Majestic Full Circle
It was a great experience when I hotwalked horses for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas in the mid-1990's. I was surrounded by majestic horses and I worked with so many great people. I only hotwalked for about a year. I still follow the sport of horse racing and have many friends that are still in the industry especially the grooms and hotwalkers that taught me.
For about three years now every Saturday before Thanksgiving I help the racetrack chaplaincy at Belmont Park. I help them pack the bags of Thanksgiving fixings so they can give them to the backstretch community prior to the holiday. The first few years I just helped on Saturday. This year on Sunday I went to the Bridge Church in Malverne, N.Y., that Pastor Humberto Chavez and his wife Pastor Karen Chavez have, they are also the pastors of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy at Belmont where I help them before Thanksgiving.
I am so glad I attended their church the Sunday in November, ever since then I have been attending regularly every Sunday.
Pastor Humberto, Pastor Karen, the other pastors, and the members of the church really inspire me each week. Some of the members of the church also help pack the bags before Thanksgiving.
In the mid-1990's I walked majestic horses thanks to Mr. Lukas now 30 years later I help the pastors of the racetrack and have a special connection with them each week at the Bridge Church.
From hotwalking to now it is a majestic full circle and it is the winner's circle because I am inspired daily.
Michael Fenrich
Malverne, N.Y.
