Monument honoring boy and horse unveiled at Kentucky Horse Park
"The Bond: Two Hearts—One Spirit" celebrates the connection between Cody Dorman and Cody's Wish, a special racehorse, with sculptor Jocelyn Russell capturing the remarkable bond they shared. The statue is the first in the Kentucky Horse Park of a horse that's still living.
One of horse racing's most inspiring stories involves the almost mystical connection between the 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish and his namesake, Cody Dorman, a young man born with a rare genetic disorder, Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, that confined him to a wheelchair and limited his communication to a tablet. The bond between Cody's Wish and Dorman began in 2018 when the Dorman family visited Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A young foal, later named Cody's Wish, approached Dorman. From that moment, a lifelong connection was formed.
Each time they saw each other again, the horse would lower his head gently into Cody's lap. Cody's Wish went on to become a two-time winner of Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) in 2022-23 and was named 2023 Horse of the Year and champion older dirt male.
Cody died from a rare genetic disorder in 2023, the day after Cody's Wish won his last race. He was traveling back home from the 2023 Breeders' Cup. Cody's Wish has embarked on the next stage of his life as a breeding stallion at Jonabell Farm. His first foals were born this year, and the Dorman family still visit him regularly.
Created by renowned equine sculptor Jocelyn Russell, The Bond honors the extraordinary relationship between a horse and a young man, one that transcended sport, disability, and circumstance. The life-sized bronze captures Cody's Wish lowering his head into Dorman's lap, a gesture repeated every time they met and one that ignited a spark in both of their hearts. Russell has also created the Secretariat bronze on Old Frankfort Pike and Sgt. Reckless in the Horse Park, and described how important it was to her that this piece be accessible, after losing her two nephews to muscular dystrophy.
The monument is designed to be accessible, allowing other children with disabilities an opportunity to get up close with Cody's Wish. Visitors in wheelchairs can roll up to the sculpture, place their hands on the horse's nose and meet the gaze of Cody's Wish—a direct reflection of Dorman's own experience.
The Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm, international equestrian competition venue, and an educational theme park opened in 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky. Cody's story will also be featured in a movie and upcoming book.