http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/rss.php?w=new New Blogs in Tobi Taylor's Journal. en-us Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:50:12 -0600 Tobi Taylor's Journal RSS tobi@tobitaylor.com http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=45 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=45 About two months ago, a woman and a man came walking up my driveway on a Saturday morning. I had two horses turned out in the arena. Often, people drop by to watch the horses romp or to ask whether I board horses (I don’t), or inquire if I know where they can buy a pony for their child (ditto) or a quarter horse for their husband (also ditto). I have sport horses – equines bred to event, do dressage, or show jump – and that kind of thing is rare on my side of Tucson, where the majority of riders I know either rope or trail ride. But back to the couple. The woman said they lived nearby and stopped because they’d seen dressage letters in my arena. She inquired about whether I rode dressage (yes), and did I have a trainer (yes), and then she said, "My father, here, is a horse trainer. His name is Jack Burton." I couldn’t believe it. "You’re not Major-General Jonathan Burton, are you?" The man nodded, and his eyes lit up. "It’s an honor to meet you, sir." General Burton is a legend in the horse world: competitor on the 1948 and 1956 Olympic teams, past president of various equestrian federations, international judge, and author. Not long after I’d begun to take dressage lessons, in the 1980s, a friend had given me Burton’s book How to Ride a Winning Dressage Test. And Burton is still judging: I recalled that he’d given a Trakehner colt bred by my friend Heather a wonderful score in an in-hand class at a show in California a couple of years back. General Burton, who is closer to ninety than he is to eighty, rides his bike several days a week, and since our first meeting he’s dropped by a number of times to pet whichever horse of mine is turned out near the road, usually Rosie, my Arabian mare. He doesn’t say much but seems quite glad to simply be around horses on a somewhat regular basis. The General unintentionally made my day on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. My husband and I were in the arena with my two-year-old Anglo-Arabian gelding Immaginn, whose nickname, like the General’s, is Jack. This gelding is a product of our very small breeding program (does three foals in twenty years constitute a program?), and he is by far the best one. I find very little to fault in him, but I'm well aware of that scourge of horse breeding, "barn blindness." The General was taking his daily bike ride and when we got to our driveway, he pulled in and stopped. "Who is THAT?" he exclaimed, as Jack trotted around. "He’s magnificent!" My husband looked at me and rolled his eyes, knowing he'd never hear the end of that remark. "Can I quote you on that?" I asked. "Sure!" The General watched Jack walk, trot, canter, and play for about fifteen minutes. I asked him if he thought he saw a particular discipline -- dressage, jumping? -- in his future. "The sky’s the limit with that one," he replied, and then he pedaled on home. I have been smiling ever since, and calling Jack (the gelding, not the General) "Mr. Magnificent." Interestingly, what the General didn’t know was that he himself had seen the sire of this gelding. Jack’s dad is a stallion named Innkeeper, a son of Secretariat out of a Mr Prospector daughter who was out of a Northern Dancer daughter. Innkeeper’s owner, Ursula Ferrier, and I are friends, and she writes, "Hilltop Farm asked if we could bring him to a breed judges’ seminar with the head of the Swedish National Stud at their farm. He was a big hit...and Major General Jonathon Burton thought he was the only ‘real’ stallion there." Imagine -- or rather, Immaginn -- that!   Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=44 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=44 You've no doubt seen the books produced by Arcadia Publishing...they're relatively inexpensive and easily portable (think stocking stuffers), and they cover an astounding array of obscure topics relating to the history of America, telling their stories many through photographs. When I was in Santa Fe a while back, I found a title in the series that fits well with my (admitted obscure) research on Brusally Ranch in particular and Arabian horse breeding in general: Tennessee's Arabian Horse Racing Heritage, by Andra Kowalczyk. The author focuses on the Arabians owned, bred, and/or raced by J. M. Dickinson and Dr. Sam Harrison, but also provides information on other (mainly Polish) Arabians, including Ed Tweed's Orzel, whose photo on page 61 caught my eye while I was thumbing through the book. This is a worthwhile addition to the libraries of those interested in Arabian racing. After reading the book, I discovered that the author and I had a mutual friend, who put us in contact. By exchanging a few emails with Andra, I learned that we had more than simply writing and Arabian horses in common; we both work in historic preservation, and we are both interested in preservation breeding of Arabians -- her focus is on the celebrated Polish stallion Lotnik, whereas mine is on Brusally breeding. It's good to know that there are people like Andra out there.     Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=43 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=43 In July of this year I was contacted by Darin Alexander, of FiberCords, LLC, a cinch maker who had heard about my research/interest in Navajo saddle cinches. He wrote: "In a couple of weeks we will be sharing the art of cinch-making in a presentation at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.  We are asking our students, customers, and others who would be willing, to share photos and descriptions with us so we can highlight the growth and craftsmanship of cinch making in the world today, as well as share cultural and technical variations on the same theme.  "We look forward to any suggestions and thoughts you might have on how to network the cinch making community.  At present we are in dialog with and/or assisting cinch makers in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Canada, and several of the lower 48 states as they seek to refine their skills, develop distinctive and personalized styles, and fill the desire to improve on the quality as it relates to a more comfortable and durable item for everyday use." A worldwide cinch-making community? Who knew? Then, in late September, I heard from Mr. Alexander again, updating me on the presentation at the museum -- and more developments in the world of cinch-making: "The response from the cinch presentation turned out to be more of shock and awe that cinches can be so ornate.  As some of the power point frames advanced you could hear the audience gasp with delight. "This morning I visited with Pete Gorrell who is working with Partners in Development, a non-profit organization http://www.pidfoundation.org/, to develop a school of saddle and cinch making near the Parker Ranch on the northern coast of the Big Island in Hawaii. I thought you might find this of interest since the concept sounds similar to the Navajo program... in this case the students themselves are learning extensively about the business end along with development of distinctly Hawaiian renditions of the saddle and cinch." A school of cinch-making in Hawaii? I think I may have to go over and check it out!   Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=42 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=42 The most recent issue of American Indian Art Magazine contains a two-page review, by Dr. Ron McCoy, of Playing Cards of the Apaches. McCoy notes that "Putting together a book of this caliber requires not only the raw material of scholarship -- in other words, the product of thorough research -- but also the precise convergence of various elements that, should the melding not come out just right, produce a decidedly unpromising result. In this case, all of the required elements came together with stylish precision...[It] is a worthy capstone to the missionarylike zeal that Virginia and Harold Wayland brought to their research and writing, as well as eloquent testimony to Alan Ferg's voluminous knowledge of Apache culture." Also in this issue is an article about the world-class Southwestern pottery collection at the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, written by my friends and colleagues Diane Dittemore, Mike Jacobs, and Patrick Lyons, and beautifully illustrated with photographs by Jannelle Weakly.   Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=41 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=41 The Summer 2008 issue of Archaeology Southwest is edited by Alan Ferg and yours truly, and includes the following articles: Dogs in the Southwest (Tobi Taylor, Alan Ferg, and Dody Fugate) Early Dog Burials in the Southern Southwest (Jennifer A. Waters) Pueblo Dogs (Dody Fugate) Dog Mummies at White Dog Cave (Dody Fugate) Pueblo Dog Tales (David H. Snow) Basketmaker Dog-hair Sashes from Obelisk Cave (Rachel Freer and Mike Jacobs) A Rare Breed (Alan Ferg) Canid Sacrifices from Homol'ovi I (Vincent M. LaMotta) Itzcuintle: Ancient Mexican Dog Food When Is a Dog in Mimbres Art? (J. J. Brody) Mimbres Dog Descendants (Tobi Taylor) Hohokam Dogs and Iconography at Pueblo Grande (Steven R. James and Michael S. Foster) Dogs in the Desert: Repatriation (Alan Ferg) The Hodges Site Figurine (Alan Ferg) Going to the Dogs: Studying Valley Fever in the Southwest (T. Michael Fink) An Unsettling Image (William H. Doelle) The Setting on of Dogs (Richard Flint) Yoeme Dog Pascola Masks (Tom Kolaz) Old Dogs and Some New Tricks (Alan Ferg) Back Sight (William H. Doelle)   Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=40 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=40 From the website of the Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico: July 20, 2008 – November 2, 2008Playing Cards of the Apaches Based on Playing Cards of the Apaches: A Study of Cultural Adaptation by Virginia Wayland, Harold Wayland, and Alan Ferg, the Wheelwright’s exhibition explores a unique southwestern folk-art genre, with hand-painted decks from Arizona State Museum and several private collectors. On display in the Slater Gallery. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=39 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=39 Today, at the 2008 Arizona Historic Preservation Conference, in Rio Rico, the Governor's Archaeology Advisory Commission's awards in Public Archaeology were presented. Among the winners was Archaeology Southwest, the quarterly publication I have edited for the Center for Desert Archaeology since late 2001. The award citation reads, Archaeology Southwest was conceived in 1986 and originally published under the title Archaeology in Tucson. Each issue currently contains eight to ten profusely illustrated articles written in clear, understandable English, by leading Southwestern archaeologists and other authors. Through Archaeology Southwest, the Center helps the public connect with the rich and diverse landscapes of the Southwest. Archaeology Southwest also helps the general public and professional archaeologists to keep up with the latest in Southwestern scholarship. Generous distribution of the newsletter has enabled the Center to build preservation partnerships and to practice community-based archaeology at a wide geographic scale. Anthropology professors use Archaeology Southwest to fill a niche left unaddressed by introductory textbooks. Archaeology Southwest also plays an important role in reaching underserved communities in rural areas and on Indian reservations. The newsletter has been described as “a text-book case for how public archaeology can and should be done.” Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=38 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=38 I've mentioned previously that I copyedited the award-winning Playing Cards of the Apaches by Wayland, Wayland and Ferg. A review of the book just crossed my desk. It's by Dr. John R. Welch, of Simon Fraser University, and it appears in the  Spring 2008 issue of The Journal of Arizona History. Here's a sample of Welch's review: "More than forty years in the making, Playing Cards of the Apaches is a unique masterwork that artfully integrates impeccable scholarship, spectacular graphics, and an unmistakable love for Apaches and their inspiring heritage...the volume is impeccably laid out and crafted. Fresh variations on a high-integrity design theme await the turn of virtually every page." Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=37 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=37 Recently, I was staying at the home of my friend Sherri. On her coffee table was her Christmas loot, which included a new book, by Lawrence Scanlon, called The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse. I'd read a review of it but hadn't seen a copy. As I flipped through it, something caught my eye: my name, right there in the text:   "Tobi Taylor was a horse-mad eight-year-old girl in 1973, and the one horse she loved most was Secretariat...."   The book goes on to summarize an article I wrote for Dressage Today, back in 2000, about the life and times of Statesman ("Twinkie"), who was then Secretariat's oldest son. It's always gratifying to know that people read what you write. I had another moment like that, about six months after I'd published an article about Statesman in the Blood-Horse. Statesman's shoer at the time, Jean-Pierre Luyssaert, went to the 2001 Rolex three-day event in Kentucky. While there, he visited an art show that featured artist Salina Ramsay and Secretariat's owner, Penny Tweedy. J.P. found a small print of Secretariat and decided to buy it for me. While he was waiting to have it signed by the artist and Tweedy, he told them that he was farrier for Secretariat's oldest living son. "You mean Statesman," said Mrs. Tweedy. "I read about him in the Blood-Horse." After the artist had signed the print, Mrs. Tweedy wrote, "To Toby [sic] and Statesman."           Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=36 http://www.tobitaylor.com/blog/blog.php?bid=36 Good news! Playing Cards of the Apaches: A Study in Cultural Adaptation, by Virginia and Harold Wayland and Alan Ferg, was named a Southwest Book of the Year for 2007 by a panel selected by the Pima County Public Library and the Arizona Historical Society. Congratulations to Elizabeth Barber and Ann Peters, daughters of the Waylands, and Alan Ferg on receiving this honor. I’m proud to list this title among the award-winning books I’ve edited. Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600