Page 18 - 8 February 2013

CHANGE
It’s the only thing that remains constant.
When things change—and rest assured, they will—we usually view the future with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.
by Stacy Pigott
Ihave two dogs, and they are as different as night and day. Jewel, my 7-year-old blue heeler mix, is a short, stocky fireplug of a dog who sheds constantly,
leaving white dog hair on every piece of furniture and clothing I own. Gypsy, my 4-year-old greyhound,
is tall, sleek and elegant, with a short haircoat that, when she does shed, is easily brushed off. Jewel has never met a stranger. She is a happy-go-lucky soul who “goes with the flow,” jumping in the car to go for a ride and leaping out to see what new adventure awaits on the other side. Gypsy is my introvert. She doesn’t like new people, and when it comes to going new places, she’d rather not, thank you very much. She is a creature of habit, safe and secure in her rou- tine. Jewel embraces change; Gypsy resists it.
I see a lot of myself in their attitudes. Sometimes, I’m like Jewel, eager to move on to the next thing and impatiently waiting for the change I know is going to come. At other times, I’m like Gypsy, happy to keep the status quo and avoiding change at all costs. Somewhere in between is the reality that when things change—and rest assured, they will—we usually view the future with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.
The Quarter Horse racing industry has faced many changes throughout the years. We’ve gone from non pari-mutuel racing to pari-mutuel, from match races to sanctioned events, and from bush tracks to recognized racetracks across the country. Horses
have gotten faster. Training methods have changed. Jockey’s riding styles have evolved. Racetracks have opened, and racetracks have closed.
Without a doubt, the changes will continue.
Some states are trying to change legislation to allow pari-mutuel racing or alternative forms of gambling at racetracks. Some organizations are trying to change the rules and regulations regarding drug testing. Some racetracks are trying to clean up the sport by placing restrictions on who can enter horses and get stalls.
When change is in the air, you can almost imme- diately tell if a person is a “Jewel” or a “Gypsy.” The “Jewels” of the world try to see the positive in each set of circumstances. They look for the benefits of the upcoming change, whether it be for them personally or for the industry as a whole. The “Gypsys” of the world are usually the ones complaining about the change. They are experts at predicting the worst-case scenario, and telling people why the proposed change won’t work. Which one are you? It’s your attitude towards change that determines your emotions and
your experience of it. People who constantly pine for “the good ol’ days” are usually people who haven’t dealt well with the changes that have taken place since then. Rather than embracing change as an opportunity to learn and grow, they see it as some- thing to fear and avoid.
Arnold Bennett said: “Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” Perhaps that’s why we are dichoto- mous in our view of change. There are times you would think it was a four-letter word—those times when we fight change, kicking and screaming as we try to keep the status quo. At other times, change is welcomed and even embraced. We never know when or where it might happen, but one thing is for certain, change is inevitable.
And so it is with mixed emotions that I face the change in front of me. You see, this is my last issue as Executive Editor of Speedhorse Magazine. And part of me wants to hang on for dear life, never letting go of the comfortable routine of Quarter Horse racing and the familiarity of co-workers and friends.
But the other part of me is ready to reach out
and seize the unknown as I take the reins as Editor
of Quarter Horse News. Instead of racehorses, I’ll be following cutting horses and reining horses and work- ing cow horses. My home office will be replaced by a corner office in a brick building in Fort Worth, just a stone’s throw from the famous Will Rogers Coliseum, where so many top performance horses have competed and been sold. No doubt, this is a big change.
I have a feeling big changes are also in store for the Quarter Horse racing industry this year. My hope is that we can all avoid the fear and anxiety that change can cause, and face the changes with a positive outlook for the future. I say “we” because while I won’t be writ- ing about Quarter Horse racing on a daily basis any- more, I’ll still be following the industry I have loved for two decades. Quarter horse racing, as you know, just gets in the blood. You might still see my byline on an article in Speedhorse occasionally, or you might catch
a glimpse of me taking pictures at the racetrack or at a horse sale. And if you ever feel like dropping me a line, you can reach me by e-mail at stacy.pigott@gmail.com, or come find me on Facebook. And to everyone who has read this column and called, e-mailed, or written, I say, “Thank you.” This isn’t goodbye, it’s just “until we meet again.” The winds of change are blowing and, like Jewel, I’m going to embrace them.
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SPEEDHORSE, February 8, 2013
UNDER WRAPS