I was inspired by the Scottish rider Scott Brash, who, for the record, is not gay, but a brilliant rider from Scotland. His mount in this particular competition, Hello Shelby, is an accomplished jumper, and has been highly successful for Brash and the British Equestrian Team.
As an avid horse lover, as are many of you, I read Laura Hillenbrand’s beautifully written story of the life and career of the magnificent thoroughbred Seabiscuit. When the movie came out, I was one of the first people in line to see it. The most exciting part of the story for me was the incredible match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral. I was ecstatic when I found a Youtube video of the match race that is still as exciting to watch today as it was first run in 1938. Here it is for your viewing pleasure:
In 2010, the World Equestrian Games were held in Lexington, Kentucky, just 2 hours drive from where I live in southwest Ohio. I had heard so much about the black stallion, Moorlands Totilas and his rider, Edward Gal, and knew that they would be competing in the Dressage competition. I had to buy a ticket. Watching the pair live in the Grand Prix freestyle final is an experience I will never forget. I knew the dressage horse featured in my first romance novel would have to be a magnificent black stallion.
Here’s some video of Totilas and Edward Gal in the European championships where they received at that time the unprecedented score of 92.3%.