Secretariat Racing Into History Monument to be Dedicated in Ashland, VA on March 30

Ceremony takes place at 2 pm; all-day festivities from 11 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

March 30 will be a monumental day for Ashland!  The town has proclaimed it “Secretariat Day” to celebrate the birthday of the legendary Triple Crown champion and to hold the long-awaited dedication ceremony for the stunning bronze statue “Secretariat Racing Into History” by sculptor Jocelyn Russell.

The dedication program and ribbon-cutting will take place at 2:00 p.m. at the Reynolds Family Plaza at Randolph-Macon College in downtown Ashland. This is the first and only monument of Secretariat in Virginia, his birth state. He was born on March 30, 1970 at Meadow Stable, which was founded by Christopher Chenery, who grew up in Ashland.

At 21 feet long and 11.5 feet tall, the monument depicts a larger-than-life Secretariat at a full run, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte. The saddlecloth shows the number two for Secretariat’s post position in the 1973 Belmont, his most memorable race.  The 3,800-pound artwork garnered national publicity last summer during its 5,000-mile tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown. The Secretariat For Virginia Committee with the non-profit Ashland Museum raised the funds for the project.

“Secretariat Racing Into History represents my family history coming full circle, in more ways than one,” said Kate Chenery Tweedy, chair of SECVA. “Like my grandfather Chris Chenery and my mother Penny overcoming their challenges with Meadow Stable, our team displayed an unwavering determination to get the job done. We are extremely grateful for such a rewarding collaboration with the Ashland community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, generous donors, and loyal fans from near and far.  This glorious monument will stand as an emblem of excellence and inspiration that honors a matchless legacy.”

 As a tribute to Secretariat’s Virginia roots and his still-unbroken track records in the 1973 Triple Crown, the majestic sculpture will be standing on a base containing portions of sand from the original training track at Meadow Stable and from the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont tracks.

 Secretariat Day, a free event from 11 a.m.  – 4 p.m., kicks off with the Disney movie “Secretariat” at the Ashland Theatre.  Festivities will feature live music, exhibits, vendors, food trucks, birthday cake and kids’ activities throughout the day, along with talks by Kate Tweedy and Jocelyn Russell.    Downtown Ashland restaurants and merchants also will be offering special items in keeping with the celebration.

The Virginia Equine Alliance, which promotes the horse breeding and horse racing industries in the Commonwealth of Virginia, will be livestreaming the Secretariat statue dedication on their Virginia Horse Racing You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@VirginiaEquineAllianceVEA

For the complete schedule of events and parking information, see www.SecretariatforVirginia.com