This is an old whinge of mine but it falls on deaf ears.
The indexes or, if you insist, indices, in Australian and NZ yearling sale catalogues are inadequate.
In addition to the sire and dam indexes, yearlings should be indexed by broodmare sire. An index of second dams should be provided, too. Both have been featured in Keeneland catalogues for decades. They are invaluable for finding your way around the offering. If I want to know which yearlings are out of O'Reilly (NZ) mares - to some buyers that's as relevant as knowing which yearlings are by Redoute's Choice - I shouldn't have to thumb through 900 pages to find them. Likewise, if I want to compare yearlings from a family, an index of second dams will help me locate them. (Remember how useful the Bruce Lowe numbers were?). These filters should also be incorporated into the sales companies' web-based catalogue searches.
Please MM and Inglis, it's only a few extra pages.
I thought I'd bore you with another Heron Island pic (above). The black noddy tern. There are about 70,000 of them up there at the moment. Ear plugs are provided in your rooms so you can get to sleep at night. In the cities we complain we never hear birdsong, up there it never stops and the faint scent of guano wafts on the Pacific breeze.
If I keep chipping away with these photos I reckon I'll do more for Australian tourism than the movie Australia. I haven't seen it and probably won't. Fair dinkum, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman??? Archetypal metrosexuals.
5 comments:
Steve,
Amen to the Bruce Lowe numbers. In Sir Patrick's biography he also makes mention of missing that feature. We (meaning you, me and your Mum and Dad) are in good company. I have written to Arion asking why they dropped the reference. That would be the source since they are now compiling the majority of pedigrees.
Love the Sooty. Agree with the broodmare sire xref. etc. I raised a similar matter with the Stud Book a few years ago, ie. that they include the broodmare sire in lists of Sire's produce from nnnnn coverings. Politely told it was 'too hard'. I suggested that that given the nature of contemporary(last 40 years!) relational databases that the response was a load of bollocks. Needless to say I can view really useful info. such as 'foal died at birth' or 'missed' or 'born in Korea' in a column. Does your dentist advise you against gnashing your teeth?
I think the Bruce Lowe numbers were considered a joke about the time Pat O'Brien died, or perhaps they waited until she died as her wrath would have been thunderous. What a great character she was. Whisky and milk.
GREAT fan of your site and inciteful and interesting topics.Have meant to put in my 10c worth many times.Cant believe my FIRST foray is as a result of your comments about AUSTRALIA the Movie.Tsk Tsk-drop the high ground,grab some popcorn and enjoy one of the really touching epics of reent times.If you like animals,action and awesome cinematography you ll LOVE it.And probably be dusting off the chaps before your even aware of it.....
Look, if they said they were producing a travelogue on Australia and weren't trying to pass off Kidman and Jackman, two of the world's "most beautiful people" as serious characters in a historical setting, I'd probably be more motivated. I did enjoy "Japanese Story" for its exceptional portrayal of the Australian landscape, even though the lead characters (Toni Collette and a Japanese male) were somewhat flawed in their execution and the script a bit corny in places. Maybe I'll watch it with the soundtrack turned off, unless you tell me the music is wonderful, too.
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