Crisis In The Journey End Farms Broodmare Barn

Becca Banner · Post by **Becca Banner** » 17 years ago

22 year old trainer Becca Banner was going over the final plans for Friday's races in Japan, where three of her horses are currently running, when she received a phone call. The cell phone at her hip played 'When You Were Young' by popular band the Killers. Absentmindedly, she answered, thinking it was friend and fellow trainer Michelle Calderoni, calling to have their usual evening conversation.

"Hello?"

"Ms Banner, something horrible has happened!"

Banner felt tears in her eyes as she heard the panicked barn manager on the other end. One of her foundation turf mares, La Recherche, had colicked and been put to sleep. The mare was 21, had lived a good long life, but that did little to help with Banner's grief. She hardly heard the manager as he described the measures being taken to aid Indepindtly Stupid, known to everyone one the farm as Silly, La Recherche's young foal.

Booking the next flight out, Banner arrived back home to her Minnesota farm. As she arrived, preparations were being made to bury La Recherche in the farm's cemetery. Other horses that had been trained and loved by Banner rested here, most recently Moon Over Midnight, the mare she lost the year before, and Francis Flute, one of the first horses she bred and trained. Standing by the grave, Banner vowed to the mare to do the best possible by her daughters and son, all still in her custody.

On Friday's races, the horses running for Becca Banner will sport black saddle cloths, bandages, and shadow rolls, in honor of their fallen stable mate.

Michelle Calderoni · Post by **Michelle Calderoni** » 17 years ago

oh no! thats so sad Becca. Im sorry for your loss. She was a very good mare.

Becca Banner · Post by **Becca Banner** » 17 years ago

She was. I'll miss her deeply. I'm happy I got one more foal from her before she was gone.

(On a somewhat completely different note, the real life La Recherche has a yearling by Smart Strike named Irish Channel. I wish I could've reproduced that in the SIM! But La is dead now and Smart Strike was pensioned ages ago. Sigh.)

Jolene Danner · Post by **Jolene Danner** » 17 years ago

But Aca is the daddy of the last one and that is cool. He sends his condolences. Sorry for your loss.

Michelle Calderoni · Post by **Michelle Calderoni** » 17 years ago

JoleneD wrote: But Aca is the daddy of the last one and that is cool. He sends his condolences. Sorry for your loss.

This is off topic, but Jolene, get on AIM