Event Title
Secretariat’s Impact: The Human Connection
Session
Session 8: Equine Influences
Location
Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, University Library
Start Date
1-10-2023 2:00 PM
End Date
1-10-2023 2:40 PM
Description
In 1973, Secretariat won the Triple Crown in a manner that stamped him as the horse many still consider to be the greatest Thoroughbred of all time. As the racing industry celebrates the 50th anniversary of those incredible record-setting performances, it’s important to recognize the impact Secretariat has had on Thoroughbred pedigrees after all these years. That was a major goal of my new book Secretariat’s Legacy.
Yet even more fascinating is how the name Secretariat resonates throughout the equine community, from Thoroughbred breeders to owners of sport horses to those who simply enjoy horses as cherished family members. As I conducted extensive research, I found the tip of an iceberg – people who are incredibly proud to own (or have owned) a Secretariat descendant. They may have been show horses or casual riding horses, or just horses that needed loving, but what they have in common is an ancestor who remains the one racehorse whose name is instantly recognizable by a large portion of society in general.
In keeping with the theme of the 2023 EHC conference, “Close Encounters of the Equid Kind,” I propose a presentation that looks at the human element of Secretariat’s influence. How he changed lives (including my own); how often he has been immortalized by writers, artists and sculptors; and how this one champion, after 50 years, can instantly make people who have never met become friends, simply by their common love and admiration of a great horse.
Recommended Citation
McQueen, Patricia, "Secretariat’s Impact: The Human Connection" (2023). Equine History Collective Conference. 10.
https://docs.rwu.edu/equinehistory-conference/2023/sunday/10
Secretariat’s Impact: The Human Connection
Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, University Library
In 1973, Secretariat won the Triple Crown in a manner that stamped him as the horse many still consider to be the greatest Thoroughbred of all time. As the racing industry celebrates the 50th anniversary of those incredible record-setting performances, it’s important to recognize the impact Secretariat has had on Thoroughbred pedigrees after all these years. That was a major goal of my new book Secretariat’s Legacy.
Yet even more fascinating is how the name Secretariat resonates throughout the equine community, from Thoroughbred breeders to owners of sport horses to those who simply enjoy horses as cherished family members. As I conducted extensive research, I found the tip of an iceberg – people who are incredibly proud to own (or have owned) a Secretariat descendant. They may have been show horses or casual riding horses, or just horses that needed loving, but what they have in common is an ancestor who remains the one racehorse whose name is instantly recognizable by a large portion of society in general.
In keeping with the theme of the 2023 EHC conference, “Close Encounters of the Equid Kind,” I propose a presentation that looks at the human element of Secretariat’s influence. How he changed lives (including my own); how often he has been immortalized by writers, artists and sculptors; and how this one champion, after 50 years, can instantly make people who have never met become friends, simply by their common love and admiration of a great horse.
