Frou-Frou

Via here

Leather-bound Library

Via here

Hamba Kahle, Jet Master

Our Jet Master died yesterday. We are utterly heartbroken about our beautiful boy. In the words of Mick Goss, of Summerville Stud...

"On the very day that “Boeing” unveiled their latest stratospheric invention, the horse by the same name, Jet Master, ascended to the heavens. One thing that’s sure about the passing of Jet Master, is that he’s going upwards, not down. If ever there was one, he was South Africa’s saint of the turf. Few people, besides Pat Devine, saw in him what he turned out to be. At R15,000, South Africa’s famous weanling purchase, Jet Master, belied his origins to become one of the greatest equine athletes of all-time".

Mum and Henry, Benny Marais and team at Klipdrif Stud - our lives will never be quite the same...

(Words from Summerhill Stud Blog)

More here and here

Braveheart

True story: mere minutes after performing his conjugal duties with Jolly Laughter, champion stallion Rollins was fatally struck down by a freak bolt of lightning. A generation later, Jet Lightning ensured her legacy in turn, by producing our stallion, Jet Master — legend on the race track and five time champion sire. In a cruel twist of fate, Jet Master recently contracted the dreaded West Nile Virus, affecting his central nervous system. Dr. Barrie Grant and a team of vets from America have flown to the Cape and will perform a ground-breaking operation to his spine (Titanium Basket Implantation in the vertebral column - the concept alone truly blows my mind). Read his extraordinary story and details of the procedure here...

Painting by artist, Andrew Barlow

Motion Capture

I am currently obsessed with the photographs of Eadweard Muybridge - coined the Father of the Motion Picture and known for his ground-breaking work in the 1870's. His rapid action photography of all things in motion pushed the limits of early photography. As the creator of the Zoopraxiscope, he was quite a force to be reckoned with. This extended beyond photography. Upon discovering that his wife had a lover, he sought out the culprit with the following words, "Good evening, Major, my name is Muybridge, and here's the answer to the letter you sent my wife". He then promptly killed the Major with a single gunshot. In court, he pleaded insanity due to a blow to the head in a stagecoach accident!

It is doubtful that he filmed his wife's lover in rapid motion. 

Pics via here, here, here

Equestrian Quarters

I could easily trade with that horse...

Image via Shorpy

An Old Stoic for a Night or Two?

Never thought I would be so excited to go back to boarding school. But this is somewhat different. My dear nephew is getting married at Stowe (where he teaches economics), and we are staying in one of the school houses. This is no ordinary institution, however. Very Brideshead Revisited, I cannot wait to whip out my camera...

Incidentally, while I am away, the blog will morph into a travelogue of sorts. I won't bore you with the nuts and bolts of the trip, but promise an interesting image at least once a day.

All images from here, and further info here

Noblesse Oblige (Ditte Isager)

I grew up surrounded by horses. They are still front and center in my family's life. Sometimes I think that my parents' stallion 'Jet Master' usurps my position as chief offspring and attention-seeker. My mother named me Philippa. It means 'Lover of Horses'. Say no more. The following photographs by Danish Photographer Ditte Isager do justice to all things equestrian...

From bridles to bridges... here are some photographs of the floating city, also by Ditte Isager for Departures Magazine...

All images from Ditte Isager's website