Page 50 - 7 July 2012

in the industry have for him. Just as Harris enjoys his painting pastime, former jockey and trainer James Lackey of Huntington Beach, California, spent his spare hours creating with wood. “Russell asked me to make some plaques for his ranch in California, engraved with the names of some of his good horses—Florentine and some others,” Lackey said. “He told me the other day he’s still got them on his pastures at his place in Bandera.”
“He’s just a straight-up guy,” added fellow world champion trainer John Stinebaugh of El Paso, Texas. “What he tells you, you can take to the bank. He’s just a good, honest guy and an all-around horseman.”
following His HeaRt
Although Harris has deep roots in horserac- ing, he attended Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida, in 1968, bent on a career in commercial and illustrative art.
“But I found that I didn’t like being inside,” Harris said. “And I didn’t like being away from the horses.”
So he headed for California, where he worked for Gene Chambless and trained for Vessels Stallion Farm for many years. He met Brook while training at Bay Meadows.
“I went out looking for a good barrel racing horse and ended up going to work for Russell,” Brook said. “Ended up, I found a whole bunch of good horses!”
They married less than a year later, and then decided they wanted a different lifestyle in which to raise a family. So a little more than 20 years ago, they moved to Bandera, Texas, where their three children—Sarah, Marshal and Tucker— grew up helping with the horse operation.
coming full ciRcle
Along the way, Harris rediscovered his pas- sion for art and turned to painting in his spare time as a form of relaxation. Using watercolors and oils, he recaptures landscapes and rural
scenes that incorporate the familiar things in his life: old buildings, old trucks, barns, trac- tors, chicken houses and natural backgrounds.
Harris named Andrew Wyeth, who did mainly realistic artwork and landscapes, as
his favorite artist. He calls his own paintings “down-home American folk art” and gravi- tates to his favorite bright but earthy palette of greens, browns and yellows.
His love of the process in training horses carries over to his artwork. “I enjoy doing the art—the process—rather than making the picture,” Harris said. “I start with just a pencil drawing and I never know which way a piece is going to go until I get started. Then it just falls into place. It’s not planned or precise; I just let it evolve.”
“It’s amazing to see him sit down and draw,” Brook said. “He’s pretty sensitive as an artist. That’s what makes it so easy for him to tune
in to these horses. If he can see something, he can draw it. It gives him a really good eye for
a horse, too. He can see every little thing in an instant. His work isn’t just a nice looking picture; it has a lot of feeling to it.”
Harris wishes he had time to paint more, but probably finishes just two or three pieces a year. “Doing art is just like doing other things—yard work and such—you’ve got to stay “fit” to do it and do it well,” he said.
“The last couple things I’ve done have sold at the Heritage Sale, where Butch Wise’s wife, Nancy, sells them with her jewelry,” he added.
tHings of Value
“I’ve been very fortunate,” Harris said. “Probably the biggest thing is being fortunate enough to pick out the right horses.
He has, indeed, picked the right horses. In his 42 years of training, he has produced seven World Champions and won 29 Grade-1 stakes. He’s the ninth all-time leading money-earning trainer and his horses have earned more than $17 million. He was also
the first racehorse trainer to be appointed as an AQHA director.
But despite his professional successes, he counts his family as his greatest achievement. “I’ve been very, very lucky that all my children have been blessed with their own talents,” he said. “We’re really close.”
He enjoys time spent with his family, and surrounds himself with positive people— including owners. He also enjoys hunting and fishing with friends during his off-season in the fall.
“Russell is a 100 percent true, dedicated family man,” said fellow trainer Denny Ekins of Westminster, California. “He takes great pride in his family and has a deep love and con- cern for all of them. And he’s a true friend.”
Harris’s friends comprise not only humans, but also the horses he trains. Those close to him cited his strengths as a trainer as his love for the horses; his ability to recall names, details, bloodlines and faces; his strengths as a communicator; his dedication and work ethic; and his compassion.
To that admirable list, Brook added his greatest strength is his ability to build a
horse’s confidence. “He can take a horse that’s mediocre or who has attitude problems and get more out of them—because they want to—not because they have to perform.”
She gave the 1974 gelding Twofortheshow as an example. “He was a great big, huge black horse. He looked like a big freight train. Russell claimed him at Los Alamitos for like $3,100. He was so timid—like the elephant that saw a mouse. Russell just babied him and babied him and the horse got some confidence and climbed the claiming ranks to where he thought he was the fastest thing on the grounds. Russell ended up winning a stakes race with him. They really loved each other.”
Not much has changed since those early days, as Harris still cherishes the chance to be a hands-on trainer to the horses he loves.
50 SPEEDHORSE, July 6, 2012
courtesy John Bachelor Jr.
Speedhorse’s John Bachelor Jr. (far right) grew up racing horses with Russell Harris. (far left).
courtesy Russell Harris
Partain Photographs
Los alamitos
Brook and Russell Harris in 2005.
Former claimer turned stakes winner Twofortheshow blossomed under Russell Harris’ care.
Russell on his pony horse Tuffy in 2011 at Remington Park.