Thoroughbred
In a world full of races, it is sometimes hard to maintain a positive outlook. Winning one race can be attributed to having a good day. Winning a second can be attributed to luck. But winning a third goes beyond just a serendipitous moment. The superstitious would say this type of favor only comes when the stars align; something that doesn’t happen too often.
Even if you don’t follow horse racing, it was virtually impossible not to hear about thoroughbred, American Pharoah, as he walked away with the Triple Crown championship this past summer since the last time it was conquered in 1978. The most prestigious championship a thoroughbred could win didn’t come easy. The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes were the three races American Pharoah competed in and won, that brought him the Triple Crown victory.
So is it all pure luck or does talent play a bigger role?
Thirty seven years is the amount of time that passed from the last Triple Crown victory up until American Pharoah took the prize. If talent is was it is all about then we would be suggesting that in 37 years there has been no other horse that possessed the giftedness to win the championship. Highly unlikely!
Skill is not the only thing that guarantees the win. As a matter of fact, the Irish got it right in their proverb:
the best horse does not always win the race”.
Though there will always be pre-race favorites, we must remember that talented horses lose races they should be winning every day.
So if it’s not just luck and it’s not just talent, then what makes for a Triple Crown victory?
I believe the answer to that would be timing.
Every horse has its time and every person has there moment.
You see, it’s not just about speed and endurance, although this too is tested in the race. But it is more so about being in the right place at the right time. There is something about being divinely positioned that sets us up for the victory. Then and only then does the super invade our natural to align us for the win.
There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven- Ecclesiastes 3:1 Amplified
Are you aligned for the win today?
Thoroughbred
Claustrophobia is defined as an extreme or irrational fear of confined places. Although more commonly categorized as a human disorder, it can affect horses as well. In fact, horses are born with an instinctive fight or flight response that can be activated in response to their aversion of small spaces. Feeling the sidewalls of the stalls pressing in on its flanks can trigger a horse to panic and in turn be scratched from the race, losing before the race even begins. For this reason, a horse must be gate trained.
Gate training includes loading the horse into the gate and getting him to remain still until the front gate swings wide open, as well as desensitizing the horse to the noises that could potentially upset him as he waits at the starting gate. Bells, cheers, horns, applauses, loudspeakers, trumpets and rattles are just a few of the noises that could distract the horse at the starting gate. Assuring the horse is calm at the gate plays a big part in its success in the race. An anxious and mentally distraught horse will not perform as well as its confident opponents.
Oh, what a finicky animal a racehorse can be!
Does this sound familiar to you?
Every item in your checklist has been crossed off. Even the smallest detail has been taken into consideration. You are as prepared as you will ever be. But just as you are about to break forth you begin to feel the pressure of what lies ahead. You suddenly get a case of the “what if’s”.
What if I can’t perform the way I thought I would?
What if I can’t meet others expectations?
What if I’m not as talented as I thought I was?
What if…
Panic wants to set in and you fight to keep your composure. Countless hours of work, and just like a racehorse, one misstep can cause you to be scratched from the race.
Suddenly your fight or flight response overtakes you, and you are tempted to run. The noise is consuming you. Some chant for you, some murmur against you. Some speak of your victory, others speak of your defeat. There is a mixture of cheers and rattles. Everyone is watching.
What are YOU going to do?
Thoroughbred
There can only be one winner in the race and everybody knows it. This is the reason why those placing bets are so careful about their selection. The stakes can get very high and choosing the wrong horse can cost someone thousands of dollars. Everyone scouts the horses in search for a horse of a different color.
As mentioned before, the paddock is the green area where the horses are saddled prior to the race, as well as where the onlookers can more carefully examine the prospects. Although all the horses in the paddock have been trained for the race, there is only one that has been trained for the win.
The telltale signs of a horse that is not ready for the race are obvious; sluggishness, nervousness, sweating, holding its head down, and bucking. This can be seen in many a horse but what is few and far between is the spirit of confidence found in a champion horse.
A horse isn’t born with race winning confidence but instead is trained up this way. There are many factors that contribute into this training including how the horse is handled, consistency, reliability, and connection. The trainer works hard at establishing these core fundamentals off the track in order that the horse would be successful on the track. Because a good trainer knows that a champion spirit is built behind the scenes and not when crossing the finish line.
A horse of a different color is a rare commodity. It is the excellence in which it performs that separates it from the rest. Contrary to what some believe, it is the effort and discipline before the race that bring the win and not a streak of luck.
I like to believe that I am a horse of a different color ready for the race. Although, I have to admit there are times I feel more like a pony going around in circles in an endless ring. As I patiently wait for my turn to be loaded into the starting gate, I am reminded continually that my race has been promised and I have been bred for the win.
A champion horse is a product of its trainer and likewise, we are products of a master trainer. One who handles us gently and knows when to pull the reins. One who is consistent in His love for us and never gives up in spite of our “pony” moments. One we can rely on to strengthen our weak areas before ever putting us out on the track, and finally, One who we have connection with.
Take a close look at yourself today. Are all bets on you?
Thoroughbred
Although the chances of me ever having a racehorse are slim to none, if I ever owned one, his name would undoubtedly be Smelly Barbarelly. This is the name of my imaginary race horse endearingly named after my sister, Barbie, who is a horse racing enthusiast.
This past summer the horse racing world was all a stirred as thoroughbred, American Pharoah, won the Triple Crown since the last Triple Crown victory in 1978. If you have ever had the chance of watching a horse race, then you have been a witness to the intensity that builds up all throughout a day at the races. Although the highest point of excitement is without a doubt observing the line of horses across the starting gate waiting to break, there is a lot that takes place prior to this pivotal moment.
Before ever being loaded into the gates, each horse is paraded in the Paddock. This is the green area where they are saddled and then walked around a ring where they can be observed to determine their alertness, relaxation, and looseness all in anticipation of the big run.
Even the best trained horse can have an off day but preparation minimizes the chances of this happening. A well trained horse is conditioned to perform at its best no matter what the state of the track is; good, wet, muddy, or sloppy. However, this doesn’t happen overnight. Countless hours of practice are put in both by the horse and the trainer in order to bring the horse to a state of readiness for such a competition.
Since these thoroughbreds are all young horses, they are all green to the ins and outs of the racing world. They must practice performing with the weight of the saddle, tightening of the girth, the feel of a bit in their mouth and after they master this, they must learn how to handle themselves with the weight of the jockey on their back.
The race itself brings just as many challenges as does the preparation. In order to successfully deal with these challenges, often times the horse is trained for the race with blinkers which keep him from being spooked and distracted by his surroundings. The noise from the spectators, the pounding of the hooves, and virtually anything else can keep the horse from performing at its best and so every detail is taken into consideration to allow for the horses optimal level of success.
It is amazing to me how similar our lives are to a race horses! Can you see the correlation? We too are being prepared for a race but before ever being deemed ready to be positioned at the starting gate we must be broken in.
- As the popular saying goes, we must first Saddle Up. Prepare for the ride by accepting our assignment and stepping out. He has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace…2 Timothy 1:9
- Tighten our Girth . Ephesians 6:14 says it this way, Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Being firmly established in the truth of God’s Word and wrapping it around us promises us the race.
- Placing the bit in our mouth. The bit in the horse’s mouth is how the jockey communicates with the horse and calls him to obedience. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. James 3:3 Likewise, we should liken our words to Christ’s so that we too would remain in obedience.
- Handle ourselves with the weight of the rider. Our walk is not our own and our victories are not solely ours. They are for the benefit of the body. We must learn how to carry others through the race until they are ready to ride on their own. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
- Blinkers-On. Philippians 4:13 says, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. The race in order to reach the prize is non-negotiable. At all cost, distractions must be avoided. We must put on our spiritual blinders and keep from looking to the left or the right. This is the only way to reach the prize.
And lastly, to be reminded of our ability to win the race, we must keep one thing close to our heart at all times… we too are Thoroughbreds.
…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4
Have you claimed your breed yet?
Photo Credit: Pete Markham