[PPerfectfan]

This is a cool thread, thanks for posting it. My mother trained QH's before I was born and I was raised on the backside of Delta Downs, EVE, The Fair Grounds, and every match track from Krotz Springs to several in Miss., that I cant tell you about.lol My strongest memory after all these years, is that my mother always put the horses first, before money or on our small scale, fame. I watched tons of times her tell an owner to come pick up a horse if he wouldnt allow a horse rest when it needed it. I have also been in the winners circle at the old EVE getting our picture taken after setting a track record and a man walk by and ask our owner if he was finally gonna get a man trainer....men! My first crush was Randy Romero! My mom and his dad matched horses all the time and I followed that poor boy around forever.I always just loved horses, 2k claimers to our stakes horses. And I always knew my mom would kick my ass if I didnt do my best by them no matter what. And I will always respect her for that.I started following TB's when a family friend went to work for Richard Mandella in 1982...yes 1982, and I have lived vicarously through her as she went around the world with Kotoshan,SandPit,Soul of the Matter, The Tin Man and my boy Pleasantly Perfect. She has had plenty of chances to move up to asst. trainer,but her love is the horses and thats what she does everyday. And thats why I pull for all of the Mandella horses.