My family and I watched it on television (at that time, at the ripe age of 16, I was a budding artist, and I’d done an oil painting of the famous magazine cover). I still remember my whole family, including the non-horse lovers, losing our minds, screaming ‘til we were hoarse, jumping up and down, when he took that lead. I will never, ever forget it.
I was blessed to see the big horse at Claiborne Farms after he had gone to stud. Actually got to pet him! He was very kind and quiet. I have been in horses most of my life. He was truly the most perfect creature God ever created. As an aside, when people ask me why I am not impressed by much, my reply is always the same. “I have shaken Ronald Reagan’s hand and I have touched Secretariat.”