PARIS, Ky. — A Kentucky artist pays tribute to the greatest achievement ever in horse racing. 

What You Need To Know

  • Artist Jaime Corum is painting a giant mural of Secretariat in Paris, Kentucky

  • Corum is a lifelong equine artist, but this is her largest project to date

  • The completion of the mural coincides with the 49th anniversary of Secretariat arriving at Claiborne Farm

A spin through Paris, Kentucky, is like experiencing a drive-through gallery. There is art everywhere you look, especially the architectural kind. “It’s interesting because I get to hear Paris, all the city noises,” said artist Jaime Corum.

With a historic downtown as her canvas, Corum is painting the fastest racehorse in history, Secretariat, the famed Triple Crown legend and jockey Ronnie Turcott.

“I used to complain when my students used their phone as references and now I’m like, OK, it works,” Corum said while checking the source image on her phone.

At the time, Corum was suspended 30 feet above the ground, coating a century’s old brick wall with layers of house paint. The west facing mural will be part of a greater Secretariat attraction in Paris. The city and private donors have commissioned the work to commemorate 50 years since Secretariat's Triple Crown win.

“We think it’s the largest Secretariat painting ever, so that’s cool,” Corum said.

The mural is so big, in fact, Corum periodically has to take off her blinders and take a step back. Corum lowers herself to the ground and walks half-a-block away to take in her progress.

“That’s kind of my favorite… and he peaks through the trees. You can really see the blue,” Corum says.

The former Bellarmine art professor started with the hooves and worked her way up the wall. But even though she’s currently painting at the mural’s highest point, Corum won’t hesitate to make a new friend from below. She will pause from her painting whenever spectators approach to spark up a conversation.

Related Stories