Joan Callaghan had a birthday recently and posted this on a WhatsApp group. With her permission, I am sharing what she said as it expressed, perfectly, what many of us feel.

‘’Thanks once again for your messages 

‘’I am sitting here thinking about how wonderful it was to own horses in the good old Borrowdale days. A beautiful racecourse, great trainers and jockeys, and so many great characters who owned 

‘’I consider myself blessed to have been a part of this wonderful racing community.’’

Dandy Lad, trained by Freddy Maisch, was Joan’s first runner, and she said: “The very handsome Dandy Lad was sent up to me from Terence Millard …Royal Pardon out of Flushing Meadow.

“I was 33 years old and my last winner was here in Johannesburg …Emirate Gina …when I was 81! I’ve been around a long time.”

Thank you, Joan. Keep well.