by man's greed and worship. I cannot deny that the industry has some cruelty, like all sports where animals are involved. But there is change for the better, and it is a world where compassion and kindness abound. The humans and the horses are inexplicably bound together in a quest. The racetracks where these horses do battle are literally Fields of Dreams. The silks the jockeys wear are like the pennants that Knights carried. Winners are feted in a Winner's Enclosure and often do a victory lap of honour wearing their blankets like the trophy that their owners will take home with them. The stables who train them parade their victorious heroes through the village. Many people devote their whole lives to just looking after racehorses. Not for the wages or conditions. Stable staff work long hours, in all weather. They have few holidays in comparison to other trades and their wages often do not compensate for all that they give. Why do they do it? For the chance to meet a real Unicorn. Or maybe, just maybe to ride one.
You know that saying, 'no secret so close between a horse and a rider'
Horse racing has a long and interesting history full of wondrous tales of heroes and villains both human and equine. Steeped in tradition, it maintains a mystery and magic often lost in the modern world. Humans invented the Thoroughbred racehorse for their own pleasure. Without having dreamed them, they would not exist at all. Their existence is both flawed and enhanced by man's greed and worship. I cannot deny that the industry has some cruelty, like all sports where animals are involved. But there is change for the better, and it is a world where compassion and kindness abound. The humans and the horses are inexplicably bound together in a quest. The racetracks where these horses do battle are literally Fields of Dreams. The silks the jockeys wear are like the pennants that Knights carried. Winners are feted in a Winner's Enclosure and often do a victory lap of honour wearing their blankets like the trophy that their owners will take home with them. The stables who train them parade their victorious heroes through the village. Many people devote their whole lives to just looking after racehorses. Not for the wages or conditions. Stable staff work long hours, in all weather. They have few holidays in comparison to other trades and their wages often do not compensate for all that they give. Why do they do it? For the chance to meet a real Unicorn. Or maybe, just maybe to ride one.
You know that saying, 'no secret so close between a horse and a rider'
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| See More Business parades in his village |
See More Business was a Unicorn, of that there is no doubt. He had 9 years on the race track, brought many people together who are still friends and gave unimaginable joy to all who watched and knew him. He was my first Unicorn, who taught me to believe and to have courage in the face of adversity. He did not cost a lot of money when first he was bought at the sales. The man who bred him had a vision and a dream, like the man who bought him. In the end, though he was a gelding unable to pass on his genes - he was priceless.
He was one of the lucky ones in horse racing who had a good life on and of the track. I dream of the day when all horses used for sport can be as lucky as him whether they are as talented or not.
Thank you to See More Business and all his people for the days. I will not see his like again but I will always believe. We were blessed by his presence.