Calvin Borel and Mine That Bird could be household names by now. While the Kentucky Derby is but a memory, the impact this horse and rider could have on a nation with high unemployment and a dismal economic outlook could be enormous.

Of course I haven’t watched the Kentucky Derby live in years because it’s right during milking time, but I searched and searched and searched for a replay of the race. (And, I mean, I had to search.)

When I found it, I played it several times. Why? To count how many times the announcer actually called out the winner of the Kentucky Derby’s name, Mine That Bird.

He said it twice. Once, when they were on the third turn and you had to listen for it to actually hear it, and one more time, when Mine That Bird was at least three lengths ahead of the pack and nearing the finish line. And when he said it, he stumbled over the name – he couldn’t spit it out!

Why? Because he was too busy calling the rest of the horses’ names, not the winner’s: Regal Ransom, Papa Clem, Pioneer of the Nile, Hold Me Back – they were all called several times right up until the last couple of seconds.

As I watched, I was astounded that the whole time the horse was coming up the rail picking off the other horses one by one, the announcer didn’t say a word about it. Then, Mine That Bird was out front – and still, no mention.

Finally, he was just a few strides from the finish line and way ahead of the other horses, and the announcer finally said, “Coming through is … ah ... that is, ah ... mmm … Mine That Bird!”
The unlikely winner. The horse they thought would never go the distance. That one horse that was just lucky to be in the race. Riding 21 hours in the back of a trailer instead of flying to Kentucky like the rest of his contemporaries. Costing just a pittance compared to the rest of the million-dollar Derby horses.
The long shot won it all.

Somewhere along the line, someone believed in Mine That Bird. Someone put their time and energy into this horse, thinking they might have a chance to win the big Derby race.

As they brushed him, saddled him and worked him day after day after day – in the mist, in the sun, on the good days and the bad.
Someone never gave up on their goal.

While the rest of us lose our vision and take our eyes off our dreams and our goals, one long-shot horse has rekindled those hopes. If that long shot can win, then maybe, just maybe our dreams can come true as well – keeping our eye on the goal and never giving up.

If Mine That Bird can come from the back of the pack in the muck and mire to win the big race, then there is always hope for what we’re trying to accomplish in the midst of tough times and against all odds.

Thanks, Mine That Bird.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.