Secretariat Welcome Reception

Welcome home Big Red! Secretariat Turns for Home, will arrive in Middleburg, Virginia on August 8 as he wraps up a 50th anniversary tour his 1973 Triple Crown journey. (Middleburg, VA) Secretariat in the form of 3,500-pound bronze monument will be returning to his home state of Virginia on August 8th. This homecoming will conclude a 50th anniversary tour that began in April and included stops on Secretariat’s historic Triple Crown trail. Originating near Secretariat’s birthplace in Ashland, VA, the sculpture, its creator Jocelyn Russell, along with her husband have traveled to Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, MD and Belmont Park in Elmont, NY and to Saratoga Racecourse, National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs, NY. The sculpture is 21 feet long and 11.5 feet tall. It is the largest monument of Secretariat in existence, dramatically illustrating the Virginia-born champion’s larger-than-life presence as an equine athlete and American icon. His astonishing track records in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont remain unbroken to this day. Secretariat is the crowning achievement of Virginia agriculture and thoroughbred breeding. Secretariat is a hero, an icon that raised the bar of horse racing to a level it has not been able to achieve since. To see his victory in the Belmont Stakes by an astounding 31-lenths made the impossible seem possible. Middleburg, Virginia, a town synonymous with horses and former home to Thoroughbred breeder and owner Paul Mellon and First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis, will welcome the monument back to Virginia. To celebrate Secretariat’s homecoming to Virginia, there are several events planned. A welcome reception will be held at Middleburg Community Center from 5:00-7:00 pm. In addition, the Middleburg Community Center along with Loudoun Therapeutic Riding ltrf.org will host a free showing of the Disney film “Secretariat” on August 8th at 7:00 pm, https://secretariat8923.eventbrite.com/. Kate Tweedy, who was in the film with her mother, will share her behind-the-scenes experience on the movie set. Copies of Secretariat’s Meadow, written by Kate Tweedy and Leeanne Ladin will be available for purchase to benefit Loudoun Therapeutic Riding. Contributions toward the building and installation of the Secretariat sculpture can be made at www.SecretariatForVirginia.com The sculpture will be parked in front of the National Sporting Library and Museum (NSLM). The NSLM will be hosting lectures presented by the sculptor Jocelyn Russell and Kate Tweedy on August 9 from 7-9 pm. Please visit their website for additional information. Nationalsporting.orgSecretariat