Kentucky Derby Museum and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® helped make a young girl's horse dreams come true Monday morning. The experience included a VIP tour at Churchill Downs and a special meet-and-greet with the Museum's miniature horse and Resident Thoroughbred.
Nine-year-old Kori Butts is living with a nervous system disorder that affects her mobility and speech. She has spent many hours of her life at countless doctor's appointments, and the family has never been on a vacation before.
Make-A-Wish planned a days-long vacation for the family of five in the Louisville area, where Kori and her family can relax, have fun, and of course, experience horses!
Monday morning, their Kentucky Derby Museum tour guide lead them out to the famous racetrack at Churchill Downs for a private tour, where Kori said she was “born ready!” to watch the horses run. When asked about her daughter's love for horses, Kori's father, Corey Butts, says, “her eyes glisten, she gets giddy and absolutely lights up. This vacation has allowed her to just be a kid and not think about doctor's visits.”
Next, Kori's guide took her and her mom to the Backside of Churchill Downs for a private tour of the barns. She was full of joy meeting Harley, a famous pony, and she could not stop smiling as she fed him his favorite peppermint treats. She was even gifted a collectible Breyer horse that's a replica of Harley. Then, Kori had an extra special moment back in the barns when she got to meet trainer Michelle Lovell and her horse Elwood, and then trainer Greg Foley showed Kori how to feed carrots to Sconsin, a race horse.
Finally, Kori and her family received a private meet-and-greet with Kentucky Derby Museum's miniature horse and Resident Thoroughbred. Kori got to feed them treats, and perhaps the most adorable moment was when she placed her pink cowgirl hat on Ari's head. When asked why she loves horses so much, Kori exclaimed, “They're magical and special like me!”
The family also experienced live racing on Sunday through the Kentucky Derby Museum's box seats at Churchill Downs.
There are a few more surprises ahead for Kori on her Kentucky vacation before the family heads back to their home state of Florida on Thursday.
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