Hey Reader,

I had the privilege of taking three of my grandchildren (aged 9 to 1), on a family adventure to the New Orleans Fairgrounds for the Exotic Animal Races. The kids had a blast experiencing all the excitement and energy of the people and animals.

The atmosphere was electric, with so many people dressed up in costume, it truly felt like Mardi Gras. One highlight of the day was seeing the familiar face of our exercise jockey riding in the ostrich race. He is exceptional rider, despite being bucked off by his ostrich. (He is going to hate seeing this video)

The exotic animal races were spread out between horse races, resulting in a lot of down time. We were there for three hours before the first exotic animal race. I captured some great moments, including pictures and a video of the ostrich races (see below).

After spending so much time surrounded by strangers, my one-year-old granddaughter was ready to go and we missed the camel and zebra races. Even though it was hectic at times, I'm grateful for these moments with my grandchildren and look forward to creating many more memories.

Racing update

Ashton ran 5 furlongs and tried his heart out but unfortunately, came up short and finished fifth. On the other hand, Sheila ran a mile and put up a great fight but got nosed out of third and finished fourth. She failed to switch leads during the race, which I think cost her finishing higher.

Changing leads is crucial in performance horses.

Being able to switch leads smoothly and quickly is important for a horse and can impact their performance in a race. Switching leads is when a horse changes which front leg leads during its stride. Horses do this for balance and momentum when running at high speeds.

Here's a link to an in-depth article on the topic:: Why do Racehorses Change Leads?​

Although the results weren't what we had hoped for, I'm proud of both horses for their effort and determination. They tried their best and their hard work will pay off in the near future.

Best regards,

Miles Henry