Loyalty is the rarest jewel in the modern world

By John Stettin, Beyond the Wire

Umberto Rispoli was pulled from Journalism for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Jose Ortiz took the mount. Rispoli led journalism to a strong campaign, winning the San Felipe, The Santa Anita Derby, The Preakness and The Haskell. You can add seconds in the Kentucky derbyBelmont Stakes and the Pacific Classic against older horses. Although I have used virtually no social media in recent years, I was compelled to share that journalism has never lost a race it could or should have won because of Umberto Rispoli. Not one. I could argue in this subjective sport that he won both The Preakness and Haskell because of him. Add to that the flawless ride in the Kentucky Derby, where despite his daring and talent he could not keep pace with Sovereignty. Umberto was part of ‘team Journalism’.

The comment sparked much rebuttal. “Loyalty means nothing,” I was told. I was told the right decision. I’ll come back to this in closing, but I’ll start with this and may I say that I’m more than happy to be in the minority on this point.

Loyalty used to mean something. It was a code you lived by, not a convenience you pulled out when it suited you. Today, loyalty is treated as an old-fashioned relic, nice in theory, replaceable in practice. Most people will throw it aside as soon as there is something in it for them, and they will convince themselves that it is normal, that ‘everyone is doing it’. But the truth is that true loyalty is rare because it is priceless. It cannot be bought, taught or imitated. It’s about who you are when no one is looking and when it costs you something to assist someone or something. That’s when it matters.

People like to say, “It’s business, not personal.” That’s one of the biggest lies ever told. Because every time someone says that, nine times out of ten, it couldn’t get more personal. You’re talking about relationships, trust, integrity, all the things that make business, or anything in life, really work. When someone gives that away under the excuse of ‘business’, what they really mean is that they don’t have the backbone to acknowledge the personal side of their choices.

Now I will discuss the business side of this decision, as that is important to the majority. A gambler by nature, Eclipse Thoroughbreds made a very bad bet. In fact, they have already lost. If the horse wins you may look like a star, but victory in an epic race is somewhat tarnished by the lack of character in trading away a team member who has done nothing to deserve it. That’s always a stain you don’t need and some stains don’t come out in the wash. The garment is broken. If you lose, it’s even worse. The ‘decision’ took things from a win to a nil.

Ultimately you are either ordinary or unusual. The common people follow the masses, justify betrayal and act as if loyalty is outdated. The unusual endures even when it is not easy or profitable. The unusual people still believe that your word means something, that your actions mean more, and that loyalty is never negotiable. In a world where most are okay with being ordinary, it’s the unusual people who really stand out, and it always has been that way.