Off to the Races

Not long after we arrived in Saudi, we joined the American Community of Riyadh. It’s a great organization that plans several activities a month in and around Riyadh for expats to participate in if they choose. Those that we’ve attended, we’ve really enjoyed, they’re well planned, well orchestrated and a great spot to meet other expats doing the same thing we are. ACR also seems to be able to gain access to certain things that are difficult to access on your own. The King Abdulaziz Race Track being one of them. This sits at the top of the list of things we’ve been able to do in Riyadh thus far. ACR rented a banquet room i.e.box, as we would call in the states and had a lovely buffet dinner and ‘forecasting’ (seeing as how betting is forbidden in this country, Bode won a backpack, whoo hoo!). After dinner, we moseyed down to the track to get a better view of the horses. They are extraordinarily, beautiful animals. Not unlike the chiseled features of an elite athlete. Breath taking.

 

They’re a different kind of farm animal than my brother works with. Let’s be honest, theses horses have probably never seen a real working farm, but it makes me think of him just the same. Especially when I see the tractors grooming the track, and when I met this guy…an American in Carharts from Oregon whose job it is to bring the race horses back down from their intense training and racing and assimilate them back into ‘normal life’. Interesting work, right? Maybe Ben and Kiri will join us in Saudi someday. That would make my year. Or my life.

The high rollers..watching their horses. The little rollers…watching the horses.

Our forecasting sheet. T cheering on her horse. She usually picked the pink jockey. Surprise, surprise.

This beauty was donated to the race track by the Texan cowboy, George W. Bush.

I could get into this horse racing scene. Maybe I’ll buy one someday to go with my ranch. I hope we can do this again before we leave Riyadh, it was a really lovely way to spend an afternoon.