Secretariat

There was a lot of horsin' around last weekend during my visit home for Mother's Day and my dad's birthday. My sister Carla and I ventured to our parents' house in northern Wisconsin Thursday night to enjoy a longer weekend. Friday we did some antique shopping at Aunt Esther's Attic and I picked up a retro table. Carla cleaned out the place, stocking up on great finds such as a pair of very cool horse-shaped bookends that I am continuing to be jealous of.
Her selection was very fitting with our weekend visit, since it fell at the same time as the Kentucky Derby and the annual party at the local bar in town.
Inspired by Carla's expert taste in interior design and all things Derby since watching Animal Kingdom win the race, I have been on the search for my own horse-themed decor for my apartment.
Maybe I'll start with a framed portrait of Secretariat, since we watched the movie about the Triple Crown-winning race horse after the festivities Saturday.
I've always liked horses, from one of my favorite movies as a kid being Black Stallion to loving to go riding while at summer camp.
But, I didn't know much about the story of Secretariat. The movie depicts his life and how he won the Triple Crown in 1973, setting several records .
It's a Disney picture and very family friendly, but still can capture the attention of adult crowds with Diane Lane's performance and the behind-the-scenes look at the most popular horse races in history.
I know I've strayed a little from my typical movie review model here, but the great times with my family that led up to watching Secretariat made it all the better of a viewing experience. Sticking with the equestrian theme, I next have to check out First Saturday in May, a documentary. It's been on my Netflix queue long before I recommended it to my mom and she and my dad both enjoyed it. That's saying a lot since my dad rarely watches new movies. I'll take any recommendations for similar films to fit in this category, please.
In the meantime, go Animal Kingdom!