First off, yesterday I was taking a nap during the Kentucky Derby, which is not typical for me. I woke up to the thought, "Wasn't the race today? Did I miss it?"
I tuned in just when the three way photo finish was called for the 18-to-1 horse to win the 150th Kentucky Derby. So still a little mad at myself about that.
However, it reminded me that a week ago a friend was talking about naming a horse. Not a racehorse, this horse seems more like an elderly pet. But, had she wanted to race him, there are evidently all kinds of rules about what she can and cannot name him. This article from last year gives a good summary.
Can Do:
She wanted to combine the horse's parent's names into her horses's registered name: she liked that. From the article: "For example, former Kentucky Derby contender Pioneer of Medina's parents are ... Pioneer of the Nile and Lights of Medina."
Cannot Do:
Oh my GOD. It's a ridiculously long list. Sort of like the rules for personalized license plates. No numbers, can't use a horse-related word, can't be like any registered horse, can't be a retired name like "Man-o-War", you have to get permission to use a living person's name, on and on.
I don't remember what she chose, but it was one of those odd names you see in races, like this year's 50 to 1 horse, Grand Mo the First. (I guess they got around "Names must not end with a numerical designation" such as “1st” or “2nd” by spelling out "first".)
Anyway, after you register your horse under its name you get a number that you then tattoo ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HORSE'S LIP -- wait, no. Not since 2020. Now it's a microchip or something. Thank god, because that tattoo is really disturbing.
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