What's it All About, Alfie?

On March 1st, Alfie officially turned 8 years old. I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it to the barn that day, so I made sure to bring him carrots when I went to ride the day before, and I also made sure he had his fair share of Bob’s Soft Peppermints (his favorite treat!). And I finally found and bought the bit I want for him (no small feat!). While we as animal-lovers like to think that our furry friends know it’s a special day, for them their birthdays come and go with as much fanfare as an average Wednesday. Just another day to eat grain and hay and chase friends in the pasture.

But March 1, 2010 was more than just another day for Alfie. For the first time in years—if not in his entire life—Alfie was deeply loved by His Person on his birthday even if he was oblivious to that fact. I thought about him all day, and hoped that he was getting lots of pats and scratches from his barn manager, and hoped that maybe she read him the note I left on the dry-erase board. I felt horribly guilty I wasn’t there to hug Alfie and groom him and fuss all over him on his special day. Silly? Yes… but I’ve been known to make birthday cakes for my dogs. No lie.

Alfie has a storied life for one so young, and my heart aches for the cruelty he has known in that time. Out of Given Terms, by Chester House, someone somewhere had grand plans for Alfie at one point. He sold at Keenland for $85,000 in 2002 and broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in November, 2004 (a $47,000 race). He won his first the following February at the Fair Grounds, but sadly by January of '06 he was entered in low-end claiming races with a price of $5,000 on his head. At some point he ended up in the wrong hands and was beaten and treated like trash. Thankfully someone intervened, bought Alfie from the trainer/owner who clearly didn’t give a damn about him, and he found his way to Georgia hours after his final race at Philadelphia Park.

I’m officially starting a new chapter in Alfie’s life this month. We’ve had the entire winter off, and its now time to get up and move! I’ve already got plans in the works to build up his fitness (and mine!) so we can start with lessons again, and I have my calendar marked up with dates of schooling shows and clinics through the spring and summer. We’re starting fresh and by the end of this month I hope to have a 3-, 6- and 12-month plan for our training. My hope is that for his 9th birthday Alfie will be feeling the wind in his face, cantering across a Beginner Novice course.

But even if we don’t get that far in 12 months, Alfie will still be loved and adored for the boy he is.

So ...Many Happy Returns of the Day, Alfie! I love you.