Kentucky also capital of great horse sculpture,
and doing that well is a truly a special art

By Jeffrey Scott Holland
KyForward contributor

Since Kentucky is the undisputed horse capital of the world, it’s not too surprising that it’s also the global leader in equine sculpture.

Ask any artist and they’ll tell you – capturing a human likeness is one thing, but conveying a horse realistically is something else entirely. Even after mastering the study of the musculature of various breeds, the knack of bringing a figural horse to kinetic life is still something that just has to come with intuitive genius. My hat’s off to anyone who makes a go of it.

Here’s just a random sampling of examples I find interesting:

The Kentucky Horse Park is so filled with fascinating statuary, one could spend all day just admiring them – and you should. Shelley Hunter is responsible for two of my favorites there -an awe-inspiring rendition of the irrepressible John Henry and a very regal-looking Alysheba with his head held high. Hunter, who has been one of the most important equine sculptors for years, has recently turned to painting as well. “After years spent primarily as a sculptor,” she said, “I find that color is calling to me. And the lessons that I learned from sculpture, the anatomy and movement, are showing up in my painting.”

Of all the horses interred at the Hamburg Place Horse Cemetery, the most deluxe marker is that of Nancy Hanks, who is represented with a lovely statue. Named after Abraham Lincoln‘s mother, Nancy Hanks never ran in a Derby but did break a world’s record for trotting a mile in 2 minutes and 4 seconds – which was a major feat in 1892. the Nancy Hanks statue was created by Charles Cary Rumsey, who is probably best known for his sculpture at the Brownsville War Memorial in Brooklyn. Other horse statues to Rumsey’s credit include Burgomaster, Hamburg, and Good And Plenty.

Besides Hamburg Place, statues of horses in cemeteries are few and far between. One that comes to mind is a magnificent figure of a jockey and racehorse on a grave in the Rose Crest Cemetery in Versailles. At first I assumed that the gentleman must have been involved in horse racing himself, but I found his obituary online and that’s seemingly not the case. Apparently he just loved horses, which is one of the best things that can be said about any man.

Of course, I love the downtown Lexington statue of John Hunt Morgan and Black Bess, even though I’m perennially puzzled why the sculptor, Pompeo Coppini, thought it would be more “heroic” to render the mare as a stallion. James Loewen, in his book Lies Across America, wrote about the quaint tradition among University of Kentucky fraternity pledges to climb the statue late at night and paint Black Bess’ private parts blue and white. (Loewen also relayed an old, clunkily-written anonymous poem about Black Bess’ gender confusion, passed along as local Lexington folklore. In the interest of good taste, I’ll opt not to repeat it here.)

Besides the Morgan statue, the only other Kentucky horse sculpture depicting a Civil War hero astride a horse would be that of Brigadier General John Breckinridge Castleman and his mare Carolina, located in the Cherokee Triangle of Louisville. The statue, however, exists less to commemorate his military service than for his founding of the American Saddlebred Horse Association, and this is why the sculpture depicts him in civilian clothing rather than his Army uniform. Born in Lexington in 1841, Castleman joined John Hunt Morgan’s men in 1862 until his capture in 1864 and subsequent pardon.

At the end of the day, my favorite sculptor would have to be Gwen Reardon, who created The Spirit of the American Morgan for the 200th anniversary of the Morgan Horse Association, and whose Frisky Filly and The Promise are on display at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Visitor Information Center. Reardon has worked firsthand with every breed of horse you can think of for virtually her entire life, and the quality of her work shows it. Her studio is located within minutes of Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton, and is surrounded by many of the most prominent horse farms in the Bluegrass. The studio welcomes visitors by appointment (859.293.5602) or through Unbridled Horse Tours.

I could go on and on listing these, and probably will in a future column. Meanwhile, feel free to chime in and tell me some of your favorites!

Jeffrey Scott Holland is a native Kentuckian, painter, writer, actor, musician, paralegal – and interested in all things. He joins a growing stable of talented, interesting regular columnists for KyForward.com, bringing his gift of a well-turned phrase, quirkiness and humor to entertain and enlighten — and sometimes provoke — our readers. He can always be reached at any time, by anyone on the planet, at jshpaint@gmail.com