Pony

The term "horserace" is relentlessly applied to presidential election campaigns, but the current contest actually fits the label. It features neck-and-neckers, come-from-behinders and odds-maker favorites who stumbled out of the gate. With large fields vying for the Republican and Democratic nominations now headed into what may or may not be the final furlongs, this is surely the most compelling White House competition in decades. Alas, like horseracing, this presidential primary contest is likely to be for most Americans a spectator sport.

Is there a place in the world for cute? There is if you don't have to put up with too much of it. The cuteness in question today is embodied in a toy called My Little Pony, which this year celebrates its 25th birthday, having now occupied a full generation's worth of girls' imaginations worldwide, while simultaneously alarming a generation of parents worried about excessive exposure to saccharine. But is artificial sweetener really so dangerous? Today's young women seem to have their heads screwed on straight - which is more than can be said for the Barbies they took up after leaving My Little Pony bereft and unwanted in the back of the closet.

"My favorite book is 'The Good Luck Pony' by Elizabeth Koda-Callan. It is about a girl who cannot ride ponies. But you have to get this book to find out what happens next. You will be very surprised at the ending of this book."-- Ashton EashLisbon Elementary"One of my favorite books is 'The Berenstain Bears and the Female Fullback' by Stan and Jan Berenstain. A girl named Bertha wanted to be on a football team. The boys did not want her on the team. Bertha is big, strong and fast. She tried out for the team and got picked.

'Love Letters'Witness the humorous and touching story of a 60-year relationship maintained through letters when Towson University's theater department presents A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters" at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Mainstage Theatre of the Fine Arts Center, Osler and Cross Campus drives. Featuring C. Richard Gillespie and Maravene Loeschke (pictured), the performance benefits the C.R. Gillespie Theatre Scholarship, established in honor of Gillespie's retirement in May after teaching at the university for more than 30 years.

There aren't many books more widely read by Maryland children than "Misty of Chincoteague," the story of two orphans, Paul and Maureen Beebe, who live with their grandparents in Chincoteague, Va., and dream of rearing a wild pony.The heart-warming tale, which has charmed readers for 50 years and has been translated into a dozen languages, was written by Marguerite Henry, who died at her home in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., last month at the age of 95.Henry wrote 59 books, including "King of the Wind," "Justin Morgan Had a Horse," "Brighty of the Grand Canyon," and "Born to Trot."

SAVAGE FEST has come and gone and all the weary elves have retired to their abodes, there to relive the past glory of a beautiful day and dream of bigger events to come.It was a wonderful day, with a parade and pony rides, a dunking booth, door prizes and two moon bounces.For a wonderful day, it got off to a bad start.As in most years, Howard County Council member Charles Feaga lent the fair the use of two dozen bales of hay.These bales make wonderfully rustic and soft seating for tired fair-goers.

IT HAD THE THRILL of the Olympics, the competitive edge of a major league game and the happy ending of a Disney movie.One night this week, in Tasker's Chance Fields in nearby Frederick, the New Windsor Minor League All-Star team won the championship game of the Dean Taylor Memorial Tournament -- in a one-run game.It was the first time in recent New Windsor baseball history that a team had won a championship.The boys were composed on the bench as their teammates stepped up to the plate during the last inning.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- At one end of the backside, far from the sparkling barns of the Kentucky Derby horses, stands an old, loyal work pony named Leo.Ancient at age 29, Leo won't attract any wagers in Saturday's big race. He might not even garner a sideways glance. But if favored Unbridled's Song wins the first leg of the Triple Crown, his owner and trainer might owe Leo more than even the blacksmith and veterinarian tending to Unbridled's Song's foot injury.On Saturday, in front of more than 100,000 frantic Derby fans, the mild-mannered Leo will lead the hyperactive Unbridled's Song onto the track and to the starting gate.

Frances Elspeth PittsHorseback riderFrances Elspeth Pitts, 15, an avid sports lover and horseback rider, died Sunday when the van she was traveling in collided with a car near Georgetown, Ky. The Monkton resident was on her way to the U.S. Pony Club Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington when the accident occurred.She was to have competed yesterday, but organizers canceled the event and scheduled a candlelight ceremony instead.She was a graduate of the Calvert School and would have entered the 10th grade at Roland Park Country School this fall.

Bill Newton remembers the days when he drank to excess, defied his bosses and wound up in far-flung places without knowing how he had arrived."I was a pretty mean, nasty, crummy guy, and today I think I'm pretty nice," said the 42-year old recovering alcoholic.Today he also pays homage to the Native Americans who rescued him from drinking with one of Baltimore County's most unusual shops.Inside the Pony Soldier, a small shop set back from Main Street in downtown Reisterstown, are Native American wall hangings, blankets, flutes, books, artifacts, music, jewelry and novelties.

Horseshoe manufacturer worker suffers hand injuries 2 An employee at a Rosedale horseshoe manufacturer was seriously injured Friday morning after his hands were caught in a 60-ton press, according to a Baltimore County Fire Department spokeswoman. The man was taken to the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital. His injuries were not considered life-threatening, said the spokeswoman, Elise Armacost. About 9 a.m., county fire crews were called to Victory Racing Plate Co. at 1200 Rosedale Ave. Using airbags and hydraulic tools, it took them about 25 minutes to free the worker's hands from the press, which is used to mold metal into horseshoes, Armacost said.

I normally choose my Derby pony based on which name comes closest to reminding me of an adult beverage. But these are not normal times. The horse that seems to be made for 2009 is I Want Revenge. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/toydept)

A Maryland tourism ad has gone over big in a Fairfax Station, Va., barn. Too big. Maddie the mare has quit eating breakfast because she's too busy neighing back to the Assateague pony in the radio spot. "Every morning on my way to work in Lorton, I stop in Fairfax Station to feed my horses their morning meal," Marjorie Wolson wrote to WTOP. "I listen to WTOP in my car on the drive over and on the radio in our barn once I arrive. "For the past several days, as they were supposed to be eating and I occupied myself with morning chores, my thoroughbred mare comes away from her feed and begins to neigh.

A young male pit bull attacked several horses pastured at a northern Harford County farm Wednesday, injuring one so severely that it was put down. Another horse might not survive its injuries and a third has nearly 50 stitches on its face, officials said. Harford County animal control officials ordered the dog destroyed yesterday. "Based on information from witnesses and past history, this dog was considered potentially dangerous and had to be destroyed for the safety of this neighborhood," said Pamela Arney, Harford's animal control officer.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Fair Hill-based trainer Graham Motion had a little more excitement in his morning routine than he would have liked during his first Kentucky Derby week in 10 years. As Motion was bringing Adriano back from his morning gallop, another horse, who had thrown his rider, ran loose and came worrisomely close to Motion and his A.P. Indy colt. The trainer, seeing the loose horse in his peripheral vision, quickly directed his pony and Adriano into the empty shedrow of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas' barn.

At the Day's End Farm Horse Rescue on a breezy spring day, a brown and white pony circled around and around an outdoor pen. The pony was a new arrival, a stray that had been brought to the farm because it didn't seem to have an owner. At Day's End, the rescued horses are named in alphabetical order, starting with A at the beginning of the year. By March, it was time to give this pony a name starting with the letter N. Christine Ericksen, one of about 15 staff members, suggested the name Nemo, since the pony, like Nemo the fish in the movie Finding Nemo, had been separated from home.

The term "horserace" is relentlessly applied to presidential election campaigns, but the current contest actually fits the label. It features neck-and-neckers, come-from-behinders and odds-maker favorites who stumbled out of the gate. With large fields vying for the Republican and Democratic nominations now headed into what may or may not be the final furlongs, this is surely the most compelling White House competition in decades. Alas, like horseracing, this presidential primary contest is likely to be for most Americans a spectator sport.

Is there a place in the world for cute? There is if you don't have to put up with too much of it. The cuteness in question today is embodied in a toy called My Little Pony, which this year celebrates its 25th birthday, having now occupied a full generation's worth of girls' imaginations worldwide, while simultaneously alarming a generation of parents worried about excessive exposure to saccharine. But is artificial sweetener really so dangerous? Today's young women seem to have their heads screwed on straight - which is more than can be said for the Barbies they took up after leaving My Little Pony bereft and unwanted in the back of the closet.

Paul J. Travers remembered the first time he saw the Colts' mascot, Carolyn Clark, and her Welsh pony, Dixie, cantering around the cinder warning track at old Memorial Stadium. "It was 1960. I used to go to Colts games with the Southeast Police Boys' Club. We'd meet on Bank Street carrying our lunches in a brown paper bag and then board a school bus for the trip to the stadium," Travers recalled yesterday. "Once there, we'd take our seats in the far left field bleachers way up high where we spent most of our time looking at Carolyn and the cars in the parking lot. I guess you could say it was an infatuation with an older girl," he said, laughing.

Celebrate fall at the 43rd National Apple Harvest Festival in Arendtsville, Pa., 10 miles northwest of Gettysburg. The festival, created by the Adam's County Fruitgrowers Association, began in 1965 and includes something for everyone: more than 300 arts and crafts vendors, antique and classic cars, puppet shows, and pony and hay rides. Live music will be played on six stages. Festivalgoers can eat an array of foods, including barbecue, rib-eye steak sandwiches, apple butter, kettle corn, apple fritters and sweet potato fries.