Apollo

This statue honors Babe Hurd, who rode Apollo to win the Kentucky Derby in 1882.

This is one of the 11 Gallopalooza statues sponsored by Louisville Tourism, commemorating African American horsemen’s key role in building the foundation of horse racing.

Artist Statement:

I first started creating the piece by researching the rich history and roles that the pioneering African American jockeys held, to aid in developing a mockup. I wanted to highlight the excitement felt when Babe Hurd an underdog in the race became the unsuspecting successor. The capture of movement was an aspect I wanted to convey to the viewer. I achieved this by painting the composition of the horses and jockeys along the contour of the horse, enhancing its sense of depth. The different shades of purples seen throughout Apollo are representative of the magenta-colored silks worn by Hurd on his ride to victory.

—Simone Renee Brown
https://www.instagram.com/simone_renae502/