Not everybody gets to see racehorse Smarty Jones

By Rachel McBroom

One Wednesday morning, my mom, dad and sister Hannah woke me up at 3:30 a.m. with the video camera. My mom said, 'Rachel, wake up. You and I are going to Kentucky to see Smarty Jones!' We left for Kentucky around 4 a.m. On the way there, she told me about how everyone had lied to me about this birthday surprise by saying things like, 'You can't wrap it.' My mom told me how everyone including my family and church friends knew about it.

Photo submitted - Rachel McBroom, right, an equestrienne, was touring Three Chimneys in Kentucky because she wanted to see the famous racehorse Smarty Jones. His owner, Pat Chapman, walked up and introduced herself to Rachel. The trip was Rachel's 13th birthday surprise.

I have had a love for horses all of my life. I started taking riding lessons when I was five years old. One year ago my grandfather gave me my first horse named Dixie. On our five and one half hour trip, mom told me that she had to e-mail Three Chimneys farm where Smarty Jones now lives to get tour reservations. This request was first turned away: they were booked when we were planning on visiting. A few days later, they e-mailed her back and said that we could be a part of the farm's tour, but I had to take my last day of exams at Trinity Christian Academy early to do this.

A few hours after we arrived in Lexington, I got to see Smarty Jones. As they brought him out so we could all take pictures, tears filled my mom's eyes. When they put him back in his stall, mom said, 'Stand by his stall while I take your picture.' The rest of the tour moved on.

An older lady stepped up and said, 'Take a picture of us while I shake your daughter's hand.' We did, but had no idea why we were doing this. Then she told us, 'I am Pat Chapman. I own Smarty Jones. Don't tell anybody.' We started talking; she was very nice. We started telling her why we were there and her friend with her, a newspaper reporter started to write down our story.

The reporter told us that the article would be in the paper the next day. The next day, my 13th birthday, it was not in the paper. We were so disappointed, but had an awesome time touring Lexington for the rest of my birthday trip. Friday, on our way home, my dad called and said that the reporter had tracked us down, called our house, and said that the article would be in the Sunday paper instead. Sure enough, it was. That was my favorite birthday. Smarty Jones is my favorite racehorse of all time. I wanted to meet him so bad. Now I have, along with meeting his owner, and got to be in the paper.

Who is Rachel?

Rachel McBroom, 13, the daughter of Reverend Robert McBroom and Kathy McBroom, is

an eighth grader at Trinity Christian Academy. She is an honor roll student and a member of the Trinity Christian Academy volleyball and cross country team. Her mom Kathy teaches English at North Side High School and her dad is pastor of Madison Baptist Church. Rachel's horse is Dixie and she recently gave birth to a foal named Ariana. Rachel enjoys taking riding lessons and participating in horse shows through the Jackson Equestrian Center. Recently, in her first show, she won a blue ribbon in the Western Pleasure Category.