PENNY CHENERY
Paving the Way for Women in Horse Racing and Beyond
It was May 5, 1973, a perfect Saturday—partly cloudy, 67 degrees. A woman gazes onto a fast track. Her focus narrowed on a gorgeous chestnut trotting to the gate. Emotions are high as she watches the thirteen-horse field being loaded into the gate one by one. The 99th running of the Kentucky Derby was about to begin, and Penny Chenery was hungry for her second Kentucky Derby win with Secretariat. The gates open, the horses charge, and history is being made once again on the first Saturday in May. The crowd roars as Secretariat breaks records, running 21/2 lengths ahead of Sham.
This win was the beginning of a remarkable road to the Triple Crown that broke track records and glass ceilings for women in the horse racing industry. Chenery won in a boys’ club and smashed all odds as she watched her horse win the Triple Crown and become the most famous horse in history. Many people know Secretariat’s story, but you might not know that Chenery saved the family farm, Meadow Stable after her father died. Her siblings wanted to sell the farm, but Chenery fought to save it. Not only did she succeed in saving the farm when people didn’t think she could, but Chenery started to break down barriers for women in the equine industry. Many years have passed since her 1973 win, but what hasn’t is the doubt that comes with women and entrepreneurship. When I started my television show, “My Southern Home,” like Chenery, many people thought the odds were against me, but I didn’t let them stop me. Not only was I successful in starting “My Southern Home,” but I expanded to Nashville one year later. The show has been on the air for seven years.
One of Chenery’s famous quotes is, “I will not live my life in regret.” As women, we all regret things, but the one thing you will never regret is running full speed toward your goals. On the other hand, you will always regret not trying. As someone who went after her dreams when people said, “You can’t.” I’m here to tell you, you can. The road will be bumpy; you will learn from your failures, pivot, try again, and succeed. Chenery sums it up best with one of my favorite quotes, “This is not about going back. This is about life being ahead of you, and you run at it! Because you never know how far you can run unless you run.”
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