How About a Birthday Card for "Pick a Card"?

Sydney's birthday was on Thursday, and I forgot all about it. The only reason I know that the day passed was because my vet sent me one of those e-cards wishing my Kiwi well. I know his birthday is in October, but October snuck up on me and is in fact already 25% of the way over.

Sydney is his barn name. His New Zealand Racing name was Pick a Card.

If you're looking at Sydney's track data and wondering how I figure that he was born in October, you're not alone in that puzzle. It took me quite a while to determine that New Zealand, like many countries, lists the month first. I was also baffled about the date because October is not a foaling month. Who breeds in November for an October baby? When you remember that New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere and that their seasons are opposite of ours, it makes sense. October is a spring month down under.

Sill on the topic of Sydney, but the conversation is taking a serious change of direction. I've written several times about how scary Sydney was to ride once I started cantering him this past winter. I almost sold him and so on. Well no more! He gave me the BEST birthday present on Sunday; we cantered!

Can I say it again?  We cantered, we cantered, we cantered! And it was calm, and happy, and he LIKED it! I liked it!

I hope it wasn't a one-time deal. I hope I have finally figured out how to ride my off the track, New Zealand bred, Thoroughbred.

More on the cantering topic as I know if this is the real deal. Keep your fingers crossed for us, will you?