Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-25
KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS
PAINTED BY LOCAL WOMAN
Kathleen Wheeler Tours Rae
ing Stables to Find Old
Champions.
Artist and ScuIptress Has
Modelled Some of Worlds
Finest Racers.

A tour of the country's racing stables
where old champions of the track are
passing their latter years in peace and
comfort has recently been completed by
Miss Kathleen Wheeler sculptress and
equestrian painter, in the execution of a
commission given her for a portrait of
every living winner of Kentucky Derbys.
Previous to the commission for the
portraits, which are produced in pastel,
Miss Wheeler was given an order for a
bronze to be made each year of the
winner of the Kentucky Derby
Miss Wheeler has modelled over thirty
of the worlds most famous race horses.
Among them may be mentioned Admiral
Cary T. Grayson's My Own" Samuel
D. Riddles Man O. War" Carl Weld
erman's I'm Memoriam," Benjamin
Blocks Norwich" Desha Brecken-
ridges Lady Madcap," Hal Price Head
leys "Chacolet," j. NJ Camden's Light
Brigade" Harry F. Sinclair's "zev." the
famous French "Epinard." 'Exter-
minator, famous champion of the Sara
toga and Belmont Cup races for four
years running and last but not least,
"Reigh Count" the winner of the 1928
Kentucky Derby.
Zev Is Just a Pet.
"You should see Zey, now" laughed
Miss Wheeler, as she pointed to por-
trait of the famous old champion. He
is leading placid and comfortable life
on Harry Sinclair's New Jersey place,
Rancocas Farm. and looks for all the
world like a fat, we'll kept cart horse.
He is just pet, played with and
climbed over by the stable boys"
~
Wheeler, lis living in luxury down in
Lexington, still demanding his tribute
Of praise and honor. as he is the biggest
priced stallion in the country"
Miss Wheeler made two bronzes of
Epinard, whom she considers the most
perfect horse she has ever Sculptured.
He was. most difficult to do she said,
"as every curve and muscle was per-
feet and it took me a month to model
him."
Miss Wheeler was asked which she
considered the greatest of all the race
horses with which she had come in
contact. She hesitated slightly before
answering this question, then replied:
THAT is a rather difficult question. as
they are all so fine, but l should say
EXterminator stands ahead of them
all as winner of the 1918 Kentucky
Derby and due to his subsequent record.
After running away with the honors of
the year at Churchill Downs, he con-
tinued for four successive years to win
handicap and stake races"
Possess Individuality.
I'm your vast experience as a mod
eler of horses. do you find that they
possess individuality?" the sculptures
was asked.
Most decidedly" was the prompt
answer. Horses have as much individ-
uality and character as human beings,
and that is what makes them interest,"
ing. Most Of this distinction of char
acter is revealed in the head They
show definite characteristics by the
shape of the head and the expression
in the eyes.
lone of the greatest attributes to a
horses success on the race track" con-
tinued this connoisseur of the equine
world, lis MS possession of heart or
pluck OF course, conformation is es-
sential in the makeup of a, champion,
but his possession or lack of pluck
proves very important when it comes
to the winning of race. 1 think one
of the greatest examples that l have
ever seen of horses pluck was one
poor fellow who finished a race with a
broken leg ] think he must have been
running the entire race with that leg
broken, because l have never seen a
greater look of agony than showed on