By Bloodhorse.com
BONSALL, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2018) — The old adage goes: “Hard times don’t make heroes. It is during the hard times when the hero within us is revealed.”
The fire at the San Luis Rey Training Center in December brought out the hero in many of the staff and barn workers, as they attempted to save as many horses as they could under chaotic conditions.
As a collective group they were honored Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs during the Race Track Chaplaincy of America White Horse Awards. Traditionally the White Horse Award goes to an individual or group who has performed a heroic act on behalf of human or horse, but this year was different.
The well-attended event, held for the sixteenth time, took place in the Triple Crown Room of the Jockey Club Suites. While Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith was the keynote speaker, the backstretch workers of San Luis Rey were the true honorees.
“We had the most nominations we’ve had in a while,” said RTCA executive director Dan Waits. “The majority of them centered around San Luis Rey and the fire. There were numerous people who were worthy, and we would have a hard time deciding. There was one submission that said, ‘Let’s not elevate one above another. Let’s give them all accolades and honor today.’ So that’s the one we went with.”
Scheduled to accept the award was San Luis Rey Downs general manager Kevin Habell, but he was unable to make the trip. Filling in was Mark Dunn, the chaplain on duty last fall at Santa Anita Park and Del Mar.
“It was beyond what anyone could imagine,” Dunn told the audience. “Instead of running away from the fire, they ran toward the fire to get the horses out. It was amazing.
“We weren’t at the fire. We were there the next morning. Everybody had moved to Del Mar as an emergency location and wound up staying several months there. Most of the workers who were at Del Mar, all they had with them was what they ran out of San Luis Rey with. They slept on cold, hard concrete floors that night, terrified and shivering from cold and from fear.
“They were in shock for months. There was a long time before people would start to speak about it in any depth. It was such an event in their lives. All of their documents were burned up—their money, their passports, their green cards, and all of their personal belongings. There was such a sense of loss and loneliness and a sense of identity loss.
“We think there were several workers who should have gone to the hospital, but didn’t. We went to the hospital and met one gentleman, I’m pretty sure his name is Orlando. Most people heard about the trainers that were heroic, but this man had risked everything to go back in and get one more horse. He had suffered from a lot of smoke inhalation. Even 24 hours later at the hospital, he was still laying in his clothes. For some reason he hadn’t been put in a gown. You could still smell the char and the smoke from the fire. His room smelled like a fire. It was traumatizing. I think of what that guy went through and here was alone and terrified.”
Also honored during the White Horse Awards was Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico. President and general manager Jeff True accepted the Community Service Award for the work done by the new owners of the racetrack and the local chaplaincy led by Darrell Winter, in constructing a 8,640 square-foot chapel on the backstretch. More than 400 attended the first service, which was conducted July 29.
Retired Hall of Fame rider Pat Day was also honored with the Founder’s Award.
The RCTA is at 44 tracks across the United States, both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse. The mission is to serve the industry, providing the spiritual, educational, social, and physical needs of everybody involved.