lifelong learning is cool

Nautical Agent is still doing her thing up at Finger Lakes. We'll know more maybe as early as tomorrow as to her next engagement. The spot we entered her in for Monday didn't fill, but there's another race similar to her last that might go. I'm not sure that it will come up as light as it did last time around, but we can always hold out hope.

It might be more technical than some would prefer, but have a glance anyway at the transcript of a chat with Avalyn Hunter over at bloodhorse.com. Like a lot of young girls in horse country, Hunter caught the bug early on and became a real student of thoroughbred pedigrees. I caught a similar bug, yes, but it was the strain that steered me toward the $2 windows, as opposed to the library. Besides, the North Edison Library's collection on the breed wasn't what you'd call stellar. I remember once back in high school when I asked if they'd order a book by Andy Beyer on constructing speed figures and the woman looked at me as if I'd requested writings on bomb-making in your backyard. I've had a tough time trusting librarians ever since.

Check out the chat, though. I think I might break down and get this new book on Mr. Prospector that she's plugging, too. He's been so influential on the breed (three of our fillies trace back to him) and it's always fun to consider new perspectives on horses that you've known and worked with in some level of detail. I've always been more into the physical traits associated with pedigrees (i.e. how the bodies of the sire and dam lines match up), but Hunter is really dialed in on the genetics and all of the funky breeding crosses out there, so I think it should be a good read. If I can muster up the nerve, maybe I'll look to save the 20 bucks and try my luck at the library again.