Tribute to John Shirreffs, Truly One of a Kind
Tribute to John Shirreffs, Truly One of Kind
By Steve Haskin
I could easily begin by asking, “who was John Shirreffs?” But I can’t because not only is it impossible to answer, the question should be, “who is John Shirreffs?” for he left a piece of himself with everyone who had the good fortune to know him, and wish they looked at life as he did. His lens was different, but in many ways more in focus than the rest of the world, and that often made him “eccentric” in the eyes of some. It has been much the same way with another trainer, Michael Dickinson, who was dubbed “The Mad Genius.” Can one be mad and a genius?
In the story of Don Quixote, as told in the hit musical “Man of La Mancha,” Cervantes says that madness is to see life as it is, and not as it should be. John Shirreffs saw life as it should be, and that is what I, and many others. admired most about him. Don Quixote was considered mad for his constant quest for beauty and honor in a tumultuous world. As the padre in the play says, “There goes either the maddest wise man or the wisest mad man in the world,” and adds, “The cure…may it not be worse than the disease.”
While Quixote discovered pure beauty that should be worshipped in the form of his idealized love “Dulcinea,” John Shirreffs found his equine Dulcinea in the form of a magnificent filly named Zenyatta, and the two proceeded to changes lives in ways that had never been seen before. He could have echoed Quixote’s words when the aging knight said of Dulcinea, “Now I’ve found thee, and the world shall know thy glory.”
Who else could have been entrusted with the task of getting people to look at Zenyatta and see Dulcinea, the embodiment of grace, beauty, and power, who was able to reach deep into people’s hearts.
I could go back and talk about the remarkable accomplishments of Zenyatta or the shocking 2005 Kentucky Derby victory of Giacomo at odds of 50-1 or John’s other great victories. But that is for the obituaries. This is about the man and his ability to turn all those cryptic thoughts that swirled around in his head into sheer genius.
John was a student of history and he loved and appreciated all the greats that came before him. In 2013, three years after Zenyatta’s retirement, he decided to move his main stable from the soon-to-be shut down Hollywood Park to Belmont Park. That was where the history was, where racing seemed its purest. He appropriately was given stalls that had once been occupied by the legendary John Nerud. The first thing John Shirreffs did was to find out which stall belonged to Nerud’s all-time great Dr. Fager. Once he did, he built a shrine to the larger than life horse; a force of nature unlike anything before him. On the stall door, John put photos of Dr. Fager and a copy of the colt’s past performances. That was John Shirreffs, the keeper of the flame, who had ignited one himself just three years earlier.
John connected so well with people’s feelings he knew how much Zenyatta meant to so many and allowed more access to her than any superstar in memory.
“There are ladies who come to the barn and they’re literally shaking,” he said. “They’re sweating and crying. One lady, who is a school teacher from Santa Barbara, said the first time she came to see Zenyatta she was in a wheel chair; she couldn’t walk. She said Zenyatta inspired her to push herself and try to walk. Before we left for Kentucky, she visited the barn and she was carrying three cameras and was walking.”
Abigail Anderson, a schoolteacher from Montreal, had been shaken by the death in August 2010 of a much-loved teacher from Montreal named Marjorie Gawley, who loved dancing and got much joy in her final days from a video of Zenyatta performing her traditional “dance.” Abigail asked on behalf of the English-teaching community in Quebec if there was any way Zenyatta could somehow run in the upcoming Breeders’ Cup Classic in Marjorie’s name. John was notified of her request, and when Zenyatta went to the post in the Classic she carried Marjorie’s name in the browband of her halter.
Who else would keep Zenyatta out on the grassy area at Churchill Downs along Longfield Avenue all morning and afternoon the day after she suffered her first defeat (by an agonizing head) in the Classic to allow people on the backstretch to pose with her and feed her carrots and provide visitors outside the fence the chance to see her up close and touch her.
Who else would parade Zenyatta around the Keeneland sales walking ring in the dark in sub-freezing temperates to give people one final look at the great mare and allowing them to reach over and pet her before she headed to Lane’s End Farm.
This was John Shirreffs.
On a personal note, one of the greatest and most surreal moments of my career was after Zenyatta’s Classic victory in 2009 when I was invited to dinner with John and his wife Dottie, owners Jerry and Ann Moss, and jockey Mike Smith among other friends. Before heading to the restaurant, I left my car at John’s house and he proudly showed me his treasure chest of history and memorabilia and how he was able to wake up each morning before heading to the barn at Hollywood Park and watch the live video feed of Zenyatta in her stall on his computer. He turned it on and there she was in the quiet and darkness of her stall with no one around, just a couple of hours after she had caused one of the loudest ovations and outpouring of emotion ever seen or heard at a racetrack. At dinner, Dottie and the Mosses draped themselves with Zenyatta’s winning saddle towel as John looked on with that familiar demure smile on his face.
One of the last times I contacted John was in July last year asking about his changing riders on Baeza from Flavien Prat back to Hector Berrios for the Jim Dandy Stakes. I foolishly was expecting a simple answer that I and my readers could grasp. But when John’s brain waves were in motion you often received more than you bargained for. John texted me back, saying: “A longer rein means it is OK to relax, picking up the reins means I want your attention. Keeping your leg on the horse keeps him alert. Always collected keeps tension in the muscles. I changed riders for more rein length, less leg, and was careful to always finish well past the wire. Morning gallops have to teach when it is OK to relax. In years gone by the riders took the knot out of the rein and they knew his exercise was over. Touch their neck. When a rider wants to take a horse off the cow when cutting competition he touches the horse’s neck…OK it is over. Riders use their legs to engage the hindend…collection. More harder work for the horse.”
“Thank you, John. I forgot the question.”
The next time I texted John it was about a missed work by Baeza between August 15 and August 29. All he sent me back was a photo of Baeza with his head out the stall door and a large bright red circular raw area right above the horse’s nostril. All he wrote was, “Spider bite?” He later explained the photo was taken after the bite had abscessed and how Baeza “wouldn’t tolerate the bit until it started to drain.”
In short, never expect the expected with John.
In the end, John just quietly and unexpectedly faded into a realm that likely is far beyond anything we can imagine or can comprehend. But I’m sure one where he is happy and making those around him smile. And it is hoped he will run into some of those other great horsemen he admired so much and with whom he can exchange thoughts and recall stories of the past. And they will understand every word he says.
Photo courtesy of The Horse Talk Show with Louisa Barton.
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
I can’t believe that I missed this when it was first published! As I’ve said many times – to you and to anyone who would listen – hearing John talk about Zenyatta on 60 Minutes literally changed my life. His love for her shone throughout the interview, and I had to find out more about both of them. Nothing has been the same since. I will treasure the times I was able to exchange even a few words with him.Thank you for this beautiful and touching tribute – a wonderful glimpse into parts of him most of us would not have been able to visit. The tears are still flowing months later.
He will be missed.
I enjoyed reading this wonderful tribute. Thank you for sharing.
Dear Mr. Haskin:
You’ve captured in words the essence of John Shirreffs. Special horseman; special human being. Thank you for this beautiful tribute to him. JB
Thanks Judy.
A lovely tribute, worthy of poetic discourse. You chose Don Quixote and Dulcinea, I chose Hamlet: “To sleep! Perchance to dream.” Hopefully, in his final dreams, John saw Zenyatta coming with her usual late run to overtake Blame at the wire in that 2010 Classic. Cheers!
Thank you Steve for sharing your memories of Mr. Shirreffs. I bet he found Dr. Fager right off. I also like to think John Shirreffs and D. Wayne Lukas are sitting together in chairs talking horsemanship. Mr. Shirreffs was pure class. He will be missed.
I have been a fan of yours Steve Haskin. I also was a fan of John Sherriffs, and of course for the beautiful horse Zenyatta. I loved hearing the reason John gave for Zenyatta’s dance before a race. The explanation was reasonable and I remember thinking, oh yes, that makes sense. Wonderfully written about John Sherriffs.
Thank you very much Beverly.
Still thinking about John. The memory that came to me today was the marvelous moment just after Zenyatta won the 2009 BCC, when he threw his baseball cap into the grandstand. Remember? With that single gesture, he perfectly expressed the joy and amazement we were all feeling.
I was down there and watched him throw the hat into the crowd. Wonderful moment.
Beautiful as always, Steve. Without John’s patience, Zenyatta would have slipped into obscurity as she just wasn’t ready to run at two, or even most of her 3-year-old year; rushing her to the track would have ruined her. Instead, he let Zenny grow into herself – into the legend she became. He saw that legend in her from the beginning, and waited until it was ready to emerge. I hope John is finally elected to the Hall of Fame. He deserves it.
He deserved to have seen it.
Agreed.
Told Patricia McQueen if Zenyatta were in some other barns, possibly wouldn’t make it to the races.
Steve, your heartfelt tribute to John has captured the essence of who he was not only as a trainer and a horseman but as a human being as well.
I cannot help but think that our world would be a much better place if we all strived to emulate what he practiced everyday.
“I think kindness is the big key to horses,” Shirreffs told BloodHorse earlier this winter. “I think it’s good to talk to them, and I always ask the exercise riders, grooms, and hotwalkers to talk to them. Horses are always trying to learn from their environment. If they can interact more with their environment, then they’re going to have a more successful and happier experience.”
“A life well lived is a precious gift
Of hope and strength and grace,
From someone who has made our world
A brighter, better place
It’s filled with moments, sweet and sad
With smiles and sometimes tears,
With friendships formed and good times shared
And laughter through the years.
A life well lived is a legacy
Of joy and pride and pleasure,
A living, lasting memory
Our grateful hearts will treasure”
– Author Unknown
That is beautiful Lynda. Thank you very much for sharing
He was the last of the real horsemen.
Just tragic to lose him
He will be missed.
Thank you for this article. It was a pleasure to read.
Your writing is eloquent. Thank you so much. There’s so much about John and Zenyatta that is beyond words, making your evocation of the words of the great Cervantes all the more amazing. Truly John was the wisest of the wise and the Zenyatta/John relationship was other worldly, yet somehow very, very real. RIP John.
So very well said Sharon. Thank you.
Great tribute to a great person and trainer. RIP, the epitome of a great horseman.
I’m hearing about “John’s Chairs”….just some chairs, set up where John would sit, after morning training, where people would congregate, and shoot the breeze, with a man who enjoyed racing history—I wish I got to sit there!…
You forgot he worked the same magic prior with Manistique, who had more problems to resolve than Zenyatta. God rest her soul, that beautiful mare was also unsuccessful in the shed. They bless us with their brilliance. We must bless them with their care, aftercare and remembrance. RIP Manistique.
Bravo!
I think Manistique was larger than Zenyatta, and ganglier—Z was a nervous Nellie, who didn’t travel well….John scratched her on Rachel’s Oaks Day—aftet a morning deluge, that dried up in time, but Z was scratched, it would’ve been the day both ran, on the same card, but that win streak had become a “problem” pof sorts…..I was wishing they would run her at age seven, at Belmont . .I “knew” she was not going to drop anything like herself, because there never WAS anything like herself…..I did not realize that he brought her back to Hollywood Park for a 30 day let down, and everyone was welcome to meet her…..that’s John..
Steve, thank you! a deeply touching tribute, seems to me John has (I won’t use the past tense) the sight to see the wonder of it all. You had the honor of knowing him. My sincere condolences.
Oh Steve, that was a beautiful tribute and sooo eye opening about the wonderful man he was. So sorry for your and everyone’s loss. Take Care.
Thank you Carole.
Thank you Steve for your touching tribute. I was blessed to meet John at Barn 55 in Hollywood Park. I will never forget the excitement and thrill to meet John and see and touch Zenyatta. Zenyatta is so gracious and friendly. .lt is because of John’s kindness and unselfishness, we fans had a chance to be with Zenyatta. . Just like the stories about how Zenyatta has inspired many, Zenyatta had an incredible impact in my life. She inspired me during those times. Thanks to Dottie’s Blog we all looked forward daily to find out how Zenyatta was doing. My deepest sympathy to Dottie and the family.
Thank you John for welcoming us and be a part of our lives.
Th ank you very much for sharing , Marilu.
My tears started as soon as you told the story about John seeking out Dr. Fager’s stall at Belmont and creating a shrine to that magnificent horse. You wrote so beautifully about his relationship with Zenyatta and those who loved her so much they sought her out. And that answer to your forgotten question about the jockey change! Full of the nuances of working closely with a horse to get him to run, or to relax. We all should have such sensitivity. Masterfully done.
Thank you Ms B. Hope you didnt run out of tissues. ::)
Steve – You may find this faint praise. Do NOT. Your writing is as personal and insightful, emotional in the end as Sean Clancy’s. I enjoyed this tribute more than any I have read about John. Thank you.
Thank you!
Steve
Thank you for providing such a beautiful, moving tribute to John Shirreffs, one of the greats of horse racing. I’m sure Mrs. Shirreffs is very appreciative of the kind words that you have shared with the racing world, in a manner that only you can provide.
RIP, John Shirreffs.
I texted her and she replied but I doubt she read my column. And I wouldn’t ask her to. Hopefully she sees it one day.
Beautifully written Steve for such a wonderful gentleman John Sherrifs. He absolutely is in a wonderful place right now where his beautiful smile compliments the white light of love that he certainly walked into and welcomed.
Now I know that there are horses in heaven for it surely wouldn’t be heaven for John without them 🙏
Don’t forget his time training horses at the Loma Rica Ranch in Grass Valley, California where the famous horse Noor was buried and then dug up when the ranch was sold and developed by a consortium including Newsom. I was there for the search for Noor’s body.
Gay, had conversation with Michael regarding ceremony for Noor.
A nice surprise. It is the small things that define a person.
I was lucky and honored to work for him at Del Mar meets from Covid era to 2024 when I moved to KY. It was difficult to leave that hot walking/ therapy job but I had to try something different. So educational to watch the small tweaks to help a horse. Such beautiful and solid good horses to work with. My heart breaks for Dottie and his barn crew which is now being dismantled. Love John, he was a good, kind, caring man.
Great memorial Steve.
“Thank you John. I forgot the question.” 😂😂😂
Beautiful tribute Steve, thank you for sharing!!
Wow, Steve. Thank-you.
Thank you Steve for the nice words for Mr Sheriffs . He is a favorite of mine. Always seemed like he was a great guy to know. The kind of person who you feel blessed to have known.
Thanks again
Chris
So very true Chris. Certainly one of a kind.
Steve you’re the best thank you for this beautiful tribute 🙏
Steve,
Thanks for this wonderful tribute as I was hoping you would write. Could not get through it without tearing up. I remember John gave you great access to Zenyatta after the 2nd classic and only you can give us the true story behind her great success.
We all thank you for this. God bless.
I appreciate that. Thank you very much.
I was certain you would write about John. To me he and Zenyatta were Sana Anita .
When I read of his passing I was gutted. Just bereft. And I was one of those ladies he talked about, that was shaking and teary eyed when meeting Zenyatta . He was so kind. And so wise. We will miss him dearly on this earth. I’d like to believe he is keeping company with Z s babies that are in heaven.
I was fortunate to have a few words with him at the party they had for Z at SA. I just wanted to say thank you for her and what she meant to so many. He was gracious and appreciative and so sincere.it meant alot to me. As I am just a fan. I still have the photo of my phone.
Of the many videos that are around with him in his barn. I think my favorite was his trying to get Life is Sweet to wake up! And telling her it was time to work. Such a good and kind horse trainer
I’m so sorry and my deepest condolences to his family. Heaven’s gain is our earthly loss.
Thank you for your lovely words.
Wow I forgot about that party. What a wonderful event meeting so many nice people.
Only you Mr. Haskin, can compose such an eloquent tribute to a wonderful individual and trainer.
Thank you Mike.
Thank you, Steve. What a wonderful tribute. My dear friend and fellow racing fan Denise, who adored Zenyatta and passed away about a year ago, must surely be peppering John right now with questions about her.
Beautiful thoughts for your friend
I was hoping you’d write a story, Steve. I loved it. I already miss John. Seeing the Zenyatta statue at Santa Anita now will mean so much more. I got to speak to John briefly a few times at the track and it’s like everyone says about him; he’s just the nicest man. Very easy to talk to. Horse racing heaven has him now, a little sooner than I would have wanted it, but…Heaven is better for it. Rest in peace, dear John. And, thank you.
Beautiful sentiments. Thank you sharing
I can no longer see well, Steve….I have to make it larger….the tears didn’t make things easier, but they soothed my soul, and I’m grateful for that, thank you….
I appreciate that Matthew. Thank you very much.
Very well written. I’ve always felt like John Shirreffs was operating on just a whole other level than most trainers, and what you write confirms it. One other thing I read over the last day was that while most trainers are concerned with physical and mental readiness for the horse, John Shirreffs felt that emotional readiness was equally important and separate from mental readiness. He was a trainer who had an exacting knowledge of the traditional elements of horsemanship along with having developed an inspired insight into the mental and emotional processes of the horse. One of a kind.
A really beautiful tribute Steve. Thank you. Like so many, I feel devastated by the loss but I know that John will shine on in hearts and memories. And while he may well be in a place filled with horsemen and horses, in our world today I feel an enormous absence. My thoughts are with Dottie and John’s family, with his friends, and with all those, like Mario and Frank, who worked with him.
Thank you Abigail. Dottie is still in shock, as we all are.
Such a beautiful well written epilog to a great horseman.
Your story moved me in ways that is hard explain.
His patience & kindness towards horses was legendary.
It was very uplifting to read this blog but equally sad at the same time.
He died in his sleep, a honorable way to meet your maker.
John will always be remembered.
Kindness is the key to a happy life & Mr. Shirreffs had a soul full of kindness.
He will always be remembered.
So beautifully said Deacon. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Steve, for this masterully written tribute to John Shirreffs. It is a beautiful homage distinguished by its unique and deep human tone.
The last paragraph is so soulful that it brought tears to my eyes. Your eloquence made me feel as though I had lost a dear friend.
Thats very kind of you to say Nelson. Thank you!
Thanks Steve. A beautiful tribute to a beautiful human being!
He was/is my favorite trainer. I’ve watched the DVD : Zenyatta: Queen of Racing
countless times. my condolences to you and all that had the privilege to
know him. May he rest in peace.
Thank you John.
Steve, what a wonderful tribute to John Shirreffs. I was captivated reading of your times shared with John. Funny and yet profound. He was a deep individual who really understood the horses in his charge. Amazing man. Thank you for writing this beautiful piece and sharing it with us.
Thank you Dewey. Amazing is certainly the right word.
As with all your articles, so beautifully written.
Thank you.
Thanks Julia.
What a moving tribute. I have tears on my cheeks as I type. Thank you so very much for writing what all of us feel but don’t have your gift to put into words.