INSTANT MESSAGE 4
Horse - Contrada - Heat - I'm worthless
Friday, June 27, 2003 9:10 AM

Bonies: you there?

abstrait: I am having doubts...but I seem to be physically at least

Bonies: just watched the drawing of the horses for Palio

Bonies: each contradae that is running got assigned a horse

abstrait: how was it?

Bonies: it was an amazing thing to see... there were tons of people there

abstrait: they dont pick their own horses? they dont train them?

Bonies: the reaction told a lot about how great they felt the horse was

Bonies: no...they are drawn from a bingo-like apparatus

Bonies: first they draw the horse number

Bonies: then the contrada name

Bonies: the contrada members run down to collect the horse, take him back to the stable that each contrada has

Bonies: the horse gets scar't as they are taking him off

Bonies: but then they take very good care of him and keep him carefully guarded until Wednesday

abstrait: so your horse it totally by chance?

abstrait: From reading that piece, it made it sound like the contrada with more money, got better results...better horses etc

Bonies: yes...pretty much

Bonies: no, not really...uexcept that they can buy a better jockey

abstrait: then what do you mean by them "drawing numbers" for the horse...sounds random to me

Bonies: or pay off other jockeys to keep other horses from winning

abstrait: goodD

Bonies: the horse is assigned number 1-10. They draw a number assigned to a horse and then they draw a contrada name

Bonies: yeah..some slimy stuff goes on

Bonies: so how was your sail last nigth?

abstrait: do they know the horses already? I mean, do the contrada members/people know which horse is better? Which has better jowls?

Bonies: yes..they run trial races. also, there are horses that have won here before...in fact there are five horses running this july that have already won or almost won at palio

Bonies: ugo sanchez, for instance, has won twice. Drago contrada drew him...

abstrait: did Onda get a good horse?

Bonies: onda isnt running this time...only in August

Bonies: i thought I told you that

abstrait: nope...you didnt say anything about it

Bonies: i do have some pictures from today but haven't had a chance to download them yet. will try to do that either tomorrow or tuesday.

abstrait: Did you not get your pics from your trip yesterday?

Bonies: monday we have two seminar meetings...one from 8:45-11:45 and the other from 2:00-5:00

Bonies: no...not yet, i will put those with the rest

Bonies: time consuming stuff and I am very behind on my reading which i need to do this afternoon

Bonies: bigtime reading...like ten cantos

Bonies: kinda daunting to say the least

abstrait: so what did you do last night?

Bonies: want to head back to Il campo and take one more picture

Bonies: i ate dinner and talked...til late--read for a bit and went to sleep relatively early ... you dont seem to realize how exhausting it is to be here and to be outside in the heat all day...it is really tiring.

Bonies: you need a lot of sleep to feel refreshed

Bonies: what are you doing today?

Bonies: ten horses didn't make it...some of them were not happy about it!

abstrait: 10 horses didnt make it?

Bonies: they have a big pool of 20 or 25 horses from which they select the ten who will run

abstrait: how is that possible? didnt they DRAW the horses? why would they have so much extra?

Bonies: they all have to agree on which ten will run

Bonies: they decide on the 10 before they draw which contrada haas which horse

abstrait: Wish I was there for the race.... sounds like something you wont forget.

Bonies: for the next two days there will be trial races to get the horses warmed up and ready for the race

Bonies: in morning and in afternoon

Bonies: then one on the morening of palio...in which they don't really exert the horses energy..because the race is that day

Bonies: i am goign to try to go to one tomorrow night