 |
| Fanned Out Nine Wide by Tom Chapman |
There was a time, not long ago, when horse
racing was considered one of the preeminent sports in American culture. People were
drawn to its pageantry and competition, and could relate their own personal
triumphs and defeats to those that were unfolding on the track. Horse racing reaches
back to a tougher, more rugged era, and perhaps the recent softening of our
country is one reason it has fallen somewhat out of favor with today’s public. One
man presently helping to re-establish the sport’s prominence is doing so with nothing
more than a paintbrush and a lifetime’s worth of memories.
Tom Chapman was not born into a life in
racing, or a life in art for that matter. His formative years were spent in the
tiny town of Cut Bank, Montana. He was a state wrestling champion in high
school, and his love for the outdoors included everything from snowmobiles to
animals. Tom flashed an interest in painting during his youth, but also realized
early on that school was not his forte. At the suggestion of a family friend,
he set off for California with the hopes of making his mark as a jockey. The
year was 1973, and Tom’s first work came as a “hot walker” at a ranch in Southern
California. After a few months, he was given the opportunity to begin halter
breaking some of the babies, followed by the yearlings.
The transition from ranch to race track was
inevitable, and before long, he was working as an exercise boy at Santa Anita.
There, Tom met trainer, Henry Moreno, a man whom he credits with shaping the course
of his future for years to come. “Henry was my mentor. He became like a father
figure to me,” Tom recalls. “He worked me hard, but was a fair man.” Tom’s
first professional mount came in 1977 at Santa Anita on a Moreno-trained filly named
Zulla Road. The rest, so to speak, is history. His racing influences included
the likes of Bill Shoemaker and Fernando Toro, and the bulk of his riding
career was spent in Northern California. A few of his more notable mounts were on
Sea Cadet, Slew of Damascus, and Hoedown’s Day, who he rode in the 1981 Kentucky
Derby for Roger Dominguez.
 |
| Tom Aboard Ifrad for Charlie Whittingham |
After two decades in the saddle, Chapman chose
to permanently hang up his tack in 1996 in order to spend more time with his
family. As he explains, “I always spoke about how family was more important
than the career. I always talked the talk, but working at the race track was so
life consuming, it was impossible for me to really walk the walk. There were
many signs that things were just not the way they should be in my family, so I
decided to give the racing up.” It was then that Tom reintroduced himself
to the form of expression he had so loved as a young man. His rebirth as an
artist had begun, and he has never looked back.
Tom Chapman’s visions now grace the walls of
racing venues all along the West Coast, and across the country. He has tailored
his craft through works of his own choosing, as well as with those that have
come by way of commission. His works are honest and heartfelt, offering the lay
person a vivid glimpse into the beauty that is horse racing. His passion for
life is also clearly evident in the exquisite detail that he applies to both
horses and humans alike.
Recently, Tom has taken on a few new ventures that have allowed him to share his talents and experiences with others. He is teaching art classes at a local community college, and has facilitated art and racing lectures in various senior communities. Despite the brilliance in Chapman’s artwork, this willingness to give of his own time may very well say as much about the man as the paintings ever could.
 |
| Tom Chapman In His Studio |
& he can be found
on Facebook at Chapman Fine Arts
