Walk down memory lane: Pics I took of Ferdinand and Alysheba in 1987 and 1988

[Lauruffian]

I’ve been having a little too much fun with my mother’s scanner, scanning old school photos and posting them on Facebook. But, as I went through my albums, I came across these photos and my heart just broke. We lost Alysheba just a few months ago, and lost Ferdinand too soon and too ignominiously (and infuriatingly) just a few years ago. I adored, adored these horses. 'Sheba was my rock star. When we moved to California in 1987, I begged my folks to take me to Santa Anita to watch my idols run. In 1987, I watched Ferdinand win the Goodwood Handicap en route to his Breeder’s Cup Classic win. In 1988, I (a ridiculously starry-eyed, overly jubilant 15yro who couldn’t believe she was seeing them BOTH! LIVE!) got to watch the two of them face each other in the San Bernadino Handicap. 'Sheba won, by a neck.

I took tons of photos, of course. I’ve scanned some of my favorites and created a Facebook album for them here:

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Enjoy. I think my COTH buddies will have greater appreciation and greater interest in them than my school buddies, hee! :yes:

[Carol_Ames]

thank you!

Thank you for sharing these and your memories!:yes:

[Alibhai_s_Alibar]

Oh, those are wonderful! Thank you for taking the time to scan and post them. How wonderful it must have been to see those two greats at the track.

[Blinkers_On]

Alysheba is/was one of my all time favorites! Thank you for that! It’s nice to see Santa Anita pics with dirt…LOL

[johnnysauntie]

those are awesome pictures. thanks so much for sharing!

[MintHillFarm]

Loved Ferdinand

I was devastated when I heard that he was sent to slaughter. How anyone could do that is beyond me.

Thank you for sharing the pictures…

[foundationmare]

So sorry Ferdinand

I forced myself to open this thread because I’m a wimp when it comes to stories that end in the demise of a horse…any horse…in any manner. I know what Ferdinand’s demise was and I cannot face it. That such a horror exists for ANY horse, let alone a star like Ferdinand (Exceller, on and on) gives me insomnia.

I had one personal Ferdinand horse, a mare who produced Pippa Squeaka (Unreal Zeal). Cheapaskatea was a Ferdinand daughter and I will never forget how she ran around her paddock with her nose in the air. She might have been searching for the buttaflies pooped from the Gypsy Vanners, at least that’s what it looked like!

My current BO, a darling woman who isn’t entirely horsey but loves, loves them to the max, inadvertently watched a YouTube clip that showed the slaughter of a horse (she thinks it was Ferdinand) and she hasn’t been the same since.

That anyone would subject these great horses to such a horrific end defies humanity. Where is the empathy?

[akrogirl]

Alydar and Alysheba are two of my all-time favorites. I still regret that I never got to see either run in the flesh.

However, I was fortunate enough to see Ferdinand. A company in Marina Del Rey was trying to get me to take a job with them and flew me out a few times to check out the housing situation. When they found out I liked horse racing, they changed my return flight one weekend and took me to see Ferdinand and Snow Chief race in the Californian. Being smart, logical people, we figured that the only reason Judge Angelucci wouldn’t be coupled in the betting was if his connections though he could win. Being idiots we didn’t actually place any money on him Ferdinand was still pretty special to watch that day and deserved so much better from his owners

Thank you so much for these wonderful photos of two great horses.

[Lady_Counselor]

Very cool! Thanks!