Iron Sharpens Iron

Today is Derby Day and if you have to ask what Derby I’m talking about then you are not a horse person or a fan of big hats….or mint juleps.

It’s the Kentucky Derby y’all!

One of the best parts of the race is the names of the horses. Funny Cide, I’ll Have Another, Big Brown, Thunder Gulch. While these sound like novelty craft beers, they are all names of Kentucky Derby winners.

In our house each year we gather around the TV to watch the pre-race show, pick our favorites and then cheer like crazy people during the “fastest 2 minutes in sports”.

One name you may not have heard is Sham. He was a large bay at over 16 hands high with long legs and bred for racing. His endurance was like nothing his trainers had ever seen. After his death many years later, they would learn that is heart was much larger than normal.

On the track, he would prefer to stay just behind the early leaders and then slowly pass his competition on his way to victory. He was quickly moving up the ranks on the west coast and the next stop was the most famous race in the world.

Sham was a favorite at the Kentucky Derby and a record crowd turned out to watch him perform. Looking elegant in his green and yellow silks, Sham and his jockey positioned themselves in the starting gate. Sham was anxious to race and yanked at his bit while being put in the gate. The force was so much that he pulled two of his teeth out.

After a brief delay to check the injury, the decision was made to continue the race.

Sham shot out of the gate and took his position behind the early leaders. The injury seemingly having no effect as he rounded the first turn at a record pace. As the pack came around the last turn and into the home stretch Sham was running like a horse possessed. He glided past his competition and crossed the finish line in under 2 minutes with an unofficial time of 1:59.74.

The crowd erupted in cheers knowing the history they had just witnessed.

Except, they weren’t cheering for Sham.

Sham didn’t win.

Sham came in second.

The winner that day?

Perhaps the most famous racehorse of all.

Secretariat.

Sham had run a world record pace but came in 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner. That equates to roughly 3/10s of a second.

The Kentucky Derby has only been run under 2 minutes on three occasions. Once in 2001 by Monarchos and twice in 1973 when Sham lost to Secretariat.

On any other day, against any other horse, Sham would have been the victor.

The rivalry between Sham and Secretariat leading up to the Kentucky Derby and the chase for the Triple Crown afterward is well worth reading more about and I recommend SHAM: In the Shadow of a Superhorse for the full story.

Sham and Secretariat needed each other to push each other to be better. In the truest expression of iron sharpening iron, they both pushed each other in ways that other horses would not have. Without Sham, we may not have had Secretariat.

In our professional lives we need others to push us to be our best. Yes, mentors, friends, family all play a part but so does healthy competition with our peers. We need someone to push us to go the extra mile when we don't want to push ourselves. And if we keep the competition in perspective, we're able to celebrate when we lose because we know we've pushed our competition to be their best.