This is our Thoroughbred racehorse, "Grandma's LaLa" grazing on a property we used to own in New Castle County, Delaware. LaLa was born in 1987 and raced for a short time due to an injury which was never given the proper time to heal. She won only one race, on 9/16/1989 in Delaware Park and the purse was $7,500. Her great-grandsire was Round Table, a very famous horse who also was an ancester of Barbaro so they are distant cousins.
After LaLa was retired from racing she went on to being in Steeplechases, was a hunter for a time and competed in dressage. We got LaLa because she got to the point that she refused to let them put her on a horse trailer to go to competitions. She had had it!
LaLa used to flinch whenever our hands got near her eyes or ears so we feel she was repeatedly pinched in the ears to get her to obey her masters. It took about a year of our tender loving care before LaLa stopped flinching when we put our hands near her face. We got to the point that we could touch her ears, eyes and the top of her head. She was always the lead mare at every stable she has been in, which means she was the dominant horse and always got to eat first. Stephanie rode her for a couple of years but she had arthritis and we decided it was too painful for her. When we moved to Bear, Delaware LaLa moved in with our neighbor Ann who had many horses to keep LaLa company.
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Updated July 1, 2008 from Stephanie:
To my good friends and those who knew my wonderful horse LaLa.
LaLa, my beautiful thoroughbred horse has finished her race. She passed away peacefully on June 27th after a short illness. She left this world not owing a thing and having made this world a better place for many.
LaLa was 24 years old and stood 16.3 hands tall. Her full name was Grandma's LaLa (not a very good name for a racehorse :) ). She started her career as a racehorse and she only won one purse. She was a bit slow for the big time. :) Then she spent many years as a hunter. She was an accomplished hunter and was very athletic. In the later years she performed in Dressage and willingly listened and learned new things as she went along. She was a very smart mare. LaLa was the lead mare in her stable at Barley Mill for over 10 years. She shared her understanding of life with me for two years at the farm on Dutch Neck. She couldn't speak, but, oh, could she communicate.
I don't know if God has animals in heaven, but since I believe He's a loving God, I can't imagine eternity without such a kind, loving creature as LaLa.
Thanks to my dear friend, Ann Blackmore for her kindness and care of LaLa over the past year.
