Ansel Williamson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ansel Williamson |
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|---|---|
| Occupation | Racehorse trainer |
| Born | Virginia |
| Major racing wins | |
| Jersey Derby (1866, 1873, 1875) Travers Stakes (1866, 1873) Jerome Handicap (1873, 1875) July Stakes (1874) Withers Stakes (1875) American Classics wins: |
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| Honors | |
| National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (1998) | |
| Significant horses | |
| Aristides, Calvin, Merrill, Tom Bowling, Virgil | |
Ansel Williamson (1806-1881) was a very important American racehorse trainer. He was so skilled that he was later honored in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Ansel Williamson trained horses that won many big races. These included the first-ever Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes, and the Travers Stakes.
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Early Life and Horse Training
Ansel Williamson was born in Virginia in 1806. He was born into slavery, but he learned a lot about horses. He gained early experience working for an owner named T. G. Goalby. There, he trained a champion horse named Brown Dick. This horse won many important races in different cities.
Working at Woodburn Stud
In 1864, Ansel Williamson was bought by Robert A. Alexander. Alexander owned a famous horse farm called Woodburn Stud in Midway, Kentucky. At Woodburn Stud, Williamson learned even more about breeding and training horses. After he became a free man, he chose to keep working for Alexander. He helped train many successful horses there. Two of these were the undefeated champions Norfolk and Asteroid.
Training Famous Racehorses
Ansel Williamson became known for training top racehorses. He trained Merrill, who won the Travers Stakes in 1866. He won this important race again in 1873 with a horse named Tom Bowling. Tom Bowling was an amazing horse who won 14 out of 17 races in his career.
The First Kentucky Derby Winner
After Robert Alexander passed away in 1867, Williamson continued to train many great horses. One of his most famous horses was Aristides. Aristides made history by winning the very first Kentucky Derby in 1875. This was a huge moment in horse racing!
More Big Wins
In that same year, 1875, another horse trained by Williamson, Calvin, won the Belmont Stakes. This showed how talented Ansel Williamson was as a trainer. He also trained horses that won other major races, like the Jerome Handicap and the Withers Stakes.
A Hall of Fame Legacy
Ansel Williamson's contributions to horse racing were recognized many years after his death. In 1998, he was added to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. This honor means he is remembered as one of the greatest horse trainers in history.
