The Heart of a Lion, Part 1

'The Heart of a Lion' is a four-part series about a brave horse, good people, and life lessons. This is the true story of Macho Little Lena...


People shuffle up and down the hallways of the Will Rogers Coliseum in Ft. Worth, Texas. Somebody's heavy footsteps and ringing spurs come down the concrete steps. It's another day at the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) World Championship Futurity, just one of the many big shows that attract the nations best cutting horses and trainers. The winnings in 2006 add up to 4 million dollars. Perhaps that's one reason why some prefer to call cutting the new 'sport of kings'.

Beyond the steps, a unique little world greets the eye. In one of the fold down chairs, a loper (exercise rider) takes a siesta. His sand covered feet resting on the chair in front, hat hanging down over his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. He has probably been up and working since 3 o'clock this morning. His serenity is not disturbed by bawling cattle or the creak of leather and the jingle of gear.

The warm up pen behind the judges' stand resembles a whirl-pool. Forty or fifty horses go around and around, all in the same direction; the ones on the inside going slower while the outside horses are running, turning the mass of horseflesh like a grist mill. Horse sweat fills the air with a balmy salt-smell. There are people talking, horses breathing, and cattle coughing-- all blending into a harmonious hum. Horses tied to the wall doze off. Someone's fresh horse takes a couple jumps, everybody hollers until the fun's over. That will mean a good hour of loping, at least, for that pony.

Not far from the resting loper is a stroller, empty, parked haphazard across the isle. On one side a diaper bag and a tooled leather purse are hanging, on the other a hackamore rests limply, one rein on the floor. A pair of chinks and a baby blanket lay across the front of the stroller.
Welcome to the cutting horse world. This is a world that revolves around horses. It is built on families, but it runs on honest work and a lot of money. There is nothing more valuable here than a loyal friend and a good horse. People put in long hours not for fame (though, perhaps, for fortune) but for the thrill of seeing that horse win, of watching him triumph. This is where the horse they've spent the last 3 years crying and sweating over, the horse that they've invested thousands of dollars in, is weighed and measured.

In Part II, meet Cindy and Wes Smith and their horse, Macho Little Lena.