Praise for Penny

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Today, I attended A Celebration of Life for the late, great, Penny Chenery.  Helen Bates “Penny” Chenery Tweady entered the world on 1/27/1922.  Though she lived a full 95 years, she left too soon when she passed last month on 9/16/2017.  Gone but never to be forgotten, the legends Penny and her horses like Secretariat and Riva Ridge blazed will last eternally.

 

Keeneland graciously opened the doors of their world famous sales pavilion today to welcome the public for a chance to mourn, honor, learn and laugh with those who knew Penny.  A full hour before the 1:30 PM memorial took place a large crowd gathered.

Donna Brothers is a former jockey with over 1000 wins including several graded stakes.  She is currently a reporter and a Thoroughbred racing analyst for NBC.  She gave a warm welcome and introduced each of the poignant speakers on hand to share their Penny stories.  She shared her own story of how Penny inspired her as well.  Two of Penny’s children spoke as did several other important members of the Thoroughbred industry.  Scroll thru the above gallery to see them all.

Each speaker shared personal details about their relationships and the life of Penny.  She was a dynamic woman, intelligent, strong willed and determined.  Penny felt like she was the voice of her champion Thoroughbreds.  Penny took over her father’s farm, The Meadow, in the 1960’s.  She took her family’s successful Thoroughbred Farm to a new level in 1972 and 1973 with her horses Riva Ridge and Secretariat winning 2 legs of the Triple Crown with the first and all 3 with the later.  Creator of the Secretariat Vox Populi award she made sure her horses were some of the most famous of all.  Penny was the first woman to join The Jockey Club.  She was the President of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. Additionally, she was a Executive Committee member on the American Horse Counsel and assisted in the creation of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.  The Penny Chenery Memorial Fund, recently created by The Secretariat Foundation, now benefits the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

https://www.secretariat.com/foundation/donations/

In addition to the amazing words of the speakers the card handed out to each guest included quotes from those who knew and loved Penny and there were pictures and 3 videos shown during the celebration.  This story includes several photos of the projections.  The featured image shows the card we each received.  The flower embellishments on the card were created by Penny herself who discovered she could paint with watercolors in her 80s.

When the event finished, an hour and a half later,  I felt like I had learned so much more about Penny as a person and her drive to serve as an ambassador for her horses and the Thoroughbred industry.  As I exited I was able to sign one of the massive memorial posters on behalf of Keeneland like the one sent over from Churchill Downs, seen above.

Racing will always benefit from the life and actions of Penny and her superstar Thoroughbreds.  I am happy I was able to attend and can share some pictures and  this experience with you.  Thank you Penny Chenery for your legacy and thank you Keeneland and Penny’s friends and family for allowing the fans to share her memorial service.

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