The world’s largest horseshoe, certified by Guinness World Records, is an exact replica of a racing shoe worn by Virginia-born Triple Crown champion Secretariat.
The 610-pound horseshoe is 6 feet, 9.1 inches wide and 6 feet, 11.8 inches tall. Eagle Sign & Design Inc. of Louisville, Ky., cast the shoe using aircraft aluminum contributed by Thoro’bred Inc., which provided shoes for the Meadow Stable colt during his racing career.
The giant horseshoe was a collaborative project of the Secretariat Festival, Secretariat.com and the Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville. It was unveiled Sept. 20 at the Secretariat Festival.
“The world’s largest horseshoe is such a fun concept and a charming way to attract new fans to our grand sport,” said Secretariat owner Penny Chenery, who attended the unveiling. “It is sure to be a unique attraction and the backdrop in memories for years to come.”
The Kentucky Derby Museum will be the permanent home of the World’s Largest Horseshoe, but the shoe is expected to be part of a traveling exhibit during the summer of 2016.
“We have already put in our request for the shoe to come to Secretariat’s birthplace here at The Meadow Event Park,” said Leeanne Meadows Ladin, the venue’s Secretariat tourism manager. “After all, The Meadow is the first place where Secretariat ever wore a horseshoe!”
Ladin said The Meadow, located in Caroline County, would be a perfect “fit” for the giant shoe’s itinerary.
“As the birthplace of Secretariat, The Meadow is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. Our Hoofprints of History tours showcase Secretariat’s original foaling shed, yearling barn and training barn, among other sites. This giant horseshoe symbolizes Secretariat’s enormous legacy, which we are honored to preserve and promote here, where it all began,” she said.
For more information about the Hoofprints of History tours, visit MeadowEventPark.com.
For more information about the World’s Largest Horseshoe, see Secretariat.com.
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AFP
