Jim Reno
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kerrville, TX
Jim Reno | |
|---|---|
_board_member_and_sculptor,_Jim_Reno,_seated_atop_a_horse.jpg) | |
| Born | March 14, 1929 Wheeling, W. VA. |
| Died | November 1, 2008 (aged 79)[1] Kerrville, TX |
| Resting place | Glen Rest Cemetery Kerrville, TX |
| Education | John Herron School of Art |
| Known for | Sculptures of horses and horsemen |
| Notable work | life-size bronze of Secretariat, Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington; bronze of Dash For Cash, entrance to the American Quarter Horse Association Museum, Amarillo, TX. |
| Spouse | Mary Jo Schrock |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
|
| Awards | NCHA Members Hall of Fame (1990)[2] |
| Elected | NCHA President (7 years), NCHA Executive Board (21 years) |
Jim Reno (1929–2008) was a bronze sculptor who focused his artistic abilities on western themes and famous horses, such as Secretariat. Reno's most notable sculpture is titled Secretariat—31 Lengths which is on display at the National Museum of Racing at Saratoga Springs, New York. He was also commissioned in 1973 by Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery (Tweedy) to sculpt a life-size bronze of the horse for the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.[3] Reno also sculpted Dash For Cash, cattleman Charles Goodnight, Comanche Indian Chief Quannah Parker, and many other depictions of legendary people and horses.[4]
Reno raised and trained cutting horses, and competed in NCHA cutting horse events. He served two terms as president of the NCHA, served twenty-one years on the NCHA executive committee, and was inducted into the NCHA Members Hall of Fame.[4][5]
Reno grew up in New Castle, Indiana in a single parent home. When Jim was only five, his father deserted the family, forcing his mother to work in an auto factory to support her two boys. At age 7, Reno got a job mucking stalls at the county fairgrounds, which is when he first developed an affinity for horses.[6] As a teenager, Reno's life was already taking shape with the support of school teachers who took an interest in him, including one teacher who recognized his artistic talent as a sculptor.[7] Reno took a woodcarving class in high school, and carved a Hereford cow that he contributed to his agriculture class so his classmates could use it as a model to learn how to judge beef cattle.[8] That woodcarving inspired his teacher to enter it in the state competition, which Jim ended up winning. That same teacher helped him get a scholarship to the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis.[7] After graduating from high school, he attended Herron School of Art on a six-week trial scholarship which developed into a full scholarship. He received his degree in 1952, and headed west for a job interview with The Walt Disney Company in California, but because of his strong desire to be in Texas, he ended-up in Houston instead. Sculpting opportunities were few, so he started training horses, and did some sculpting on the side.[8]