Just Writing Through: Have Heart and be Brave, BraveHearts, Triple-Crown Jockey Mike Smith, Veterans, Special Olympics

Heart.

That is the foundation of BraveHearts. The staff and volunteers at the organization embody the name – BraveHearts. They weave heart into the fabric of every day and every lesson.

BraveHearts creates an environment where men, women and children have the ability to be brave – letting confidence grow and planting the seeds of hope.

So it makes my heart happy when beautiful things happen to beautiful people. That was the case earlier this week when jockey Mike Smith – who rode Justify to the Triple Crown – spent some time at the farm.

A member of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and the Breeders’ Cup winningest jockey, Smith toured the farm and met with staff, volunteers, Special Olympics participants and veterans. For the man who rode Justify into the limelight, his humble nature and genuine interest and concern was special to see.

BraveHearts Chief Operating Officer Meggan Hill-McQueeney and founder Marge Gunnar took Smith on a tour of the facility and introduced him to some of the many horses on the property as well as shared with him the chapel that is at the center of the Harvard facility.

He took time to judge a ‘BraveHearts Derby’ and autographed a photo for the participants after their photo-finish. He walked the property and got his feet dirty despite not being completely prepared for the mud. He watched the Veteran Drill Team perform and even mounted one of the horses, taking photos with some very excited veterans, staff and volunteers.

Then, he stood outside the round pen, watching intently as Nicholas Montijo, United States Marine Corps veteran and BraveHearts therapeutic riding instructor, spoke about Operation Mustang. BraveHearts adopts endangered wild mustangs and gentles them with the help of veterans. The program is near and dear to my heart as I learned to love horses because of Operation Mustang.

As Montijo explained how mustangs mirror the emotions of humans, and, in particular the veteran, Smith leaned in; the feeling that he wanted to experience it was palpable.

Montijo continued to talk about how working with mustangs helps veterans learn to regulate their emotions, helping to lower anxiety levels and bringing a sense of peace and calm to those who might be struggling with PTSD or with assimilating into the civilian world.

Then, Smith went in. What struck me most was that he went into the round pen, ready and willing to be a participant despite his star jockey status. He allowed himself to be a student and then he spent beautiful, quality time with one of BraveHearts’ dearest horses, and PATH International 2017 Horse of the Year …. Hank.

Sometimes you meet famous people, and they aren’t at all what you expect them to be, and, at other times, you meet famous people and they make you feel at home. This was the case here. Mike Smith was such a down-to-Earth, compassionate and genuine person. That is a beautiful gift for BraveHearts, whose main mission is to serve, and whose staff and volunteers serve from their hearts and with extraordinary kindness. Smith fit right in, giving love and encouragement to everyone he met.

The message that both BraveHearts and Mike Smith brought is that, by putting kindness first, you can change the course of a day or the journey of a lifetime. That is the story of BraveHearts.