On the Line

Somehow, the world did not stop spinning in the wake of the McLain Ward/Sapphire elimination debacle at the FEI World Cup. This past weekend the Kentucky Horse Park managed to host two simultaneous events, the Rolex 3 Day Event and WEG Test Events in dressage and show jumping, without one failed hypersensitivity test (or perhaps without any hypersensitivity tests. . .hmm, there’s food for thought.)

Lauren Giannini worked her tailfeathers off covering all that went on at the Horse Park while posting her fabulous photos and commentary on neighboring blog LaurenGallops. Look for her full Rolex write up in the next Sidelines, along with a couple of exclusive interviews from the McLain and USEF camps on the 57 pokes that will forever live in infamy.

Meanwhile, the world spins and another clone enters the world. Polo horse Califa became the first polo horse in the world to “sire” a clone last Thursday. I wrote about Califa, APHA Horse of the Year in the April issue of Sidelines and on this blog. Originally three mares were in foal with Califa clones, but embryos two and three did not make it to full term.

As little “Califito” joins the ever growing population of famous-horse clones, I wonder how many more cloned horses it will take for me and the rest of the world to get used to the idea of cloning. It hasn’t happened yet. . .

One Califa, two Califa, three Califa. . . .

I’ll be broadcasting radio silence next week – I’m off to Mexico for a wedding and I hear there’s limited internet access. Ooohhh, now there’s a scary thought. Hopefully the world will keep spinning. . .