10th December 2006
USA Hall of Fame Trainer Wayne Lukas
Address to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), 03 December 2006
USA Hall of Fame trainer gave a great talk which focused on his keys to success during a career filled with Eclipse Awards, Classic Race victories and Breeder’s Cup wins.
This is a summary of what he said:
“If you will do the common things uncommonly well, you will be successful,” Lukas told the veterinarians. His other advice included the following:
“Keep it simple”
“Don’t take the try out of a man or a horse. If you are going to err, err on the soft side. There is a fine line between fitness and staleness”
“Don’t be afraid to lose. We have had great success running horses where they didn’t belong. When you lose, you self-evaluate. You will go back and say, ‘What could we have done differently?’”
“You have to take the tension out. Horses and people do not give you a maximum performance with tension”.
“You’ve got to make a commitment. Most people dream of where they want to go, but they don’t make a commitment. You must pursue excellence in your commitment every day. Never let anyone outwork you.”
“Don’t ever underestimate what you can do for other people. People will never forget how you make them feel.”
The AAEP has more than 9,000 members in more than 50 countries.