Letters to the Editor

To the Editor

In all the sorrow and tumult, I may have neglected somehow to inform you of the death of my beloved sweetheart, Sigrid von Bremen Thomas. You may well have learned it from other members of the horse world, especially dressage riders.

Sigrid died October 22, at home, after two weeks care under hospice, following five weeks fight in Johns Hopkins. This was the terminal sequence of an ovarian cancer fight that began May, 2006, progressed through an operation, chemo, a successful seven months' remission, and then a recurrence of the cancer in June. Sigrid was so brave and hopeful A chief reason was that she had found a publisher for her book, wrote a third of it after her diagnosis and during chemo, and eagerly wished to find out how the book was received. She sold 50 pre-publication copies at the big Ride for Life dressage show in early July, and then another 70 at a prepublication book party in our summer place in Northport, Michigan.

The book is Goodbye Stalin, A True Story of Wars, Escapes and Reinventions. Sigrid grew up in a horse world, and horses saved their lives in 1945. The official publication date was September 25, and stores were just stocking the book as she entered the hospital.

She lived long enough to learn a second printing was ordered because book store buyers liked the book more than the publisher anticipated. She also learned via a blizzard of emails that friends were buying dozens and scores of copies to give as gifts, that a number of publications gave her and the book attention (www.bethesdamagazine.com) in its November-December issue does a page, Equerry did a page in December edition, Potomac Almanac did a page, the Leelanau Enterprise did a page last summer-and Sigrid learned on her deathbed that Postimes, the national daily newspaper of Estonia, her homeland, was going to do two whole pages on her book. That take out, with six pictures, just appeared last Saturday. So Sigrid became a famous author in the land of her birth!

Anyhow, you can check out the book on her website: www.goodbyestalin.com. It's available in most Barnes and Nobel stores, was well as many others, and can be bought on amazon or barnesandnoble.com.

Rich Thomas

To the Editor

I noticed a misprint on page 32 of your January issue. The girl with the horse is our LLS "Equestrian of the Year" honored hero Krystle McGrady who is 16 years old and has Hodgkin's Lymphoma with Woodstock, owned by Owls Roost Farms. Krystle is 16 and is being treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Mary Ann Grant - Wellington, FL

To the Editor

The other night I had time to sit down and read the whole Sidelines, the one that came the other day, and the magazine is really looking FANTASTIC.... I think the best ever....Usually I read in bits, because I never have time to sit down and read cover to cover, Just wanted to let you all know...In my opinion it is the best out there in the industry! Quality, enthusiasm, great articles, beautiful color photos, exceptional layout.....Keeps the reader interested!

Ann Reilly

[Editor's note: Ann Reilly is our Sports Psychology columnist, and although her comments are 'in house' we welcomed her compliments!]