E is for Equestrian

 

1972: Olympic Games, Munich, Germany

Post war Olympic riders gaining gold Medals in Eventing, Individual Jumping and Dressage

 

Show Jumping, Individual Dressage and Team Eventing

Individual Show Jumping

1979: Horse Racing Paintings and the 200th anniversary of The Derby

More horses but on English race courses. Mahmoud had a very successful career. Sir Alfred Munnings painted him for his owner the Aga Khan after his first Epson Derby win when the horse set  a record time that would stand until 1995. Munnings enjoyed painting Mahmoud, a much loved horse for his character. 

Newmarket in Suffolk is known as the birthplace of English horse racing The panting is by J N Satorius.

The first official running of the Grand National in 1839 at the Aintree Racecourse, the painting shows the jumping of Beecher's Brook. The jockey Captain Martin Beecher was in second place in 1839 when his horse hit the brook fence catapulting him into the water, he wisely headed to deep water for safety. After the race he remarked how dreadful water tasted without the benefit of whisky. The fence has been know as Beecher's Brook ever since.

Sunday Stamps A-Z - My E for Equatorial Guinea, England, Epson Derby and Equestrian

Olympics

 

1965: City Arms

We alas say goodbye to Paris.  The sailing ship on the city's coat of arms originates from the symbol of the 12th Century Marchands de l'eau guild who were given the rights to navigate the Seine. The Paris Olympic sailing however took place in the Mediterranean by the shores of Marseilles  

1976: Olympic Games, Montreal, Canada

At the Montreal Olympics they were on Lake Ontario.

1996: 100th Anniversary of the Modern Olympic Games

In 1996 the Olympic venue was in Atlanta and, looking forward, today's  athletes will be putting Los Angeles in their diaries for 2028. The UN must have had a presentiment for surely that is LA's coliseum on the mini sheet

1984: Olympic Games, Los Angeles - USA Gold Medalists

A venue where Carl Lewis won four of his gold medals. An evergreen athlete that would eventually win 9 gold medals and 1 silver in both track and field from three Olympic Games

1932: Summer Olympics, Los Angles

The 2028 games will be using the iconic LA Memorial Coliseum for the third time but it will be given an ambitious upgrade. The plan seen here.

1961: Tourist Publicity - Olympia

The Olympic flame will be extinguished in Paris and the Olympic flag passed on to the next hosts.  Once again Olympia waits for the flame to be reignited.

Sunday Stamps theme is - the Olympics - See It On A Postcard

Red

1979: Airmail - "Planet Exploration"

The Mars 3 robotic space probe flies above the red planet.  The descent module would eventually land but unfortunately in the middle of a Martian dust storm which was probably the reason it only managed to transmit for 20 seconds.

1973: Exploration of Venus

Another day another planet this time the more hostile Venus. I think this stamp set celebrates the Russian Venera programme, the most extensive exploration of one planet which took place from 1961-1985 and consisted of 3 atmospheric probes, 10 landings, 4 orbiters, 11 flybys and even 2 balloon probes into the clouds. Did someone say balloons?

1982: 200th Anniversary of Manned Flight - Balloons

The Royal Vauxhall Balloon which in 1836 Charles Green and crew of two set off from the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens across the channel and eighteen hours and 480 miles later landed in Germany.  This set a new record which lasted until 1907.

1990: Butterflies "Polygonia c-album"

Of course if you are a Comma butterfly then flying comes easy and it always amazes me the distances these tiny creatures can cover

1982: Roses (Design - Heinz Schillinger)

Perhaps they will be attracted to the scent of a Bourbon rose in a garden but

2001: Carnivorous Plants (Design - Steve Buchanan)

not be lured by a Venus Flytrap. Yikes -

1984: Traditional Dance Masks

Zamindi, a 'dreadful god' with ripper teeth and five skulls but on the good side she does have the eye of wisdom in the middle of her forehead.

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is - Red - See It On A Postcard 

Where Eagles Fly

1983: Birds of Prey

An Eastern Imperial Eagle with its large clear eyes and projecting brows gazes from its perch somewhere in Hungary. With a wingspan of 6-7ft (1.8-2.16m) it would be impossible to miss in the skies although it is a species on the red list and designated as 'vulnerable' so perhaps one would have to travel to the North Hungarian Mountains and, only if lucky, see it soar among the peaks.

The Lesser Spotted Eagle is an unusual bird of prey in that it hunts its diet of frogs, mice and insects on foot and can be seen prowling in lightly wooded areas.

1983: Birds of Prey (Design - Szucs Erzsébet)

although the postmark is a very satisfactory swooping eagle

2001:Birds of Prey

The wedge taled eagle is Australia's largest bird of prey and one of the largest eagles in the world with a wing span of 6ft - 7ft 7in and is reported to be able to fly tirelessly for hours on end soaring high in the skies of Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea at altitudes of 2000 metres and has even been recorded as high as 6,800 metres above the ground. On the stamp it has decidedly got its feet on the ground or rather a fluffy bunny, its common meal of choice.

1969: Legend (Design - J Rosing: Engraver - Cz Slania)

Eagles have featured in the legends of many cultures and this stamp features a Greenland legend called 'The Girl and the Eagle'. The blog 'Slania Crazy' was unable to find any telling of the story and I have drawn a blank also so all I can do is gaze at the stamp, see the rope in her hand, the stern gaze of the eagle and the vista from a high peak.  The stamp was the 5th in an occasional one stamp issue on the theme of Greenland Legends issued from 1957-1969.

Now you may have noticed I haven't found any eagles with wings unfurled so will have to

1975: Winter Olympics, Innsbruck, Austria 1976

go off piste and watch one about to swoop on a bobsleigh team.  The poster featured on the stamp is from the first ever Winter Olympics in Chamonix, 1924 and serendipitously this stamp gives me three Es all in one.

The Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter E - here for Eagle, Equatorial Guinea and ekuele - swoop over for more Es at  See It On A Postcard

En Route

1974: 100th Anniversary UPU

Equatorial Guinea joined the Universal Postal Union in 1970, just in time to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 1974.  Their stamp set featured a romantic idea of carrying post with horses, canoes, llamas, sledges, mountain climbing and of course camels with a large 'correos' bag.

2013: Europa: The Postman's Van (Designer: Jaan Saar)

Estonia Post kept it real with horse power for the Europa theme of 2013.  The FDC features a 1960 mail lorry built by Tartu Utode Remondi, a company which operated from 1949-1997 in various guises. In 1960 it operated under the name Tartu Automobile Service Factory Number 3, nothing says Soviet more with a name like that.  The mail lorry seems to be based on the company's GAZ51, a 23 seater bus,  which they manufactured in various other guises such as bread lorries, and mobile workshops for people like hairdressers and shoemakers travelling around rural districts.

The stamps show a government stage coach dating from 1840 and one of today's modern vans. I think there is a piece of whimsy on the stamp as the titles seem to say old stage coach and modern stagecoach.  The span of time on the stamps would fit nicely into the existence the Estonian History Museum which celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2014

I like the years rolling by on the stamp background.  The sword was found as part of some excavated grave goods and is dated to the 11th-12th Century. The stamp sheets have have little artifacts from the museum on the selvedges which I do not own but I have the next best thing

2014: 150th Anniversary of the Estonian History Museum

this FDC showing an entrance ticket from 1907 and a display of objects from the Estonian History Museum.  The designer is Lembit Lõhmus,  known both for his work on many stamps and also engraved bookplates. His design of a silhouetted map of Estonia which features on the Estonian euro coin was chosen to be used after a popular vote in a national poll.  

Sunday Stamps II this week has arrived at the letter E - for Equatorial Guinea, Estonia and Europa - exit to See It On A Postcard.