Farewell John Henry

One of the reasons I love Kentucky is because of the connection that people have with horses. Here, unlike any other place I have ever been, people respect some horses as if they were great leaders. And in many ways, some horses are great leaders.

This post is prompted by the loss of 32 1/2 year old Thoroughbred racing legend John Henry, a plain bay horse with no pedigree and a pitiful sales price at Keeneland yearling sales, who became an icon.

He "began" his racing career after age 5, when many race horses are looking towards retirement. He won a total of $6.5 million with 39 wins including 30 stakes wins (16 Grade I Stakes) and seven Eclipse Awards including two Horse of the Year titles. He was the only horse to win Horse of the Year more than once in nonconsecutive years, and the oldest horse to ever win that title - at age 9. John was voted Racehorse of the Decade for the 1980s and was inducted into Racing's Hall of Fame in 1990.

John Henry lived in the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park for 22 years. Many visitors learned about him long after his race career and a new generation of fans emerged. People connected to the "blue collar champion" and were inspired by his perseverance and notorious personality.

John was known for having a nasty disposition and wanting to things his way...all the time. This was a contributing factor in his late racing career. In the early days trainers, jockeys, and exercise riders wanted to try to "make" John do something. That's a little like making a pie from a grain of sugar.

John proved to be not only a champion but an inspiration to the world. On October 19, 2007 over 500 people came to pay tribute to the great John Henry, named for the steel driving man. The service was televised live on HRTV. Speakers such as Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson, Hall of Fame Jockey Chris McCarron (John Henry's jock), past Keeneland President Ted Bassett, Gov. Martha Layne Collins, and Tom Levinson (step son of owner Sam Rubin) all said a few words about their experience and gratitude towards John Henry. Bagpipes gave the regal farewell but John Henry will never be forgotten.

John Nicholson said it best, "John Henry was a testament to the fact that a horse's value is far greater than the sum of his pedigree, conformation, sales price, and race record."

To learn more about John Henry visit:

John Henry's Memorial in Lexington Herald-Leader

Kentucky Horse Park's John Henry Page