Penny Chenery facts for kids

Helen Bates "Penny" Chenery (January 27, 1922 – September 16, 2017) was an American sportswoman. She was famous for owning and breeding Secretariat. Secretariat was a legendary racehorse who won the Triple Crown in 1973. Penny was the youngest of three children. She went to The Madeira School and then Smith College. Later, she studied at Columbia Business School.

Penny Chenery's Early Life

Penny Chenery was born in 1922 in New Rochelle, New York. She grew up in Pelham Manor, New York. Her father, Christopher Chenery, came from Virginia. He worked hard to become a millionaire by starting utility companies. In 1936, he started Meadow Stable. This was a special place for racing and breeding thoroughbred horses. It was located in Caroline County, Virginia.

Penny loved horses from a very young age. She learned to ride when she was only five years old. She felt her love for horses came from her father. Penny said, "My father really loved horses. I think a parent often communicates his love to a child." She shared many of her father's interests, including business. She went to the Madeira School, a top girls' boarding school. This school had an excellent horse riding program. Penny was the captain of the Equestrian Team in her last year. After graduating, she went to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She studied American history and culture there.

Penny Chenery's Career Journey

After college in 1943, Penny worked for a company called Gibbs and Cox. They designed ships for the Normandy invasion during World War II. After the invasion, she left her job. She joined the Red Cross to help soldiers. In 1945, she traveled to France as a "Doughnut Girl." She helped soldiers get ready for their trips home at the end of the war.

When Penny came back from Europe in 1946, her father wanted her to get more skills. He offered to pay for her to go to graduate school. Penny decided to attend Columbia Business School. She was one of only 20 women in a class of 800 men. At Columbia, she met John (Jack) Bayard Tweedy. She left school early to marry Jack. They moved to Denver, Colorado, where Jack worked as a lawyer. They had four children: Sarah, Kate, Christopher, and John Jr. The Tweedy family spent a lot of time in Vail, Colorado. Jack Tweedy helped start the Vail Ski Resort in the early 1960s.

Taking Over Meadow Stable

Penny's life changed when her mother passed away suddenly in 1967. Her father also became very ill. He could no longer manage Meadow Stable. Penny's siblings wanted to sell the horse farm. But Penny wanted to keep her father's dream alive. His dream was to win the Kentucky Derby. So, in 1968, she became the president of Meadow Stud. She worked hard to fix the farm and make it successful again.

In 1969, she hired a new trainer, Roger Laurin. With his help, the stable started to produce winning horses. In 1971, Roger Laurin left. Penny then asked his father, Lucien Laurin, to take over. Lucien Laurin decided to stay on. This was because a horse named Riva Ridge won over $500,000 in races that year.

The Rise of Champion Horses

In May 1972, Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby. Then in June, he won the Belmont Stakes. This made her father's dream come true. That same year, another young horse from Meadow Stable became famous. This horse was Secretariat. He was so good that he was named American Horse of the Year. This was very rare for a two-year-old horse.

The next year, in 1973, Secretariat amazed everyone. He became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. He set new records in all three races. He won the Belmont Stakes by an incredible 31 lengths! Both Riva Ridge and Secretariat were honored in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

When Penny's father passed away in 1973, his estate had a large tax bill. To pay it, Penny had to sell the breeding rights for Secretariat and Riva Ridge. She successfully sold Secretariat's rights for $6.08 million. Riva Ridge's rights sold for $5 million. Eventually, the Meadow Stable farm was also sold. Penny moved her remaining horses to Long Island, New York, and continued racing.

How Secretariat Was Born

While Penny managed Secretariat's racing, her father, Christopher Chenery, had a big part in his birth. In 1965, he made a special deal. Two Meadow mares would be bred each year with a top male horse named Bold Ruler. The owners would flip a coin to choose which foal they wanted. Penny's best mare, Somethingroyal, was bred with Bold Ruler several times. They had already produced a winning horse named Syrian Sea. In 1969, Penny lost the coin toss. This meant she got the first choice of foals in 1970. That year, there was only one foal: Secretariat.

After Secretariat, Penny Chenery continued to breed and race horses. Her biggest success was with a horse named Saratoga Dew. This horse became the first horse bred in New York to win an Eclipse Award. Saratoga Dew was named the best three-year-old female horse in 1992.

Awards and Honors

In 1983, Penny Chenery and two other women made history. They became the first women to join The Jockey Club. This is a very important group in horse racing. From 1976 to 1984, Penny was the president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. She also helped start the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. This group helps retired racehorses find new homes and care.

In 2003, the Arlington Park racetrack created an award in her honor. It's called the "Penny Chenery Distinguished Woman in Racing Award." In 2006, she received the Eclipse Award of Merit. This award is for a lifetime of amazing achievements in horse racing. In 2009, she received the Smith College Medal. This was for her great work and service to her community.

In 2018, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame gave Ms. Chenery a very high honor. She was named a Pillar of the Turf. This is the highest award for horse owners and breeders.

Penny Chenery's Later Life

Penny Chenery moved from Colorado to Long Island, New York, in 1972. She and John Tweedy divorced in 1974. In 1976, she married Lennart Ringquist, who worked in the movie industry. They divorced in 1980. She moved to Lexington, Kentucky, in the early 1990s. In 2005, she moved to Boulder, Colorado. She wanted to spend her final years close to her children.

Penny Chenery passed away on September 16, 2017. She was at her home in Boulder, Colorado. She was 95 years old.

Penny Chenery in Movies

Actress Diane Lane played Penny Chenery in the 2010 movie Secretariat. The movie was released on October 8, 2010. Penny Chenery herself had a small appearance in the film. She was an extra watching the Belmont Stakes race. Penny was also the subject of several books and articles. A 2013 documentary called "Penny and Red" was also made about her.