We Were Horseman

Hello,

My Grandparents were from Toole, Utah. My grandfather was a teamster and he hauled ore out of the mines with a team of horses. There was a smelter there and at that time there weren’t a lot of restrictions on the smoke and pollutants that came out of the smelter. My dad said that he can remember that smoke drifted over their house a lot of days. My dad’s sister developed a brain tumor when she was about 10 years old and died of it after about a year. My Grandfather was convinced that the smoke was the cause of it, so he decided to move the family as far away from that smelter as he could get and that’s how we ended up in California.

They settled in Galt, California and decided to go into the dairy business and did quite well. But my Grandfathers love for horses was stronger than his love for dairy cows so he decided to liquidate and he started racing horses. Now I know what you’re probably thinking, Bad Idea and your right. After about 7 years everything was gone, not only the profit from the dairy but everything. My Dad could see it coming and Dad started shoeing horses and saved the family from the soup line. Even though the race track was a financial disaster, when I would spend time with my grandfather he would tell me about the race track and there would be a sparkle in his eyes. He would tell me about good horses he had, Ruff neck, Dales tip and Kate. Who knows what could have happened if we would have had a couple of better breaks, he would say. So maybe because of the time I send with my grandfather, racehorses have always been in my blood.
Every year when I was growing up my dad would look forward to the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont some years we watched it on T.V. other times we listened to it on the radio but we never missed it. we would hope there would be a Triple Crown winner. You can only imagine in 1973 when Secretariat won all three races and when he won the Belmont by 31 lengths it was overwhelming. I can remember watching it on T.V. and the announcer said its secretariat by 5 lengths, by 10 , it’s secretariat by 20 lengths and ladies and Gentleman he is now moving like a magnificent machine, tears rolled down my cheeks. I have had a love affair with horses since I was born and now to be watching the greatest horse that has ever lived doing one of the greatest feats that a horse can achieve was a wonderful experience. So every year I still look forward to the Kentucky Derby because there are always some wonderful stories that develop around those great horses and this year was no exception. The winner this year was a horse I didn’t know much about his name was Seven Street Sense, he was ridden by a jockey named Calvin_____. As soon as the race is over and the horses are still on the track an out rider gallops out to the winner and interviews the Jockey. As the horse and rider are being led back to the winner’s circle the people along the rail would holler, Way to go to Calvin, you did it! Over and over that happened and I started to notice it wasn’t people wearing suits. It wasn’t Sheiks and Jetsetters, it wasn’t actors or famous singers, it was people in Tee shirts and Jeans it was grooms and exercise riders. It was the water truck driver and the guys that clean the stalls. It was the everyday people that work hard everyday and dream that maybe someday something great might happen and that day it did. Calvin is a guy that grew up poor with very little education from Lausanne. He didn’t have the easiest time of it, his ability to read and write are in question, but not his heart. He has tired the endured his entire life and still cleans stalls and does the menial jobs like everyone else does. He has been a good race rider but hasn’t appeared on the front page much. In early March the trainer decided to give a guy a chance that has a big heart and endless try, a chance of his life time in a lifetime of chance. Guess What? He did it he came form almost last through a lot of horse traffic and mud to the front and maybe why he did it like that is because he was used to it. Life hasn’t been very easy for Calvin but he never gave up on his dream and on May 5th that dream came true. An everyday guy that isn’t too proud to still clean stalls and isn’t afraid of a little hard work and understand that you never know what great things life has in store for us.
A few weeks after the race Calvin and his girlfriend was invited to the White House for dinner and the president greeted him as the man of the hour and Calvin just smiled. After dinner they were entertained by a violinist and the performance was wonderful. But as he started to leave the stage Calvin realized that the violinist had been stricken with polio at a young age and had lost the use of his legs. Calvin smiled and turned to his Girlfriend and said Me and that guy are living proof that anything is possible. Your right Calvin, Way to go!!!
Thanks for your time
Walt Woodard