SECRETARIAT STATUE RISES IN NORMAN
In Norman, a statue of racehorse Secretariat rises
A massive sculpture of legendary racehorse Secretariat has been carved in Norman by a Washington state-based artist
NORMAN — A largerthan-life sculpture of legendary racehorse Secretariat entered the final stretch of completion in Norman this week. Seated inside a dimly lit warehouse along Research Park Boulevard near Flood Avenue, wildlife sculptor Jocelyn Russell rubbed her hands, looked up at the massive piece and considered the weight of her creation. Her version of Secretariat will soon stand in the horse racing mecca of Kentucky. “He's such an iconic horse,” Russell said. “He's as important today as in 1973 to a lot people. If I get a buckle wrong, there is someone who is going to mention it.” If someone mentions something, they should know that Russell — a Washington state-based artist — learned about Secretariat from the horse jockey's mouth. Commissioned by the Triangle Foundation in Lexington, Russell spent months researching the
Triple Crown winner, including visits with his jockey, Ron Turcotte, in New Brunswick, Canada. Turcotte, now 77 years old, recounted the splendor of “Big Red” from muzzle to tail more than four decades after a history-making day in Elmont, New York. In 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, set the record time and became the first Triple Crown champion in 25 years. Russell's sculpture includes Turcotte riding the storied thoroughbred. Not too low in the saddle. Left leg a little lower than the right. Two of many details Turcotte shared with Russell. Minutiae to some, but championship stuff between jockey and horse. The resulting sculpture stands about 11 feet tall from “hoof to helmet” as Russell would say. “The biggest challenge is capturing the spirit of the horse, the stride, the conformation, his face, the connection with the jockey,” she said. Assisted by her husband and master welder, Michael Dubail, Russell came to Norman late last year to create Secretariat out of foam and clay. The monument will be cast in bronze at The Crucible foundry, also in Norman. Mark Palmerton, coowner of The Crucible, said the finished piece will stand 1 1/2 times the size of the flesh-and-bone Secretariat, and weigh about 4,000 pounds. “Then we'll drive it down the highway on a big semi,” Palmerton said. “We've done seven or eight Triple Crown winners, but this is the biggest. All of them are great, but Secretariat was the master.” There are reportedly five known Secretariat sculptures, but Russell's piece will be the largest. The sculpture is expected to be completely bronzed this fall. It will stand at a Lexington traffic circle near Old Frankfort Pike and Alexandria Drive, in the Lexington-Frankfort corridor of Kentucky. The privately funded Triangle Foundation has not disclosed how much the project costs. Russell is an accomplished sculptor whose works include five bronze life-size elephants which were also cast at The Crucible and placed at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans in 2017. Leaving town for other projects, Russell said goodbye this week to Secretariat. She thought about Turcotte, the man who flew into history with one of the world's most famous horses. “He said Secretariat could run on broken bottles,” Russell said. “So he had a powerhouse underneath him when he got in the saddle.”