Frank Taylor | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Road Back: After 46 Years, William Jackson Finds Solace in Stable Recovery

Stable Recovery is a rehabilitation program in Lexington, Kentucky that provides a safe living environment and a peer-driven, therapeutic community for men in the early stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Along with going to 12-step meetings and support groups, residents attend the School of Horsemanship at Taylor Made Farm to learn a new vocation in the Thoroughbred industry. The School of Horsemanship is a project that was created by Taylor Made two years ago and has since seen over 100 men go through the program. Many of those graduates have gone on to pursue a career in an equine-related field. Spy Coast Farm, Brook Ledge, Hallway Feeds, Will Walden Racing, Rood & Riddle, WinStar Farm and Godolphin have recently partnered with Stable Recovery as the program looks to expand its reach throughout Lexington.

In this month's installment of TDN's series, 'The Road Back,' we introduce you to graduate William Jackson, now the house manager for Stable Recovery.

When crossing the threshold into Stable Recovery's house on Hummingbird Lane in Lexington, a true feeling of 'being home' washes over you. The sound of conversation and laughter fills the air as staff and residents make their way through the house while an assortment of dogs wag their way into the mix. And there in the front office on the right, seated at the desk across from me, is William Jackson.

The 46-year-old man with the kind eye and constant smile shares his life story with a calm that speaks to his character, spoken with a reverent tone of voice that reflects where he's been and how far he's come in his lifetime.

As he talks, the realization of how poignant this introduction and this conversation is settles in the room. Because less than two years ago, after decades of witnessing death and living on the brink of it, Jackson's heart stopped after an overdose.

“In September of 2022, I lost the house, the nice truck I had, we had all of the utilities turned off, and I was damn near about to go to jail. Then, I ended up getting hit by that car and later, overdosing in the room in that trailer,” recalled Jackson.

He had hit rock bottom. And it was the result of a life that revolved around one constant: drug use.

Born in Springfield, Mo., Jackson spent his early years primarily in the company of his mom, since his stepdad had been sent to prison early on and his five older siblings were much further ahead in their lives, all off on their own. By the time he was in fifth grade, they had relocated to Corbin, Ky., to live near the rest of his extended family.

“Most of my family, all my uncles and aunts and everyone, used a lot of drugs and drank. All the men drank beer all the time and most of my aunts were taking pills and smoked marijuana. I remember my cousins were doing it, too, they were a little older than me. And one of my cousins even grew some pot with his father. That was what they did,” said Jackson. “By the time I was 11, I was taking pills and smoking marijuana and drinking on the weekends. I started out just doing a little bit of everything.”

Growing up, the tragedy that Jackson experienced only perpetuated his dependence on using drugs as an escape.

“When I was 12, my sister committed suicide. That was pretty traumatic. And then, it was the next year I guess, I remember walking in the house and finding my grandmother dead. I was the one who found her.”

The loss of a close friend in high school, and later the loss of his girlfriend, only darkened his outlook on life.

“I had lots of little things that kept me angry, confused, and mad at the world. But I always felt like doing drugs was wrong. It was bad and I wanted to do the right thing. I always did good in school and I wanted to please people, but all this stuff kept always pushing me towards all of that other stuff,” said Jackson.

By the time he was 27, he'd already married and divorced his first wife, who sadly overdosed and passed away a year after their marriage ended. From there, Jackson went back home to live with his mom and eventually picked up drinking.

“I was an alcoholic for about 13 years. Pretty heavy. I could drink at least 3/5 of a bottle of hundred-proof a day by myself. That all led to me being diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. They gave me a year to live,” said Jackson. “It scared me, so I decided to quit drinking. By this time, I had already met my second wife, I was married again, and she went with me to Alcoholics Anonymous for a while. But I only went for about three months.”

William Jackson becomes a Legacy of Stable Recovery. Pictured: Tyler Harris, Josh Franks, Christian Countzler, Ashton Becker, Carrol McCromick, William Jackson, and Dan Pride | Stable Recovery

Though he'd saved his liver, Jackson continued to pursue other avenues in his drug use, turning to buying and using Suboxone before eventually caving to the enticement of heroin by the time he was 41.

There seemed to be no end to the lows in his life, the many holes that he couldn't pull himself out of, until he dug the deepest of all that fateful night in September of 2022. A deadly mix of a Xanax bar laced with Fentanyl and a small dose of heroin in the early hours of the morning led to him collapsing on the floor, the sound waking his wife in the other room. She called 911 and held Jackson as he laid there, foaming at the mouth, his body eerily still. And after minutes that felt like hours, first responders arrived on the scene and revived him.

From there, Jackson decided to redirect his breaking point into a turning point, as he went to the hospital for treatment and later went to a Stepworks Recovery Center.

“I had so much guilt, shame and remorse. I just wanted it to be over, I wanted it to be done. This was the first time I'd ever been in treatment or anything like this. It was the worst. There was just so much stuff happening. It was so bad and I was just crying, at wit's end, and I was just done. I was ready to die,” said Jackson.

But it was there in the recovery center that he found a pamphlet for Stable Recovery. In one of those moments where one might question how heavy the hand of God truly is, Jackson felt a dream had been fulfilled with the opportunity to get back out on a farm.

“My dream was to work on a farm again. It just so happens that when you're in Stable Recovery, you're on the farm taking care of horses, driving tractors and doing all this stuff. It's like God sent me this perfect place and completely changed my life,” said Jackson.

Despite his addiction to drugs and alcohol throughout most of his life, and the health issues that arose because of that, he never missed a day of work. He was a carpenter by trade and had spent over 20 years building houses. And though he'd been hesitant to enter the program due to his strong need to return home to his family, he knew that Stable Recovery was the best thing for him, for all of them.

“One of the best things my wife ever did for me was call and say, 'You're not coming home.' Once I got here, it just changed my life. It saved my life. I spent a year on the farm, taking care of the horses, taking care of babies. I helped foal out 80 babies last year. I found peace on the farm, just out in the fields, in the quiet with the horses,” said Jackson. “Then slowly, as I was making better decisions and doing the right thing, people [in my life] started talking to me again. My wife would talk to me a little bit and then she'd started coming to see me. And my daughter would always visit.”

Now 17 months sober, Jackson serves as the House Manager for Stable Recovery, a role he took on a few months ago. The job entails overseeing the houses that the men in the program live in, which can involve anything from handling paperwork to driving the men to the farm for work or staying up late with a program participant who just needs someone to listen. Though the horses and the tranquility on the farm soothed his soul, Jackson has realized that being a mentor and friend to those in the program is his true purpose.

“My wife and kids would call it an 'astronaut job,' because we were coming in here and you can't even imagine a place like this. Especially when we think of the shape that we're in as despicable addicts. We have the worst opinion of ourselves when we're out there, but to be able to come in here and have somebody trust you and to be a part of the farm, it's hard to believe. It gives you such an unfair advantage almost compared to other treatment centers because you come here and it's just like a dream, and then all you have to do is do things right,” said Jackson.

Though the drug use was detrimental from a health standpoint, the biggest burden to Jackson was the regret and guilt he lived with as a result of his addiction. It wasn't until he arrived at Taylor Made that he finally had the chance to process, reflect and heal.

“I just wanted do what was right and I was always doing something wrong. I always felt guilty for using and drinking. When you first come in, even though the guys are like you, you're so uncomfortable with yourself at first that you can't open up. You don't even trust them or yourself at first,” he said. “But when you can go out there in that field and be with the mommas and the babies, and all you have to be is genuine and care about them, it's amazing how they open up and love you.

“It's a growing experience between you and the horses. At first you go in there and it's just like it is with anybody else, you're uncomfortable, scared, and awkward for a while. But you spend time with them and before you know it, it's crazy how much you can fall in love with them and how much they depend on and trust you. It's unbelievable what it does for you. It brought me a peace that I hadn't had in years, a feeling that I remembered when I was a child, but barely. I never thought I'd see it for many years.”

William Jackson and family | Stable Recovery

Since taking on this position with Stable Recovery, Jackson has received certifications as a peer support specialist and a supported employment specialist, while continuing to take classes and participate in webinars on topics such as peer support. Though it comes with plenty of responsibility, Jackson truly believes that the job has fulfilled him in a way that he never thought possible.

It is the reason he chose a job in the house over one he'd been offered on the farm.

“It just seemed like it would have been selfish of me to go [that route]. If I took that [job] for a house and a truck, I would have been sick again in my heart and soul. Not because of anything anybody said or thought, but in my heart, it would have made me sick because I want to give back and help the guys,” said Jackson. “It's a mutual respect [with the guys] where they love me and we love each other. It's a great house. The guys, even the hard ones that come in, they end up opening up and fall right into it, too. If you can last and you don't leave pretty quick, you end up being a part of the family and it's amazing. I get that same kind of love here as I did on the farm with the horses.

“This is my best medicine, to be right here helping the guys and interacting with them every day. It's the best thing that I can do. It's going to keep me alive and keep me sober.”

As Jackson speaks, you can feel the aura of selflessness that shimmers around him. He traveled the road not many make it back from and not only paved a new one for himself, but now does that for others every day.

Stable Recovery gave him the tools and the time, but Jackson dug the foundation and built his own house of healing.

“I'm truly blessed to be able to come in here and use the pain that I've felt to be able to help a man move on with his life and start over. I wake up thankful every day. It's crazy how wonderful that feels, right?”

To learn more, or to donate to Stable Recovery, visit stablerecovery.net/.

The post The Road Back: After 46 Years, William Jackson Finds Solace in Stable Recovery appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Morfin Meth Case Highlights Backstretch Substance Abuse Problems

Towards the end of December, the Sergio Morfin-trained Grazen mare Wishtheyallcouldbe was loaded onto a van from her stable at Los Alamitos to be shipped to Santa Anita for a $12,500 claimer. She would ultimately finish second.

Isidro Paez was the freelance groom hired to care for the horse that day. In February, Paez had his license suspended for 90 days by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) for disorderly conduct “under the influence of Amphetamine and Methamphetamine” on Jan. 27, at Santa Anita.

According to the stewards' minutes of the hearing, Paez voluntarily provided a urine sample that day which resulted in a positive finding for both methamphetamine and amphetamine. In explanation, “Paez stated he snorted methamphetamine while attending a New Year's party on January 1, 2024,” the minutes state.

On March 3, Morfin was issued an interim suspension by the Horse Racing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) as a result of Wishtheyallcouldbe's positive post-race test for methamphetamine, a banned substance under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA).

Since then, Morfin has remained provisionally suspended while his case is being processed.

According to John Tyre, Morfin's attorney, because of Paez's chronicled history of methamphetamine use, he has reached an agreement with HIWU that on April 6, Morfin's suspension will be lifted after some 30 days. Crucially for this more lenient sanction, Morfin did not pursue a formal hearing, said Tyre.

The length of Morfin's suspension also reflects a recent shift by HIWU in applying lesser sanctions than in the past for violations stemming from common drugs of human abuse like cocaine and methamphetamine, in accordance with proposed rule changes pending approval by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Rather than confront a possible two-year ban and $25,000 fine for a methamphetamine positive, say, trainers will face a maximum 60-day suspension and $5,000 fine under the proposed rules, if they are indeed approved.

In a note on HIWU's website, it states that the organization “has elected to stay all pending Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program cases whose potential periods of Ineligibility would be affected by these rule updates, including due to either the reduction of the applicable periods of Ineligibility or the removal of the automatic application of penalty points for certain violations.”

“[Morfin] will be back to training the first week of April. And then, that'll be the end of it,” said Tyre, who was quick to add that rampant substance abuse problems among backstretch employees–and its overlap with positive tests in racehorses–is an issue that's far from over, despite the proposed lessened sanctions.

“I've been doing criminal defense work for many, many years, and if it wasn't for methamphetamine, alcohol and marriage, I'd be broke,” said Tyre.

As such, the ultimate insurer rule that places the burden of responsibility solely on the trainer's shoulders is leading to decisions that don't always reflect the complicated nature of the problem, Tyre said. “HIWU and HISA need to conduct some kind of investigation to determine how widespread [substance abuse] is around the backside of the racetracks.”

Coady Photography

THE PROBLEM AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Tyre's suggestion hardly comes as a bolt from the blue.

The long hours, early mornings, sometimes poor pay and living conditions, coupled with the dangerous nature of backstretch work make drink and drugs something of an all-too convenient crutch–especially while blind eyes are turned in an industry where hard-drinking and hard-partying have long been worn as a badge of honor as much as a release from the grind.

Indeed, there's a reason so many exercise riders say they ride better after a drink, why so many shed-row ice machines have bottles of beer nestled in them, and why so many see the antidote to the dreaded four-a.m. alarm clock as an inhalable stimulant. Just look at the numbers.

Since HISA's ADMC program went into effect last year, there have already been 13 either pending or resolved cases for methamphetamine positives, and another two involving cocaine.

Darin Scharer is executive director of the Winners Foundation, a presence at every California track to provide information, support and referral services for backstretch employees and their families going though addiction issues.

Scharer said he was unable to estimate just how many backstretch workers have substance abuse problems. But he doesn't argue with the contention it's significant.

“We're not having the fentanyl problem or the heroin issues that other places have,” said Scharer, about California's backstretches. “But we definitely have a marijuana issue. And we definitely have a methamphetamine issue.”

Indeed, veteran California trainer Hector Palma was suspended for 81 days for a methamphetamine positive, a portion of that time after multiple grooms in his care tested positive for the drug. The positive occurred near the start of the ADMC program going into effect, before the new rules were proposed.

What Scharer bemoans is the lack of any unified approach to providing support to racing's phalanx of essential workers.

“Unfortunately it's only us, Kentucky and New York. That's the only three that I know of,” said Scharer, about the number of jurisdictions armed with substance abuse support programs like the Winners Foundation. “I would love to be involved in a program where we make this more uniform across the country.”

One key obstacle to meaningful movement in this arena is an ongoing cult of shame that surrounds the issue. “There's still a lot of stigma associated with people that have drug problems and mental health problems,” said Scharer. “For people accessing services, it's still a scary thing.”

Another reason appears to be more mercenary.

At a time when the industry grapples with a profound dearth of good, reliable help, there's a fear among some in the industry, said Scharer, that tackling the problem head-on could lead to an even more attenuated workforce. “Sometimes people don't want to know the truth of how bad it really is,” he said.

Though not everyone is as averse to such truth-telling. “I know that Richard Mandella tests everybody in his barn before they go work for him,” said Scharer. “He doesn't want anybody who works with his horses to be working under the influence.”

At the same time, some substance abuse rehabilitation programs offer a tantalizing answer to the industry's staffing woes.

“It could turn the backside upside down,” said Frank Taylor, director of new business development at Taylor Made Farms, about a joint venture he's helped build between Stable Recovery and the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship for men and women suffering substance abuse problems.

The partnership includes two halfway houses and a 12-step program, along with vocational rehab to teach those going through the 90-day course the basics of horsemanship. The idea is to provide them with an avenue towards meaningful employment–in the process, providing a new workforce source for the Thoroughbred industry.

Graduates of this program, said Taylor, have found work at a variety of key farms in the area including Coolmore, Darley and WinStar. “We've got about 10 farms that are currently working with us,” he said.

“If trainers started hiring these people, they would absolutely love it,” Taylor added. “It's just the right thing to do to help these people, give them an opportunity in life. Plus, we're putting them with the most therapeutic animal on earth.”

Taylor estimates upwards of 50 percent of backstretch employees have a potential substance abuse problem. And it's a topic Taylor knows well.

A recovering alcoholic, Taylor quit drinking a few years ago, which is when he visited the DV8 Kitchen, a Kentucky restaurant that provides employment to those in the early stages of substance abuse recovery.

DV8, said Taylor, proved the inspiration for the second chance venture he's built at Taylor Made. What's more, their program works.

“Generally, somebody goes into a 90-day program only about 15% of them stay sober to the end of the 90-days,” said Taylor. “We're running more like 85%. The reason is, they get completely out of their old environment and come out and work immediately.”

While the program is primarily geared towards those with little to no prior horse experience, they've taken on individuals from the racetrack–jockeys, trainers, even farm managers–who act as tutors, said Taylor.

“We'll have them helping the green guys coming in,” said Taylor, who explained how they adapt their program to the skill sets of the individual.

“Folks from the track, they're going to see some guys in there, picking feet and whatnot, and they're going to say, 'do this, do that,'” said Taylor. “The thing about addiction, to get and stay sober, you've got to help another addict.”

Ultimately, Taylor envisages a recovery program with a racetrack backstretch-located dormitory.

“The idea would be to put them through our program, get them sober 90-days, then move them into that dormitory with a house manager and keep the drug testing going,” said Taylor.

“I don't know how it's going to go or how it's going to grow,” Taylor added. “But I know there's a huge need for it. And I know it's a win-win for the industry, for the horses and the horsemen.”

Lisa Lazarus | Carley Storm

HISA'S ROLE?

Substance abuse on the backstretch is on HISA's radar, said the organization's CEO, Lisa Lazarus.

“If we have a significant amount of our population that we depend on to run racing that is struggling with addiction or abusing drugs, I think we have a moral obligation to help those people and to do something for them,” Lazarus said, adding that she's already discussed the need for providing a stronger network of industry treatment programs with those already working on the problem.

For the sake of improving safety and integrity in racing, “it's just not acceptable to say that meth in the workplace is okay. And I think it's everyone's job to fix it,” Lazarus said. “The trainers deserve to have a whole lot of help from racetracks and other organizations to help prevent employees from using meth on the backside. It's not only their responsibility.”

That said, “I would like to encourage more trainers to think to themselves, 'you know what? For $25 more, I don't need the cheaper groom. I could find a groom that I actually know and feel more comfortable with and use them instead,'” Lazarus said.

But given how ubiquitous drug use is on the backstretch, what about those trainers unable to find reliable drug-free help because of the industry's chronic staffing shortage? Or those struggling trainers unable to fork out premium prices?

“I recognize that sometimes it's not achievable,” said Lazarus. “But obviously, the anti-doping system is based on a system of fault. So, when trainers have come forward and have evidence of workers in their stable that are on the drug, they obviously get a much more relaxed penalty because they have an explanation. And that's only fair.”

The “complicated question,” said Lazarus, is how to find the correct balance between “being fair to horsemen and what they can control while also requiring some level of responsibility.”

At the launch of HISA's anti-doping and medication control (ADMC) program, the screening limit for meth was the same as for the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), said Lazarus. “We've ended up quadrupling it,” she added, of the screening limit.

Though many cases have been dismissed as contamination, has HISA's approach been a fair one for the horsemen and women so far?

“It may be that the science shows that in time the screening limit needs to be raised,” said Lazarus.

“The one thing I would say is there is no racing jurisdiction in the world or horse sport in the world that doesn't test for and sanction for meth. And actually, our rules are amongst the most lenient with regards to meth because we do take into consideration the risks on the backside,” Lazarus said, pointing to the recent case of Harness racing trainer Clarence Foulk suspended for one year stemming from a 2023 methamphetamine positive.

When asked if the way Morfin has been treated has been reasonable, his attorney, Tyre, responded that the constraints of the system guided their approach.

“If we were to fight the case forward it would take months,” said Tyre, adding how his client could have remained suspended for that period. “This was the best way to get him back to work,” he said.

The post Morfin Meth Case Highlights Backstretch Substance Abuse Problems appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Frank Taylor Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

Frank Taylor, the director of new business and development for Taylor Made, knew that there was an acute labor shortage in Kentucky, with farms unable to find reliable help. But Taylor thought he had a solution. Identify those who were struggling with substance abuse problems, put them into a recovery program and, when they are ready, teach them horsemanship skills that can make them candidates for jobs throughout the industry. Thus, Taylor created Stable Recovery, a rehabilitation program, and the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship.

What he didn't know at the time was whether or not farms would be willing to take a chance on individuals that had been in prison and/or struggled with drug addiction. He soon found out. His programs have been embraced in the Lexington area and several graduates have landed steady jobs and have moved on to meaningful lives.

Taylor joined this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to talk about his programs and their many success stories. He was this week's Green Group Guest of the week.

Taylor said he arrived at the idea of starting the program when confronting his own alcoholism.

“Once I did it and quit, I started feeling better,” he said. “I was having more fun than I've ever had. It was that that kind of spurred me on to start the School of Horsemanship. It was going to be a 90-day program to teach the basics of horsemanship, to get people started off at, say, a groom level, either for Taylor Made or another farm. I had kind of a tough sales job. I went to my brothers and said, 'I've got this idea, I want to bring in a bunch of heroin addicts and alcoholics and felons in here to work with these horses.' They were looking at me like I had two heads. I just wanted a chance to make it work. They were reluctant because there were a lot of concerns. But here we are, 3 1/2 years into it. We have had a hiccup here or there, but not many. I really think we have changed a lot of lives. We've introduced a lot of people to the horse business and trained a lot of people. The results have been amazing.”

The program has been so successful that Taylor would like to expand, but, for now, it's a matter of one step at a time.

“If we wanted to have 500 people in this program by the end of the year, that wouldn't be a problem,” he said. “We need the space, money and management. The need for something like this is way beyond what we can serve at this point and always will be. It's just such a crisis and a terrible situation. It's destroying society, is destroying families. It's just absolutely one of the worst epidemics in the history of mankind. The beautiful thing is, is we have that huge problem and that we have a huge problem with labor in this country. If you blend those two together, they can help solve each other.”

It's been proven that working with horses can solve all kinds of problems for people, whether that be soldiers suffering from PTSD or individuals with drug issues. Taylor knows that the horses deserve a lot of the credit for the success of these programs.

“The horses, they are like the secret sauce for stable recovery,” Taylor said. “That's something we have that other recovery places don't have. I was born into the horse business and I love horses and they're my passion. But I didn't really realize how therapeutic horses were or understand that part of it until I started seeing people that are broken interacting with those horses and seeing the peace and joy that comes to them immediately. It's just an amazing thing.”

In the stallion spotlight segments, the podcast featured Coolmore's Corniche, who stands for just $15,000. The focus was also on Improbable, who stands at WinStar Farm for a fee of $15,000.

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Coolmore, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association,https://www.kentuckybred.org/https://www.nyrabets.com/ 1/ST Racing, West Point Thoroughbreds, https://www.winstarfarm.com/and XBTV.com, the team of Randy Moss, Bill Finley and Zoe Cadman delved back into the Bob Baffert ban at Churchill Downs, which also extends to the GI Kentucky Oaks, which means the impressive winner of the GIII Las Virgenes S. Kinza (Carpe Diem) will be shut out. Moss agreed that the Derby week races might deserve an asterisk if Baffert's horses are all banned, but he argued that it's not too late for Churchill to change its mind and to lift the Baffert ban. The team took a look at the GII Risen Star S., to be run this Saturday at the Fair Grounds and all agreed it will be by far the deepest Derby prep run so far this year.

For the podcast video, click here. For audio only, click here.

The post Frank Taylor Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

The Road Back: Josh Bryan Embraces a Second Chance to Find His Purpose

In this month's installment of TDN's series, 'The Road Back,' we introduce you to Josh Bryan, the former program coordinator for the School of Horsemanship who now serves as assistant to Frank Taylor, the Director of New Business Development at Taylor Made Farm.

If you've ever been to a sale and had a chance to speak with Josh Bryan, you already know that he is a breath of fresh air. During those busy days when most everyone has their nose buried in a catalogue, barely having the time to look up and give a quick nod as you pass each other between barns, Bryan's easy smile as he looks you in the eye and asks about how you've been is a welcomed reprieve from the normal routine.

The sales are Bryan's happy place. He loves the energy, the wheeling and dealing, celebrating when a client's horse goes for a good amount of money. He has a passion for the horses, yes, but what he really enjoys is meeting new people, making someone's day better and carrying out his life's mission of helping others however he can.

Josh Bryan has had a hard life.

He was born with Goldenhar syndrome, a rare congenital defect that affects the development of the ear, nose, soft palate, lip and mandible usually on one side of the body. He had his first corrective surgery when he was just seven weeks old and now, at the age of 31, the count is up to 14.

Growing up in Frankfort, Kentucky, Bryan was constantly going in and out of doctors' offices. His parents didn't want him to get hurt so he rarely got to play sports. He never partied until college, when his life took the worst of turns.

During his freshman year at Western Kentucky University, Bryan's father passed away from leukemia. Two years later, his mother was battling health issues that turned out to be a fatal brain aneurysm.

The Taylor Made crew at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale | courtesy Josh Bryan

With both his parents suddenly taken from him, Bryan turned to alcohol to numb the loss.

“I didn't really feel like I had much to live for after that, which looking back now is total nonsense,” Bryan recalled. “It was a lot of depression and really no sense of purpose. I felt like life really wasn't really worth living anymore.”

Eventually addiction overcame any motivation he had to finish college and he flunked out. He returned home, hoping to get a job with the family business.

Bryan is second cousins to the Taylor brothers. Like almost everyone in the Taylor family, Bryan had spent a few summers as a teenager doing yearling prep. He worked off and on at Taylor Made after his return to Central Kentucky, but his addiction kept him from holding down a consistent job.

One day as he was driving down East Hickman road on the way to the farm, his car broke down. It was cold, and rainy, and he finally hit rock bottom.

“I felt like my life was coming to an end,” Bryan said. “It was either go on like I was until something tragic happened and I lost my life or make a decision to get some help. I kind of cried out to the universe that I had to get out of here. I had this sense of hope that there was more of a purpose for me than continuing on this dark path that was going to lead to me dying or going to jail or killing someone else.”

With the help of Frank Taylor, Bryan got into the Shepherd's House, a residential drug addiction treatment center, in August of 2020. He soon landed a job at Rood and Riddle and worked there as a surgery technician for eight months.

One day he got a call from Taylor, who had an idea to start a project that would teach men going through recovery from addiction a new vocation in the Thoroughbred industry. He wanted Bryan to be the program coordinator.

Together, Taylor and Bryan built the School of Horsemanship and eventually, with the help of Christian Countzler, they launched Stable Recovery, which allows all the participants in the School of Horsemanship to live in one place and go through meetings and support groups together during their time in the program.

As the program coordinator, Bryan taught members of the School of Horsemanship everything they needed to know about the daily care of the horses at Taylor Made.

“These people have never touched a horse and they're kind of timid at first, but once you are with them for a week or two, you see that light bulb come on and you see the passion that I had when I first started,” he described. “It's very heartwarming to me.”

Bryan and Frank Taylor | Sara Gordon

Like many graduates of the School of Horsemanship have already attested, Bryan said he knows there is something about horses that has a positive impact on people going through recovery.

“I think horses have a really good sense of your feelings emotionally,” he explained. “If you go into a horse's stall nervous, they're going to be rambunctious. If you go into that stall angry, they're going to mess with you and make it worse. I remember some days before my recovery I'd go into the barn hungover with a bad attitude and they'd just eat me alive, bucking and trying to run me over. If you go in there with the right mindset and a clear head, they'll love you to death. If you're having a bad day and you go into a horse's stall and give it a big old hug, it just makes all the difference.”

Horses don't notice that Bryan may look a little bit different than the other humans that care for them. This fact helped Bryan as he was first navigating a leadership role at the School of Horsemanship.

“They don't care about if you went to jail or what you look like or where you came from,” he said. “For a long time I wasn't comfortable in my own skin and it took a lot of people and prayer and therapy for me to be okay with it. Sometimes I still don't see myself as a leader, but I've gotten more comfortable with it.”

While Bryan thrived in his role at the School of Horsemanship, recently he was ready for a change as he hoped to grow his knowledge of the sales side of the business. He stepped down as program coordinator, handing the reins over to Joshua Franks (profiled here), and began working directly under Frank Taylor, who also recently took on a new position as the Director of New Business Development at Taylor Made.

Taylor and Bryan work together almost every day, traveling to farms to look at horses and talk with clients. Bryan's eventual goal is to be a Thoroughbred advisor at Taylor Made and maybe, one day, a bloodstock agent all on his own.

As a kid who lost both his parents by the age of 20, Bryan had needed someone to fill a mentorship role in his life and Taylor stepped in to do just that. Now, as Bryan furthers his career in the Thoroughbred industry, he hopes to do right by his family–both the ones who are with him today and those who will always be in his heart.

“I've gotten to the point where I feel my parents spiritually and I'm trying to make them proud even though they're not here physically,” he said. “Frank has kind of been like a father figure ever since my parents passed away. He took me under his wing even when I was out there doing that craziness. He's been a tremendous rock in my life, no doubt.”

“Josh is basically one of my kids,” added Taylor. “We've always worked well together. It's kind of like we're best friends and I think I'm a mentor or father figure to him. I'm very proud of him. Once he quit drinking and got his life in order and spiritually strong, he's on a path to do great things. Big things.”

Because Taylor has fought through his own battle with alcoholism, he and Bryan share more than just a blood relation.

“I guess it's what they call trauma bonding,” Bryan explained. “A lot of not-so-good things have happened in our lives that have brought us together. It's kind of a thing where you have to live it to understand it. I think everybody could learn from what we like to call the Big Book, which is the Alcoholics Anonymous book. They teach you about all these life skills not only on how to help yourself but how to help others. It's really about treating people how you want to be treated and about being compassionate.”

Just last month, Bryan practiced what he preaches when he and Taylor took a trip to Jamaica through a partnership with The Mustard Seed, a foundation that works to help people in need–particularly those who suffer from mental and physical disorders in third-world countries. Among the many projects they took on during their time there, Bryan and Taylor helped renovate a house for the program and added in a new second floor.

“I eventually want to do more for people,” said Bryan. “You've got to have money to help, unfortunately, but that's why I love Frank. He does a lot for a lot of people and that's what I eventually want to do. I do what I can for now.”

All this coming from someone who was handed more than his fair share of hardship and loss, and yet Bryan doesn't really look at it that way.

“I think one thing I've really learned is that just because sometimes you might get dealt a bad hand, the world doesn't owe you anything,” he said. “You get to make the decision on whether you're going to find the strength within, whether you're going to let it harm you or if you're going to overcome it. In recovery we tell people all the time that you have to have the gift of desperation. In the end it's your choice. You can have all this support but at the end of the day it's your decision to change your life for the better.”

“The last three years in recovery have probably been the best three years of my life,” he continued. “I found that sense of purpose that I know a lot of people struggle with. I had lost that connection with God after my parents passed away and I think that has grown stronger every year. I think that was something I was lacking for a while–that trust that everything is going to work out the way it's supposed to. Now I just take my hands off it and trust that no matter what happens, it's going to work out. And it has.”

To learn more, or to donate to Stable Recovery, visit https://stablerecovery.net/ .

The post The Road Back: Josh Bryan Embraces a Second Chance to Find His Purpose appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post