I made a comment about how I knew most of them, but learned about a few new ones too. And that I had a large collection of horse racing history...such as book, videos, collection/trading cards, photos, posters, I have several huge scrapbooks of newspaper clippings of famous horses and races since the 1970s, and even a vintage horse racing game.
I've been collecting stuff since about 1974 - but saw my first race on t.v. in 1972 at age 9...Riva Ridge's Derby win.
I thought I would share with everyone a few of my more favorite books on my bookcase...which had two different re-arrangements over the years. I probably have 3x more stuff tucked away in filing cabinets, and in boxes.
The two different tops of my bookcase. The whiskey bottles were the later addition.
The earlier and less cluttered view of the bookcase, and photos of the case with other books added too:
This photo shows the 1960s toy racing game...runs off of D batteries. However, I put a book on it, so it's not seen clearly. I also have some DRF trading cards in a container off to the right. It contains trading cards of all the Derby winners up into around 2012.
My Black Stallion collection... I have all the books now.
I discovered the Black Stallion series when I was in the 4th grade. A few years later, my dad at that point was just barely starting to get us out of dire poverty.
One day he came home from an auction (he was an auctioneer at that point) with this. Bought it for me, even though it wasn't my birthday or Christmas. He knew how much I LOVED those books! I was around 11 years old at the time, I'm 60 years old now and still have this precious gift. : ) It was the pride and joy in my bedroom for decades, and it survived about 14 moves over the years. I finally got a spot in my horse racing room when I bought my home in 2000.
The stained glass in the window is from a friend, it's Forgo, one of my all time favorite horses.
And, last but not least. I made this. It's a photo of the champion racing filly, Our Mims. (copywrite by Barbara Livingston and used with her permission). Along with the mane hair of Our Mims, kindly sent to me by her last owner, the late Jeanne Mirabito. I tied the hair with yarn that matched the colors of the racing silks Our Mims raced under. Our Mims was out of the same dam, Sweet Tooth, as my all time favorite horse, Alydar.
Barbara over the years sent me a lot of photos, and posters. Another friend bought this for me...a large, lovely framed under glass Barbara Livingstone photo of Saratoga dawn: Link to the photo as I don't have a picture of it hanging on my wall.
https://barbaradlivingston.photoshelter ... 0jUCMrWlS8
Anyway...
I hope you all enjoyed the photos and can maybe share some of your own. And thanks Nathen for adding to my knowledge about some of the horses in racing history, a lot of times I already know about stuff like that, so I enjoy learning new details.
Stormy
Probably just as well...not sure my horse racing room floor could hold all the weight...lol. Books are heavy...so are magazines