“Celebrating Secretariat in Story and in Bronze” - Artist and Author Talk

Written By Kate Tweedy

Kate Tweedy, Jocelyn Russell, and Robin Hutton before a special joint presentation by Kate and Jocelyn for the Artist and Author Talk on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at the Aiken Center for the Arts in Aiken, South Carolina. They had a sellout crowd!

November 15, 2025

Kate Tweedy and Jocelyn Russell’s combined perspectives—spanning historical storytelling, artistic mastery, and rich cultural insight—made for an engaging and memorable evening. Kate told the story of Secretariat, her Granddad, and her Mother, Penny. Jocelyn told the story of the monument, “Racing Into History.“

Attendees enjoyed a unique opportunity to hear both women share their work, creative process, and inspiration, making the event a standout moment for the local community.

Kate Tweedy

A native of Denver, Colorado, Kate Chenery Tweedy is the daughter of Secretariat’s owner Penny Chenery, and granddaughter of his breeder, Christopher Chenery. She grew up visiting her family’s farm, The Meadow, in Doswell, VA, where Secretariat was born and raised. In 1973, as a college student, she was at her mother’s side when Secretariat demolished the field in the Belmont Stakes and set records that still stand today.

Kate has a BA from University of Texas, Austin, and a JD from Berkeley Law (University of California, Berkeley). As a lawyer, she specialized in immigration and political asylum. Later her energies shifted to teaching and writing. She is co-author of Secretariat’s Meadow, which has sold over 40,000 copies and won several awards.

From 2005 to 2017, Kate had the pleasure of escorting her mother, Penny Chenery, to racing events all over the country. Kate and Penny both consulted on the Disney script for the 2010 movie, Secretariat, and both were extras in the Belmont scene. Kate currently lives in Virginia and is at work writing a biography-memoir of her mother. She enjoys speaking about her mother and her magnificent horse to audiences nationwide.

Previous

“The Cove” Forever Protected
Next

“Jockeying for a Spot in History” - Greg McQuade on Ch 6 WTVR