Jockey Ron Turcotte's saddle, carried aboard Triple Crown champion Secretariat in 1973, will be on display for the first time on March 4, 2023, at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center during a free, one-night-only performance of The Jim Irsay Band and exhibition of The Jim Irsay Collection.
The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. To reserve a ticket, visit jimirsaycollection.com.
The Jim Irsay Collection acquired the piece from Ron Turcotte, the renowned Hall of Fame jockey, now 81, who rode Secretariat to the Triple Crown win 50 years ago this year.
“This special saddle represents a most magical time in my racing career and its personal significance to me and my family goes beyond words,” said Turcotte from his home in New Brunswick, Canada. “I have had the privilege of keeping it safe and secure for nearly 50 years, and now it's time to let others enjoy the treasures in my collection as well. I am grateful to The Jim Irsay Collection for recognizing the saddle's historical importance and making it and the Secretariat story available to current and future generations.”
Irsay, owner of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, has assembled a collection of instruments and items owned and used by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, Bo Diddley, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and John Coltrane.
The collection also includes: an 1823 William J. Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence, one of the first exact “facsimiles” of the final signed document; artifacts and signed documents from numerous U.S. Presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy; handwritten documents and artifacts from women's suffrage pioneer Susan B. Anthony; the original manuscript for Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book, the organization's founding document; renowned American author Jack Kerouac's original 119-foot On the Road scroll; a Jackie Robinson game-used bat from 1953 (the founding year of the Colts); Muhammad Ali's championship belt from his victory over George Foreman in the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” and his boxing shoes from the 1975 “Thrilla' in Manilla” vs. Joe Frazier, and an original handwritten script and notes for the movie Rocky by Sylvester Stallone.
Irsay has hosted free exhibitions of the collection in Nashville, Tenn., Washington, D.C., Austin, Tex., Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Indianapolis and San Francisco. More dates are planned for 2023 and beyond.
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