For the Hatley family in Lancaster, Texas, outside of Dallas, the fact that their new stallion has been crossing the finish line and landing in the winner’s circle is only one part of the success story. The other has to do with the young Quarter Horse stallion’s name: Black Lives Matter.
While protests were unfolding across the United States and around the world in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, the Hatleys watched. As Black horsemen in Texas, they recall experiencing racism when going to the track with their racehorse-owning father during their childhood.
When the Hatleys re-entered the sport and acquired the horse, their motivation for the name was simple and powerful: to keep the work of BLM alive by having the words announced to the world each time their horse ran a race.