The Dancer - Review

This is a quick review of the blog so far in terms of my original book published in 2008 but started in 2005. I wanted to put the chapters in their original order with links back to their position in the blog. The blog has just built on the original data from 2005 and I think continues to show the impact Northern Dancer has had on his sport. This year has been a good one to come in for a snapshot of the sport as we head into a new decade and to celebrate the anniversary of his death by revisiting Windfields Farm before it becomes another subdivision. From any of these links you can just keep hitting the newer links to get the 2009 perspective and home to get back here. You can always click on the blog archive on the bottom right of the blog which have the blog posts listed in the order they were posted.

Chapter 1
A New National Hero (May 2, 1964)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-1.html

Chapter 2
Our Hero Has Become A Legend (Oct 29, 2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-2.html

Chapter 3
Nijinsky (Sept 12, 1970)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-3.html

Chapter 4
The Dancer's International Impact (Dec 31,2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-4.html

Chapter 6
The Dancer's Place In History
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-6.html

Chapter 8
A Champion Becomes A Legend - Makybe Diva (Nov 1, 2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-8.html

Chapter 9
Inaugural World Rankings (Nov 2005)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-9_22.html

Chapter 39
A Sentimental Journey to Windfields Farm (Feb, 2006)
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-39.html

Nov 16, 1990 Northern Dancer was humanely destroyed

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He lived to the ripe age of 29 which is quite old for a thoroughbred. His last crop of foals was born in 1988 which meant he had an incredibly long career as a stallion as well as a great one.

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Here is a great news clip from the day he died with tributes pouring into Windfields from all around the world.

http://www.youtube.com/user/fabusys#p/f/7/mjA3-P3hpAY

A few more farewell pics

(click on images to enlarge them)

Let's blow up a few pics from yesterday

(click on any to get full size)

Mission accomplished - it wasn't easy

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(click on photo to enlarge)

The four hour return trip was bearable. The uncertainty of what to expect when we got their was difficult. The early signs were good, buildings still standing but when we got to the gate it was closed with a new sign "Strictly Private Property, sorry no visitors". I said I would do whatever it took to put my flowers on his grave. The first problem was finding a place to park - the main gate area was too small. We pulled into the south entrance where we parked in the driveway of an abandoned house on the property. We waited a few minutes and when no one came out we decided we would see how far we could get, after all on my first trip here when it was a working farm, I never saw a human for over an hour and now the place looked deserted. We walked slowly at first up the long tree lined laneway but the farther we got, the faster we walked. We were almost to the arena and still not a person to be seen. We took one last look back at the car, it was barely visible and no tow truck in sight. A few of the buildings were in rough shape but the place still looked amazing and so serene. We went directly to the graves. I would take my pictures on the way out. We put our single red rose and gerby substitute for a black-eyed susan on his headstone. Mission accomplished. I started snapping photos as we slowly walked away. A person drove up in a car but went right on by without a wave or a comment. We were really taking our time now. It was Linda's first time to see the farm in person, it's too bad she couldn't see it busy with mares and weanlings and yearlings but you could still feel the majesty of the place. As we got to the laneway to take us out to the car we heard a tractor over on the main driveway, he turned toward us ... busted. We told him we were on our way out and just wanted to put some flowers on the grave. He apologized and said he was just doing his job. We had a Windfields police (tractor) escort out of the farm. The thirty minutes we were on the farm seemed like five but we did get to say goodbye and this video contains most of my shots. Goodbye Windfields, rest in peace my little hero.

Goodbye Windfields - Rest in Peace Dancer

Looking for help

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Thank goodness I didn't get the help I was looking for in this appeal or we would not have made that last visit to Windfields Farm on Nov 14,2009. The top photo is the sign on Nov 14, 2009 while the second photo is what the sign looked like in May, 2006.

I want to make one last trip to Windfields Farm before it is levelled. Either tomorrow or Sunday I would like to head to Oshawa to pay my respects and get one last look at this beautiful piece of Canadiana. Apparently the last of the mares and foals are being auctioned off in Kentucky any day now. I tried all day to contact the farm but no answer. I am trying to find out if the farm is still accessible to the public. The sign used to say visitors welcome Monday - Sunday (1-3:30 pm). The graves will be preserved in a park but the rest of the farm will become another housing development. I have asked the question on a Windfields facebook page as well. If I make the two hour trip it would take quite a bit to prevent me from entering but I would prefer not to break the law. If anyone knows the answer, please comment here. Monday is the 19th anniversary of the little guy's death and I would like to put a rose on the grave of my childhood hero who won the run for the roses 45 years ago. I will keep you posted on this little quest.

The Star (Toronto) article - you can access 17 nice photos in the article as well - Sad days.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/722053--last-gallop-for-legendary-windfields-farm

My trip(s) to Windfields in 2006.
http://northerndancerblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/chapter-39.html