Hooves thundered and kicked up clods of mud as the horses pounded around the track. It was a morning workout at Churchill downs a week before the Kentucky Derby. There were many triple crown hopefuls here. The favorite was a large, sleek, graceful, and well muscled black colt named Warrior Chief. He had destroyed all competition he had been faced with up to that point. No one thought the other horses held a candle to him. Everyone at the track that day was watching him.

There was another horse on the track that morning. He was small and coarse looking. He had a scruffy mane and an odd looking stride. He hardly even looked like a thoroughbred. And worst of all he was deaf. Not being able to hear the horses behind him put him at a disadvantage. He had to rely completely on his rider. He did have good vision, as most horses do. His name was Westland. 

He had been born under rather inauspicious circumstances. His sire, Westernrain, had been a moderately successful runner, and his dam, Lady Liberty had been a moderately successful broodmare. But something unplanned happened. Lady Liberty had twins. Now, twins are rare in the horse world, and usually, only one survives. Westland had been the weaker of the two. He had not been expected to survive. But he had survived.

His stronger and more promising brother, Freeland was here too, also trying for the Derby. 

It was Derby day. All of the grooms were brushing their charges to perfection, the jockeys were in the jockey's room, and the owners and trainers waited in nervous anticipation. The stands were filling up. The horses were saddled. The jockeys dressed in their silks. 

Riders up! Came the call. Warrior Chief's jockey was clad in the sky blue and white silks of Kingsgreen Stables. Freeland's jockey and Westland's jockey wore the lime green of Cypress Farm. Warrior Chief, as expected, was the favorite. The horses pranced down the track in the post parade and then were loaded into the gates. 

"And they're off!" the announcer called.

Warrior Chief broke in front, running with an easy stride. Freeland was in second. Westland was far behind, in last place. Westland began to slowly make his way ahead, passing his opponents one by one. Soon, he was in third, behind his brother and Warrior Chief, who were now locked stride for stride, in an intense battle for the lead. Westland thundered forward and got to the inside of the track, catching up to the two leaders. Now all three were locked together, each stretching to the very limits of his speed. Westland was all but invisible to the spectators, on the other side of the larger colts. The three swept under the wire together and the crowd waited silently, with bated breath, for the winner to be announced. 

The announcement came. All were amazed, even his trainer, who had expected Freeland to win. 

Westland went on to win the Preakness and the Belmont, a difficult battle each of them, fighting Warrior Chief and Freeland. It came close, but in each race, he proved himself superior. All were amazed. He was but a small horse with none of the beauty of Secretariat, Man O War, or even Warrior Chief. He had beaten the odds and achieved great things and captured the hearts of a nation along the way.

This just goes to show that if you have the heart and the spirit and the desire, you can achieve more than anyone ever thought you could, even you yourself. So dare to dream. But don't just dream. Get out there and fight and work. Run fast and run hard. Soon, you will be on your way, on a wonderful journey, and you will never forget it, for as long as you live.