A man and his queen embrace retirement
Jim Pettyjohn went searching for a queen to spend his golden years with. That was before he concluded a public-sector teaching position followed by a longtime career at the Oregon Department of Transportation. One day in 2003 was when he first noticed the high-headed beauty who offered him a glimpse into worlds beyond his day job. Her attractiveness was undeniable, and her high-stepping figure and spirited personality captivated him. Through the ensuing years, she was often on his mind as he navigated through his position with the transportation department. And as he worked on his own projects, she moved to […]
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Tribute: Rough Sailing had such promise
Rough Sailing had the heart of a winner. And proved as much just months before sustaining a life-ending injury at the Breeder’s Cup last weekend. On Aug. 8, the two-year-old left the gate at Arlington Park Race Track, and was quickly stuck in the back. It didn’t look good. When he started to make his move, a wall of horses blocked him at the 3/16th pole. “He was completely shut off,” says trainer Michael Stidham, adding, “He was a little green.” Undeterred, the horse and jockey Michael Baze swung out by six horse-lengths, and barreled up the stretch to victory. […]
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‘We have to save as many horses as we can’
John Hettinger used to say he never met a horse he didn’t like. And that it was “much more than he could say about people.” That affection touched all facets of his racehorse breeding business, which managed to factor horse welfare into the bottom line, and galvanized him to become a leading anti-slaughter advocate. So determined was Hettinger to keep his racehorses safe from slaughter that he wouldn’t sell one of his Thoroughbreds without including a clause in the bill of sale guaranteeing that when their usefulness on the track was over, they could come home to him. He guaranteed […]
