ALAMOSA — Secretariat galloped into Society Hall on Monday night. 

Internationally recognized artist Jocelyn Russell presented her prototype sculpture for a new monument of the legendary 1973 Triple Crown Winner. She is currently in the beginning stages of the project as it is her most recent commission.

She is traveling to promote the project and made an impromptu stop in her childhood hometown of Alamosa. She was welcomed by a crowd that was eager to hear from her.

Secretariat is widely considered the best racehorse to have ever lived. His Belmont Stakes victory has been hailed as one of the top 100 athletic performances of all time. Russell was chosen to be the artist for a new monument to the horse that is considered to be one of the greatest sports figures of all time. The monument will stand in the State of Kentucky not very far from Churchill Downs. The commission came from a man by the name of Alex Campbell. The statue will depict Secretariat’s Kentucky Derby victory.

Russell has immersed herself in the project and done extensive amounts of research. This has included correspondence and several meetings with Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte as well as Kate Tweedy, daughter of owner Penny Tweedy. Both are involved in the project and have expressed his support for Russell’s work.

Russell has also visited Meadow Stables in Virginia and seen the barn where Secretariat was foaled. Other site visits that Russell has made include his retirement pasture at Claiborne Farms in Kentucky as well as his gravesite. The pasture is currently being occupied by the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner, Orb.

The prototype of the monument is still very much in the early stages. Russell continues her work on the piece. She transports the sculpture in its own special suitcase that she specifically purchased for it. The case even has a blue and white checkerboard pattern as a nod to the iconic silks of Meadow Stables. The project is expected to be complete in 2019.

Russell also presented a slideshow of a commission that she completed in April of 2017 for the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. The project was Russell’s largest commission to date and took two years to complete. The project consists of 15 life-size sculptures of African wildlife including elephants, lions and meerkats.

In order to be able to work on the project closely with her foundry, The Crucible LLC., Russell moved to Norman, Oklahoma for the duration of the project. She would sculpt the elephants during the day and work on the smaller animals back at the apartment at night. The completion of the elephants was the most extensive part of the project.

In order to get the final product to scale, there were numerous steps involved. The first step was to do a three dimensional scan of the original sculpture. The scan was then used to make enlargements to scale and cut out blocks of polyurethane foam according to the dimensions. The foam was then sculpted and used to make molds which then served as the reference point for the final castings.

Russell also pointed out that one of the most interesting parts of the process was the actual transportation of the sculptures once they were complete. The journey to New Orleans via Dallas and several other major cities was challenging but successful. The sculptures now stand at the entrance to the zoo. Russell has dedicated the project to the memory of her parents and cousin all of whom she has lost over the course of the project.

Although she has gained national and international recognition, Russell is grateful to her community of supporters in the San Luis Valley, particularly Dr. Ben Konishi who has been a mentor for her since the age of 12. She recognizes that her supporters have been there for her the entire way along her journey and looks forward to what is ahead.

Caption: Artist Jocelyn Russell shares a prototype of her Secretariat sculpture./Courier photo by Helen Smith