Barbour: An Appreciation

(Key New England wardrobe: Beloved Barbour Beaufort, Boston Red Sox cap and yellow slicker)

The other day I had a bit of a whinge about some bygone (or soon to be bygone) products and companies that I'll miss. From favorite old department stores to less than well-loved airlines, it's still hard sometimes to say goodbye to things we've grown accustomed to. Let's consider this post the anti-whinge...an appreciation of something I love and that has always provided me with the utmost protection. Further, I am pleased to say we are celebrating only the first of many milestones along our walk down life's highway, our 10th anniversary. Yes, kind reader(s), this is a celebration of my BBB...Beloved Barbour Beaufort.

I remember unwrapping the parcel from the North of England on the day my BBB arrived...the smell of the waxed cotton, the stiffness of the fabric, the little green and gold enameled collar pin that said in clear Arial-ish sans-serif font: BARBOUR. I thought perhaps I'd made a mistake and that this was going to be one of those rigid coats--like a bad jean jacket--that you would always want to wear, but the garment itself would make it no fun to do so. Au contraire, mon ami!!

If you've never had the singular pleasure of breaking in a Barbour, well, it is certainly something to be savoured. Yes, it was a bit stiff for the first couple of wearings, and I fretted mightily over the first few scratches, but like the best sterling silver, Barbour's develop a deep, rich patina by way of all the scratches, folds, and wear. They become like the one pair of jeans in your wardrobe that aren't too loose or too tight and that wear like they were custom made for you. Every wear-line and fade-line becomes part of the essence of the garment.

Now, I can already hear the Gore-Tex fans out there protesting that their garments are lighter, more breathable and more waterproof than my BBB...and everyone has a right to their own opinion. And I have nothing at all against the lovely folks who make and use Gore-Tex, either...but this is about the BBB.

In the interest of full-disclosure, I did once stray from the waxed cotton path over to the synthetic textile path, but I was young and silly, then. Many years ago I'd purchased a parka made of the above-mentioned textile from a well-known Maine retailer and it seemed fine, certainly it was lighter-weight than my BBB. So along comes a very rainy and sloppy day and the boyfriend decided we should go to the Yankees game--it was April, I think. So because it wasn't all that cool outside, and the parka was a little longer in length, I wore it to the game rather than the BBB. BIG MISTAKE. First off, it wasn't all that waterproof by the end of the afternoon and I was soaked to the skin--and cold. So cold and wet, it turns out, that the only thing that could revive me and render me conscious again was a Double Steak dinner for two (with cottage fries, creamed spinach and a Grey Goose martini) at the original Palm restaurant in NYC. Shortly after, the parka was sent back to the famed Maine retailer and that was the end of my dalliance with non-waxed-cotton outerwear. The BBB was never to be doubted or underestimated again. From October to April, the coat most likely to get the call is the BBB.

I'd imagine that every other Barbour lover out there also has their favorite "model" if you will, but I have to say I'm rather partial to the Beaufort. It's just the right length and has loads of pockets...even hand-warmer pockets lined with soft, cozy moleskin. Delightful. And while I never thought I'd actually use the "game pocket" that runs all the way across the back of the coat, it has proven to be a great place for tucking newspapers or magazines on rainy, slushy days. I'm not sure which model HRH Queen Elizabeth prefers, but it looked like a Beaufort (with brogues and an Hermes scarf) in the movie, The Queen. Brilliant.

Now, obviously I'm not the only one who feels like this. In fact, it was the piece in The Times of London about how Barbour is "back" that got me thinking about my BBB. Here's a link to the full piece "Big, battered and the colour of gunk, the Barbour wax jacket is back. How one heritage brand was reinvented without any brand strategists and without really trying." (I'd argue it never went anywhere, but I won't quibble with the Times.)

From strolling past the Opera Paris to cheering on my Chelsea Blues in London, and from Vienna, Austria to Rochester, Minnesota, the BBB has been part of many of my great memories of these past 10 years, and will be for many years to come.

OH...And in other quick news, I wanted to thank Troy Tinker from the World Famous Lipizzaner show (he's the narrator/emcee) for the kind information he posted as a comment to my Dancing Stallions post. He notes that the Spanish Riding School will be doing 5 performances on the East Coast in 2010, and that there will be links on their website when the dates and venues are announced, so stay tuned! Here's their website again www.lipizzaner.com and as I said, if the show comes to a town near you, do plan to attend. You won't be sorry.

The Dancing White Stallions

By this point, it won't come as much of a surprise to any of you (or both of you, as the case may be) who read my ramblings, that not only am I a mass (or mess) of complicated contradictions, but I am drawn to others with similar issues. A complicated and complex genius will get me every time and if they are a tortured, complex, and complicated genius (think TE Lawrence) so much the better.

Among the people whom I find fascinating is George S. Patton, aka "Old Blood and Guts." I shamelessly admit that I love the movie and George C. Scott's portrayal of the bundle of vanity, erudition, and arrogance that was General Patton. I doubt that there was then (and likely not today, either) a military officer who was better read than Patton or who had a better sense of history. That said, Patton was a pretty good poster boy for hubris in all its many connotations. Add to all of this the fact that Patton was an accomplished horseman, as many cavalry officers of the time were. (Interestingly, up until 1952, the Olympic equestrian events were only open to commissioned/serving male cavalry officers.) George Patton had spent a lifetime around horses. After his graduation from West Point, he played polo and took part in steeplechases and fox hunts. In 1921, when a major in the cavalry, he wrote that "a cavalry leader must have a passion—not simply a liking—for horses.” And after the car accident that would eventually take his life in December of 1945 he is said to have asked his doctor, in reference to his prognosis, “What chance have I to ride a horse again?”

(Patton on horseback after his graduation from West Point)

So as much as I appreciate the history-loving Patton, it's Patton as horseman with whom I feel a kind of kinship. And it is in large part, due to his passion for horses, that the world renowned Lipizzaner Stallions are still reproducing and thriving today. The joint efforts of Patton, Col. Charles Reed (and the Third Army's US 2nd Cavalry), Polish Colonel Alois Podhajsky and a handful of horse-loving German soldiers, resulted in "Operation Cowboy" that rescued over 1000 horses, including over 350 Lipizzaners. (All of the above, including the captured Germans, feared that if the horses were not rescued they would be taken and used for meat by the approaching Soviet Army.) If you haven't seen The Miracle of the White Stallions (yes, it's Disney, but it's really well done) netflix it or get it from your local library. It's fun to watch despite the obvious Disneyfication of the story.

So what, you must surely be asking yourself by now, does this have to do with anything? Does she think we needed a history lesson? In my defense, I think the more we learn about history the less likely we are to make a dog's breakfast of everything over and over again...but this is actually leading up to my afternoon with the Lipizzaners yesterday.

I'd seen the Royal Lipizzaner Stallions when I was a mere horse-mad tot...probably five or six years old. Enthralled doesn't even begin to cover how in awe I was of the leaping, dancing and prancing of the majestic white horses. And many years later, in Vienna, I visited the famed Spanish Riding School at the Hofburg and was equally awestruck. The palatial room where they performed their practice maneuvers was just too beautiful, but it somehow seemed perfectly appropriate for the grace and elegance of the Lipizzaners.

(The Winter Riding School arena at the Hofburg in Vienna)

And here's where things take a little detour. Apparently, there are Lipizzaners and then there are the Royal Lipizzaners of the Spanish Riding School. What I saw on Saturday were the Lipizzaners sans the royal connections.  The emcee was careful to note to the small but enthusiastic crowd assembled at the Arena at Harbor Yard that they were not affiliated in any way with the famed Spanish Riding School in Vienna, but that they worked closely with them and several of the stallions in the show were from the stud in Piber. In all honesty, the "World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions" were most enjoyable, but they were not at the same level as I'd seen in the earlier performances, and while the riders were certainly competent dressage athletes (and far better than I could likely ever be!!) they were not of the caliber of the masters I'd seen in Vienna. It's like seeing a Broadway touring company or the performance of Grey Gardens I saw at The Ordway in St. Paul. Great fun, talented performers, but not like seeing Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson at the Walter Kerr Theatre.)

(The Courbette)

That said...I had a really good time and if they are coming to a town near you, they are definitely worth going to see. Firmly believing that no time passed in the company horses is wasted, I settled in and enjoyed the show. The horses were magnificent, make no mistake about that.  From the mounted quadrilles and dressage exercises to the airs above ground, the Lipizzaners do not disappoint. During one set with an Andalusian, the horse's elegant and graceful bow elicited an audible gasp from the crowd--it was beautifully executed and so charming. (Note to boyfriend...any man that approaches on a horse that then bows has me from hello.) The troupe did a very fine job of presenting the history of the stallions and of the military background of the incredible maneuvers they are taught to do. While the emcee was less than entertaining, I have to say I found some of his spiel interesting--especially when it came to the Foundation Stallions or Sires. Just like Thoroughbreds have the Byerley Turk, The Darley Arabian and The Godolphin Arabian, modern Lipizzaners have Foundation Stallions: Pluto, Conversano, Maestoso, Favory,  Neapolitano, and Siglavy. The names of these stallions are passed on to their progeny so you typically see one of them as part of a Lipizzaner's full registered name.

A few things did catch my attention...there were mostly women riders, whereas the Spanish Riding School didn't admit any women riders until 2008. I was most pleasantly surprised that some of the stallions in the performance had been rescued and rehabilitated. According the emcee, several Lipizzaner stallions had been found neglected and in very poor health at a facility in the Midwest. The horses were rescued, restored to good health and now are actually in the show, some performing the very difficult "airs above ground" exercises. Finally, BIG cheers to the Bridgeport Mounted Unit for being outside the venue to greet the crowd. In light of the disbanding of the Boston Mounted Unit, it was great to see the Bridgeport team out and about. And the crowds love them...little girls (and big girls, too) walk up and pat the horses who patiently stand there taking it all in. People love to engage with horses and mounted units can really be a great way to liaise with the community.

(The Bridgeport Mounted Unit outside the arena)

Fun links...

The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions

The Lipizzaner Stud in Piber

The Spanish Riding School

Photos of the actual rescue of the Lipizzaners and Patton riding one of the famed stallions

And as if that weren't enough...the schlag on the sacher torte of my lovely day, was getting home in time to see Zenyatta gracefully stride to her 13th victory in as many starts. Here's the VIDEO from yesterday's Lady's Secret Stakes. Queen Z's class, size (roughly 17 hh) and elegance really show in this race. I still think Rachel's better, but we may never really know and I genuinely enjoy watching them both run.

I'm pretty sure I went to bed last night with the same satisfied and slightly dreamy expression that Velvet Brown has during the scene in National Velvet where she longingly and lovingly sighs "horses."  And the photo below is a pretty close approximation of what my equestrian dream looked like!

(A young Lipizzan just starting to turn white!)