Dearest Lilly

I hope life goes well with your ponies and Lea. I can’t thank you enough for the time you let me hang out there. Six months on a tropical island with the relentless hammering of your baby sister will do wonders for a man. No, really, thank you again.

Mom and Dad are unchanged. He’s still stubborn and opinionated and she’s still a socialite hellbent on marrying us off. Since Evelyn went off and married Adam, she has her sights set on me. I’m pretty sure I have a reputation for not being the marrying kind. Wouldn’t you agree? Still, about once a month at Sunday Dinner there is a beautiful lithe socialite there as my unwanted +1. I haven’t forgotten how to be polite, it never ends badly but it always ends with no more contact. I’m not ready to get married. Mother is beside herself with the lack of grandchildren we’ve provided them.

On that front, I met a woman. Don’t laugh, Yes I know I’ve met lots of women over the years but this one is interesting. Her name is Ivy Allerton, I’m not sure if it’s *those* Allertons but she’s well-traveled and an equestrienne. Fun fact though, her best friend is Caoihme ( yes that one ) and she’s the adopted aunt of my daughter. How did I end up at dinner with her of all the women at that particular schooling show? She wanted to buy a horse. She also knew who I was through the first part of dinner. When she came clean she did so with an apology that was heartfelt. I suppose she could have just bought my mare and never told me at all. She’s easy to talk too.
We’re gonna get together again.

Trip went well at that show. I’m pleased with how he’s coming along. I need to take him out to the Hamptons for a week to work in the surf when the sun is high and the refraction is intense, he still spooks and refuses at times over it.

I know I’m supposed to be divesting of stock to get a manageable Sporthorse string but there are a couple of mares I’m going to go look at. Trip is wonderful but he needs mares with more bone. One is in Brazil and one is in Dubai, both former turf horses and both like to go over things and no Native Dancer in their pedigrees. So, that will be happening in the next month. I’ll keep you updated. I may have quit the racing industry but I’m still a thoroughbred man.

Tell Evelyn I said Hi. Maybe someday she’ll answer my emails.

Tadhg Barclay
Fox Ridge Farm
Tappahannock, VA
TBarclay@FoxRidge.com