Paris, Ky.'s own hometown hero, the legendary Secretariat, became even more deeply engrained into the community as a three-story mural of the horse was unveiled Nov. 19.
Cold temperatures and blustery conditions did not stop people from gathering around the downtown area to see the masterpiece as the Paris community choir sang "My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight," and a stereo played Chic Anderson's memorable call of the 1973 Belmont Stakes, in which he declared that Secretariat was "moving like a tremendous machine!"
Featuring owner Penny Chenery's classic checkered blue silks with jockey Ron Turcotte aboard, the mural of the famed Thoroughbred was grafted into the side of The Baldwin Hotel by artist Jaime Corum. The mural took five and a half weeks to complete.
Unbeknownst to her, Corum began painting on the anniversary of Secretariat's death, Oct. 4. She finished on the anniversary of his retirement to Claiborne Farm, Nov. 11. Secretariat retired to Claiborne in 1973 and died in 1989.
Claiborne is only a couple minutes' drive away from the site. It is well known as being the farm where "Big Red" spent the majority of his life.
Despite working professionally as an equine artist for the past 20 years, Corum says this mural is her largest equine painting to date. Typically she creates "normal" sized oil paintings.
Watch: Equine Artist Jaime Corum on Secretariat Mural
"I have done other murals, they were not equine. I am primarily an equine artist but the other murals I've done, happened to not be horses," Corum said. "This was my first gigantic horse. I've done a life-sized horse but never anything this big. It is so exhilarating, and I definitely want to do it again.
"It was such a cool experience. I loved every aspect. The physical aspect was actually really fun. Being on the lift, I was able to move around so easily. I had a blast on that thing, way up high."
While she was painting, Corum says people would come and strike up a conversation about the mural and describe the meaning that the famed racehorse played in their own lives.
"The energy and enthusiasm from people in Paris and people who are Secretariat fans all around the world just fed my inspiration," Corum said. "I was already ready to do it and enjoy it, but it made it a huge, fun, otherworldly project. I didn't expect to have that much enthusiasm."
The mural is a part of a larger project which will include a park and a life-sized bronze statue dedicated to Secretariat next year with the 50th anniversary of his Triple Crown sweep.
Lauren Biddle, executive director of the Paris-Bourbon County chamber of commerce and secretary of the Secretariat Park Foundation, is delighted that the first step of reaching the town's longtime goal has finally arrived.
"This will become Secretariat Park about a year from today, Nov. 11, 2023. That date is super significant for Paris, Ky., because that'll be the date 50 years later that we brought Secretariat home to Claiborne Farm," Biddle said. "Today is leg one of that unveiling process of the Secretariat mural, which is the world's largest mural to date.
"This was a real pipe dream for us. Four years ago, I really didn't think this was going to happen...This is a big thing because not only will it boost the economy, but it will boost tourism; it'll be a gathering spot for people downtown. It's not only a place for people who love Secretariat; it's also a place for people who love our downtown."
Also present at the unveiling was current Claiborne president Walker Hancock. Along with the local businesses and community, Claiborne helped to fund the park.
"It's a great day for the Paris community, Claiborne, and Secretariat. Obviously people go to the farm to see his grave, to see his stall but coming here really brings it to life," Hancock said. "It's an amazing mural. It's very impressive, and once the whole park's done, people will come visit the farm and trickle down here. Hopefully it will be a boost to the economy and downtown as well...Kudos to the artist."
For Corum, she is grateful for the opportunity to exhibit the animals that she has loved her entire life, which has truly been a way to sustain herself—and her artwork.
"I have always been a horse lover. I can't remember a time when I wasn't loving and wanting to ride and be around horses. I couldn't have a horse when I was little so I started drawing them," Corum said. "The love for the horse and the method of being close to them through drawing them brought me to art.
"Those two things paralleled throughout my life. I did finally get to ride and have a horse, and that then fed the artwork so I could understand the horses' conformation and know a lot more about how they move."
Most important, however, is how art allows an artist to connect to a community and bring a group of people together to celebrate memories. In this case, it is memories of one of the greatest racehorses in history.
"So many people had a story about how much he meant to them," Corum said. "That gave me the extra purpose to make this mural as beautiful and as perfect as I could to honor him since he was such a role model for so many people. It was extraordinary for me."
