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Bill Shoemaker

National Portrait Gallery
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Object Details

Artist
Zbigniew Nyczak, born 1955
Sitter
William Lee Shoemaker, 19 Aug 1931 - 12 Oct 2003
Exhibition Label
Born Fabens, Texas
Only four feet, eleven inches tall and weighing just ninety-eight pounds, Bill Shoemaker was one of horse racing’s smallest and lightest jockeys; he was also one of the most successful riders in the history of the sport. During a career that spanned four decades, Shoemaker tallied more than 40,000 starts and 8,833 winning rides, with repeat victories in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes. Just twenty-three when he won the derby crown in 1955, Shoemaker was fifty-four when he rode to his fourth and final derby victory in 1986, atop Ferdinand. Unlike some jockeys who whipped and harried their mounts to the finish line, “The Shoe” was admired for his ability to guide his horses through his skillful use of the reins and bit. As a contemporary observed, “If one needed the blueprint for the perfect jockey, [Shoemaker] would be it.”
Provenance
Commissioned by the Shoemaker Foundation, Inglewood, Calif.; gift 1996 to NPG
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Zbigniew Nyczak and the Shoemaker Foundation
1994
Object number
NPG.96.11
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Zbigniew Nyczak
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 61 x 91.4 x 1.9cm (24 x 36 x 3/4")
Frame: 87 x 117.2 x 6.4cm (34 1/4 x 46 1/8 x 2 1/2")
Place
United States\California
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
Champions
On View
NPG, South Gallery 342 Mezzanine
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Nature & Environment\Animal\Horse
Equipment\Sports Equipment\Equestrian Gear\Riding Crop
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie
Exterior\Sports arena\Racetrack
Costume\Headgear\Hat\Cap\Jockey cap
William Lee Shoemaker: Male
William Lee Shoemaker: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Equestrian\Jockey
Portrait
Record ID
npg_NPG.96.11
Metadata Usage (text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f26ba671-2358-41d2-8c24-69b3f7c26680

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