In the horse world, gossip spreads to the far reaches of a community -- even the remotest barns -- with alarming speed, if not accuracy. I'm not very connected to the local horse community, yet even I get juicy morsels of gossip about people I barely know, from people who barely know them.
Gossip hits home
As someone who doesn't show, doesn't train, doesn't clinic, who pretty much hangs around the barn, you'd think I could just bask in anonymity. Yet a friend of mine heard some scoop about me the other day as she lunched with some other horsewomen. Me! A slow news day, for sure.
The gossip itself is kind of irrelevant -- mostly conjecture about why I keep Harv and Riley at different barns. Of course it's inaccurate and unflattering, as most gossip is. Amusingly someone said I was "raising Riley as a stallion prospect." Neat trick for a gelding, don't you think? My friend's response was to spew coffee and exclaim, "Stallion prospect? The horse HAS NO SPERM!" Bless her.
On the positive side, they did speak warmly of Harvey and asked after him as if he was an elder statesman or beloved mascot. Harvey, it seems, has reached that enviable place where one is above gossip ;-). May we all get there someday!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
It's a small world after all -- dammit
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.jpg)
you said,"....gossip spreads to the far reaches of a community -- even the remotest barns" and I say, "Ain't that the truth!" It never ceases to amaze me how word travels so fast! I imagine a Pony Express type rider, galloping from barn-to-barn, bearing a somewhat truthful version but when he reaches his last stop, the main character and storyline has changed so much that the gossip is now barely recognizable!
ReplyDeleteHeaven knows what they say about me! I am so out of the loop lately--with the horses at home, that I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when I was in Canada 'way back when for the Olympics, I was seated in the grandstand and said something to my friend about my horse, and from behind me a voice said, "Oh, my, you're Russell R's owner! I know him!" So there we were miles and miles from New Jersey and someone knew my horse.
He too had reached the status of being above gossip! My own Harvey and a love too.
Horse gossip never ceases to amaze me...The stuff that flies around about my horses, me, my boyfriend when he comes out. Whoa! I'm looking forward to the chatter my new blog will hopefully encite! Excited to find another eventing fan on blogger.com!
ReplyDelete