Published: May 13, 2009 01:05 pm      

Pat Day speaks at Scribner DARE graduation in New Albany

Horse racing legend urges students to make right choices

Few jockeys will ever match the record of Pat Day during his 32-year career. The all-time leading rider in Churchill Downs history racked up 8,804 career wins. He won the 1992 Kentucky Derby aboard Lil E. Tee and captured nine triple crown races — one Derby, five Preakness Stakes and three Belmonts.

But Day said success should not be measured by the wins or being a Hall of Fame rider. Rather, it should be about the positive influence he can make in a person’s life.

“I enjoyed tremendous success,” Day told a group of Scribner sixth-graders Tuesday morning. “But being a positive influence in one person’s life is more important than any race I’ve won. From the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, you have an influence over everyone you come in contact with.”

Day was the guest speaker at the DARE graduation ceremony. DARE — which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education — has been taught to Floyd County students since 1992. Scribner’s course is headed up by New Albany Police Officer Dan Dickey, who also serves as the school’s resource officer.

Dickey told the students it is up to them to make the right decisions in life.

“It’s all about choices,” Dickey told the students. “It’s all up to you.”

New Albany Mayor Doug England told the students one of the biggest challenges they will face in life is peer pressure. Something Day knows all about.

The retired jockey said because of his size — he was 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed 63 pounds in eighth grade — he tried to impress others by drinking alcohol and being involved in other mischievous activities. That behavior progressively got worse when he began his career as a jockey until 1984, when he said he became a born-again Christian.

Day told the students God has a plan for each one of them. He also emphasized being a role model to others by living the right kind of life. He said he nearly self-destructed because of the poor choices he made prior to 1984.

“Try to be a positive role model,” he said. “Say no to things that are wrong and yes to things that are right. The DARE program helps you say no to the things that are wrong. You can’t go wrong by doing right.”



WHAT IS DARE?

Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons taught from kindergarten through 12th grade.