Kentucky Derby winner visits Academy

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Hammes
  • Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY. Colo --  Falcon football fans might be surprised when a champion athlete trots on the field during the Academy vs. Nichols State game here Saturday.

Mine That Bird, famous in the equestrian world for winning the 2009 Kentucky Derby against 50:1 odds, is slated to appear at the game after spending a week at the Academy Equestrian Center.

Billy Jack Barrett, Equestrian Center manager, said cadets have much in common with the prize-winning American thoroughbred.

"One of the things this horse has that is similar to cadets is heart," he said, citing the Academy football team as an example. "Our cadet football team is always the smallest on the field. And yet they've played some big teams and beat some big boys. And this little horse has the heart - that's why he won. And I see the cadets relishing in the fact that this horse was such an underdog and he accomplished what he did."

Mark Allen, Mine That Bird's co-owner, also believes cadets can relate to the horse.

"He bucked a lot of odds," he said. "And a lot of the cadets have bucked a lot of odds. So they ought to get along good."

Mine That Bird is here in part to bring awareness to the Equestrian Center's Warrior Wellness Program, which provides therapy to service members suffering from mental issues after deployments.

Barrett looks forward to the meeting of the Academy falcons and Mine That Bird at the game.

"The two birds are going to be together," he said. "The two champions - the falcon, and the Bird."

Members of the Academy cadet equestrian team and rodeo team had the opportunity to meet Mine That Bird early in his visit.

"They've just been walking around smiling from ear to ear," Barrett said. "The last thing they thought when they came to the Air Force Academy was that they'd get their picture taken with a Kentucky Derby winner."

Allen said part of the horse's remarkable abilities stems from its build.

"They had him picked to run dead last in the derby. He ain't a real correct horse - he's got a few problems in his conformation," he said, referring to the evaluation of a horse's musculature, proportion and frame typically used to determine a horse's potential. "And he's little. But that didn't stop him from kicking those big boys' butts."