Jill MedingerHow does one pay tribute to your beloved after 50 years of marriage?
Renowned artist Jamie Wyeth met Phyllis Mills Wyeth in 1968 and quickly fell in love. He painted her many times over their 50 years together, and was by her side as she passed in 2019.
He then decided to adopt 10 members of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation’s herd as a living tribute to his late wife, who was best known as the owner and breeder of Union Rags, the Belmont Stakes winner in 2012.
The adoptees are former members of the Second Chance program, which pairs prisoners with horses. They are settling into their new life on a Pennsylvania farm. Wyeth has arranged for them to live there with help from Anita Motion, a friend of the Wyeths and executive director of the 250-acre nonprofit Pastures of Point Lookout, a nonprofit organization.
Director of major gifts at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Kimberly Weir told Horse Racing Nation, “Mr. Wyeth’s creation of Pastures of Point Lookout is a demonstration of love and leadership. It shows us all the impact we can make by following our heart and transforming a wish into reality.”