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Posts Tagged ‘The Youth’s National’

Actres Elizabet Taylor famously won the Grand National in 1945 riding “The Pie” to victory. We must say the victory only happened in the movie ‘National Velvet’ and not on the Aintree course, sadly Liz was stripped of her title in the movie once it was discover she was – A LADY!

1945 proved a unhappy year for male riders in the nation’s as 4 prior winning jockeys died in service in the 2nd World War. They were Frank Furlong who won in 1935 on Reynoldstown, Bobby Everett who won in 1929 on Gregalach, Mervyn Jones who won on Bogskar in 1940 and Tommy Cullinan who rode Shaun Goilin to victory in 1930.

500K Grand Countrywide Win

Wonder horse Silverbirch helped one Irish man to a half million euro win after the 2007 Aintree Grand Countrywide. The nameless married man staked his money on a 4 horse accumulator and included the grand national in his bet.

Once all 3 had bounced home he headed back to the bookies to look at his last horse, ten / one Paymaster General run at Lingfield.

First Time A Charm

In 1924 the Old Etonian and Grenadier Guard Lord Manners of Foston claimed, in the Times Literary Supplement, that he only rode in two races in his life and, quite amazingly, he won them both. So what were these races? They were the 1882 Grand National and the Grand Military Gold Cup of the same year. Is this remarkable or strange? Well, let’s put it this way – it would be like picking up a tennis racket for the first time and winning Wimbledon and the French Open in the same year!

It may appear absolutely mad to incorporate the Grand State , one of the most unpredictable races, in an accumulator bet except for this very fortunate man the risk paid off and he walked home with over half 1,000,000 EU Buck in his pocket!

The Irish Grand State’s Early History

The Irish Grand National first took place in 1870 and the following six years of it’s history would produce some terribly bizzare if not unlucky tales! In 1871 a horse by the name of Mabel Gray raced home at ten / one but this was no thoroughbred because Mabel Gray was acquired for 5 bob from a knackers yard. And if that wasn’t enough triumph over difficulty she then went on to supply the 1881 British Grand National winner!

Two years on, in 1873, Scots Gray came in second place but only after the horse had bolted into the gambling ring scattering the bookies. His rider, Garry Moore, got him back on track but not fast enough to take the Grand National.

He attempted again the next year but only managed 3rd place so in 1875, and 3rd time being a charm, Scots Gray eventually won the Irish Grand National.

This in itself isn’t so weird but there had been a delay in the official verdict in which time a young clerk fom Dublin, convinced that Scots Gray had lost ( he had backed him with money that wasn’t his ) left the course and committed suicide!

We are now facing a new episode of our lives as we seek for higher education. With it follows first our decision to walk onto the path of our chosen career. More than this, for every footstep we make, our hearts beat with passionate idealism. We believe that when we have become full-pledged doctors, lawyers, teachers, architects, nurses, politicians, accountants, and many more some time in the future, we will be able contribute our share in lifting the gigantic burden of a weary downcast Juan dela Cruz. It is indeed a wonderful aspiration but it robs us of what we can do in the present. We are young and inexperienced. Yes! But we can make a difference in our present. We need not wait for the ‘future us’ because the urgency is in the present.

We are now in a generation where there is a scarcity of great leaders while the populace expands. In this dilemma, we cannot afford to wait for one whose coming is uncertain. The odds are overwhelming. And if he does come, we tend to over depend on him as if he were the all-anointed one capable of solving all our problems.

Therefore we have to be involved to become part of the solution and not the problem. How? We need not limit ourselves to the singular pursuit of our college education thinking that we will find our usefulness when we have earned a degree or a course. While it is called ‘today’, we have to make ourselves available also to other wholesome endeavor that brings immediate benefit and balance our personhood in the long run. Barangay projects and program afford us many opportunities which educate us no classroom can ever do. Community outreaches to indigenous poverty-stricken groups open to us thrilling and yet practical life experiences. Church functions to nourish the spiritual babies, to lead the hopeless and the spiritually lost and even to save the social scams and social outcasts, provide us morally and spiritually healthy perspectives and maturation. If we have no taste for these things, our very own homes and their needs gives us the immediate environment for the discharge of our learning right away.

Only if we can give our contribution today, such that the precious learning entrusted to us is exercised, will there be a preparation and a guarantee that when we have actualized our dream vocations, we will be of contribution by tomorrow. The time of our contribution must be a present tense and not a future one!

Folks, it is high time we shift our perspective from expecting what others can share to what we can personally contribute.

Fellows, it is high time we stop telling ourselves that we are too young and inexperienced to say and do our piece. Our living in such time as this is a destiny appointed so we can contribute our unique share to make a lasting difference in our society.

Friends, what we badly need now are people committed towards life-changing, community-transforming contribution. Yes, there may be no monuments that will be erected for us. There may be no songs composed for our tribute. Even history may record not a noble deed or act we selflessly did to lift up a dying soul. However, those lives we have touched will speak of our nobility and our monuments will be their witnesses in their hearts.

Rise up fellow youths and join me in this cause!