Article archive / December 1, 2016
Originally published: . Volume 7, No. 12. Source pages: 12.
The Times discovered that Dr. Kim VanGeffen’s grandparents owned racehorses and named them after the grandchildren. She had a horse named after her––Kim’s Whim.
“… back in those days,” Dr. VanGeffen explained, “you had to submit three names to the Louisiana Racing Commission and they selected the name for the horse–that's why the governor's appointment to the Racing Commission is so important–can't let those poor horses go without names!”
“My grandparents also had a Paulette's Pet, named after my cousin, and a Shell's Bells, named after my sister, Shelley. I don't know if the Racing Commission still gets to pick the name, however.”
Kim’s Whim did quite well for a while. “There was a plan to enter Kim's Whim in the junior Kentucky Derby but there were problems with the trainer so, alas, it did not come to pass!” Dr. VanGeffen rescued Kim's Whim's horse blanket from her house after Katrina but unfortunately lost the photo of her and the horse.
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