Sometimes
people laugh at first when I tell them the name of my business, Profitable
Horseman. A few even ask if Profitable
Horseman is an oxymoron.
I
smile and say nothing.
And
after a few uncomfortable seconds the other person will ask,
" Do what...?''
"You know, how do you make a profit with horses?"
After
watching the Kentucky Derby, my answer will be different. The answer will be the dreaded question
answering a question.
My response question will be, "Do you believe
you can earn a profit in the horse business?"
And
whether your answer is yes, no or I
dunno, you are certainly right.
Because the first sale in your business
is to yourself.
If
you aren't sold on your ability to accomplish your dream than no one else will
be either.
Tom McCarthy of Louisville, Kentucky
is a lifelong horseman sold on his ability.
He's
been buying, training and racing Thoroughbreds since 1960. An annual Kentucky Derby regular spectator since
1955, he'd only dreamed for decades of making the walk with his own horse from
the backside to the paddock area on Derby
day.
After the Derby race last
Saturday, even though his horse General Quarters wasn't in the winner's circle,
the seventy five year old trainer and owner stood proudly in his personal winner's
circle. It was a long trip and he didn't
get there by chance.
His
eye for talent and his training ability with
General Quarters resulted in a win at the
Bluegrass Stakes in early April. Take your pencil and underline the lifetime earnings with his colt of $641,000 after the Bluegrass win. No calculator is necessary to diagnose a healthy profit
for the original $20,000 investment in the colt.
Is
professional horseman Tom McCarthy a retired high school principal who just got
lucky?
Jockey
Calvin Borel is a professional horseman
who is sold on his ability, too.
Humble,
hard working and emotional, he understands persistence and showing up for work
every day. From a less than
sophisticated start in bush track racing in Louisiana,
Calvin labored in the work he loved until he and Street Sense found their way
into the winner's circle at the 2007 Derby.
Success
loves a hard worker and Borel proved it with his combo at Churchill on the first weekend in May
with wins at both The Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Derby on Saturday.
Success as a professional horseman
isn't reserved for the rich; just ask Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai who has spent tens of millions in an empty handed grab for a Derby win.
Success is reserved for everyone on the
unlevel playing field of life who is passionate and hardworking.
And
that's because passion and hard work eventually draft luck to your team to make
the difference for you.
Ask
Tom McCarthy why he got a second chance to buy General Quarters.
Ask Calvin Borel why holes open up on the
rail just when he needs them.
Your
story is your story and success for you can only be defined by you. And only your positive attitude about your
ability will lead the way to your success.
Negativity has a permanent gig as the advance man for
Failure.
So
I want to ask you again, do you believe
you can earn a profit in the horse
business?
More articles like this one at my website www.ProfitableHorseman.com
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