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From the Editor - Vanessa Vaile |
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My first (& ultimately life changing) encounter with Welsh came in 1970 when I visited the Avalon herd of Texas Stud ponies at Bull Run Plantation in Schriever, Louisiana. I was there to pick up a 5 year old Appendix Quarter Horse stallion I had been contracted to start under saddle (not yet even halter broken, but that's another story). Until that moment, I had no interest in ponies. The sight of *Hartmoor Rhymer running with his band of mares and the uniform excellence of his get swept me off my feet. If that hadn't been enough to convert me on the spot, *Clan Glomadh and Texas Bonanza (*Revel Gold x *Clan Puffin, a Wentworth Stormy Petrel daughter), both also in residence, would have. I knew with fervid certainly that I wanted ponies just like that … but big enough for me to ride. Thus began my pony education, which included working with these same marvelous creatures, poring over their fabulous pedigrees, and, beginning in the early 70s, breeding my own under my Caer Wydr prefix. I had the great honor of owning, among others, a wonderful *Hartmoor Rhymer daughter (x Texas Bonnie, an *Ankerwycke Clan Snowdon daughter by *Clan Dana), two *Clan Glomadh daughters, Homestead Flirt (the dam of Gayfields' Louisiana Lagniappe, aka 'Lulu'), and two grand stallions. The stallions, later followed by equally cherished sons, were *Marsh Silver Cities (Criban Silver Hackles x *Daffodil, dam of Texas Daisy and thus grand-dam of both Bristol Sun God and HW Gwyndy Glo, among other outstanding ponies) and Lithgow Gay Grenadier (*Kirby Cane Jay x *Vanity), who needs no introduction. His actual presence was even more impressive than his reputation. To say that the lads and their lovely ladies owned me might be more accurate. The only pony now left to me is Caer Wydr Sable, g-daughter and g-g-daughter to Silver Cities, and g-daughter to Flirt, but a long (10 years +) anticipated foal by Grenadier and Ghosty's grandson (Caer Wydr Wayne) will again draw all the threads together. This shoestring and perhaps quixotic venture rarely left me with time or money to show and was often viewed by well-meaning friends as some inexplicable form of insanity. Still, if I had it all to do over again, but with the choice of affluence without ponies or ponies without affluence, I am quite sure I still would have been unable to resist the lure of Welsh. After years of non-academic teaching (riding), over 10 years ago, I switched career tracks, brushed up on the five or so languages in which I am reasonably fluent, and went back to school. I have an MA in English and almost a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California. All this meant leaving ponies behind (no room for even a small one in grad student digs). Presently, I teach English composition at a branch campus of the University of New Mexico. I moved from California to the village of Mountainair NM several years ago to take care of my mother. It now seems as though I will be staying here. I have a house (no note & unbelievably low property taxes) on 1/ acre with pony-sized shelter, good fencing and cross fencing, so – you guessed it – I have a pony again. She has rekindled my dormant but never extinguished interest in Welsh. How did I manage so many years without? In addition to "real" and "face to face" teaching, I have been teaching ESL online since 1998. This has been and continues to be a richly rewarding experience. My online classes have become true international learning communities... collaborative, a mutually supportive circle of friends. In this, they mirror the online Welsh groups despite dissimilarities of content and purpose. Now that I no longer live or even travel overseas, such activities fill that gap and keep the perspective broad. Born in upstate Canton, NY (close to the St Lawrence River & Canadian border), I grew up moving around the continental US and had been in 47 of the old 48 by the time I was 10 years old. There were a few years in New York City (East Village during the 60s), along with Cairo, one of my favorite world cities. I have lived overseas in Spain, Germany, and Egypt, with frequent and lengthy visits to France, Italy, and England. Before moving to California for doctoral studies, I lived in Louisiana, where, for over 20 years, my life with Welsh took root and flourished. In addition detailed pedigree analyses, Byzantine in their complexity and rich design, I also know gumbo, Mardi Gras, and life on the bayous. Working with Claudia on the WPCC weaves these seemingly diverse and disconnected threads together – ponies, writing, research, education, diversity, equal interest in both the global and the local – into a single rich design. I hope our readers will have as much fun here as we do. |
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