Secretariat Statue Unveiling/ Birthday Celebration in Ashland, VA

Date: April 1, 2023

Virginia is about to welcome a new statue of Virginia-Bred icon Secretariat, the first one ever in the Commonwealth! The 11 1/2-foot-tall and 21-foot-long bronze monument, designed and produced by sculptor Jocelyn Russell, weighs 3,500 pounds. The unique statue will be unveiled at the Secretariat birthday celebration April 1st in Ashland — on the Randolph Macon campus. It will remain on site for several weeks before traveling around the country by trailer so fans everywhere can celebrate his greatness. The event comes at a perfect time — the 50th anniversary of his iconic Triple Crown run in 1973 when he swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, all in record times.

(AP Photo/Bob Daugherty)

The Statue, commissioned by Pacific Northwest artist Russell, is the second statue of Secretariat from the artist. The first was commissioned in 2019 and is currently located in a traffic circle in Lexington, Kentucky.

The whole day April 1st will be filled with Secretariat themed fun with activities going on 2:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. This will include a free showing of the Secretariat movie at Ashland Theatre and a number of displays and children’s activities at the Town Hall and lawn area, including a presentation by Russell on sculpting the monument. Complete event details are at secretariatforvirginia.com.

(AP Photo/File) STF