Digging

Sometimes its just there. No effort required. Just turn around and let luck happen. That’s not normally the case. Usually you need to dig for it. Charles Fipke did just that. Fipke graduated in 1970 with a geology degree that would take him to the South Seas, Amazon rainforest, African jungles, and home again. He would encounter deadly parasites, wild animals, rebel uprisings, and stone-age warriors. Yet his greatest tale would arise from his native Canada. In 1998 he initiated the largest mineral staking rush in North America since gold was discovered in the Klondike when he established the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories.

Greatest tale that is if you’re into shiny stones. I prefer dappled horseflesh. Which leads us to Fipke’s other passion, horse racing. Involved by his own account since 1981, he has exuded the same patience and resilience as a breeder that he displayed during his formidable years as a prospector. For his efforts, he may uncover another gem in the 134th Kentucky Derby should his homebred colt, Tale of Ekati, dig deep enough in the homestretch