Page 8 - 22 June 2012

HOPE
Trying times require a healthy dose of hope.
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”
-Albert Einstein
by Stacy Pigott
There is no doubt about it, these are trying times for the Quarter Horse racing industry. Over the past few months we have been bombarded by negative press and publicity regarding doping, race- day medications, and breakdowns. As if that wasn’t enough, some of our fellow horsemen have waged a battle of their own to legitimize clones through the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). As I write this, less than 24 hours have passed since federal authorities arrested several well-known players in the Quarter Horse racing industry, uncovered a massive money laundering operation with ties to a powerful Mexican drug cartel. You can find disparaging words about American Quarter Horse racing at every turn, and you don’t have to turn far.
As a result, I have been talking to more and more horsemen who are just plain wore out. They are discouraged, angry and fed up. Some are frustrated
at the continually negative public perception of horse racing; others are weary from trying to eke out a living amidst closing tracks, falling purses, the rising costs of doing business, and plain ol’ bad racing luck. Trainers who would never dope their horses are sick of getting lumped together in the same category as trainers who try to cheat the system again and again. Horsemen are jaded by the finger-pointing and name- calling that goes back and forth between the breeds, as the Quarter Horse industry quite often gets the short end of the stick and come out looking shady, dishonest and unprofessional as the Thoroughbred industry fights the same fight to maintain their image and protect their integrity.
Quite honestly, I don’t blame them. Our indus- try has been put on the defensive, and it’s difficult to continually come up with adequate answers to explain the doping, dead horses, drug cartels, casino subsidies, and the rest. It can be overwhelming, and flat out discouraging.
When I was a kid, facing the common trials and tribulations of teenage angst, my response to all of it was to go out to the barn, close the doors, and hug my horse. Any situation—no matter how discouraging
or disappointing or whether I could actually fix it or not—always seemed better after wrapping my arms around my gelding’s safe, solid neck and burying my face in his soft coat.
As an adult, I’ve come up with different ways to deal with the disappointments and frustrations of life. One of the best solutions I’ve found to combat
discouragement is a dose of good, old-fashioned hope. Without hope, it’s easy to believe the negative
influences working to damage Quarter Horse racing right now will prevail. Nothing will change, and if it does change, the change will not be for the better. There are a lot of people walking around without hope right now, talking about the almost inevitable demise of our industry.
Hope, on the other hand, gives you the grounds to believe that something good may happen. Sure, nega- tive things are happening, but there is an optimism for the future that overcomes the defeatist attitude that is so prevalent today.
Hope, however, can be easily lost and difficult
to regain. Different people have different answers to finding hope in trying times. Comedian Bill Cosby says, “Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” The novelist Oscar Wilde said, “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.” My favorite quote, though, comes from Albert Einstein, who said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”
Learn from yesterday. Rather than focusing on the damaging events, we can choose to learn from them. The in-depth scrutiny our industry has faced is giving us the opportunity to look at where we have been and make the changes necessary to move forward in a positive direction.
Live for today. So many people are going through the day-to-day motions without the passion, zeal and fervor that got them into Quarter Horse racing in the first place. Our industry may be in a bad spot right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to give in and give up. Be proactive, starting today.
Hope for tomorrow. Just because we are facing some battles right now, doesn’t mean things won’t get better in the future. The only way we can be a part of that positive change is to have hope.
Quarter Horse racing has endured a lot through the years, and we will continue to endure if we can face the negativity and uncertainty with hope. Sure, things may change, but that change can be a good thing if we work towards making it so. I’ve been as disgusted, discouraged and frustrated about the issues facing our industry as the next person, but I refuse to give up hope. And if I do find myself low on hope, I just make time to walk outside and hug my horse.
8 SPEEDHORSE, June 22, 2011
UNDER WRAPS