Meet the Virginia Man Who Rode Not One, But Two Legends

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, Va. – When you stand with Wayne Mount, you inevitably travel back decades.

“They look good and they sound good. It reminds you of when you were a kid,” Mount said. “Yes, sir. Anything over 25 years old is an antique.”

The Middlesex County man prefers vintage vehicles. The older, the better.

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The owner of King of Dice sells custom auto parts to like-minded collectors. But what really gets Mount’s engine running is a different kind of power under the hood.

“You can connect with them and they can connect with you in ways you wouldn’t imagine,” Mount said. “Beautiful animals. The power. The power of animals.”

When the New Jersey native was just ten years old, Mount’s father introduced him to horse racing.

This decision changed the course of Mount’s life.

“He just loved horses. He always wanted them,” Mount recalled.

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In 1963, Mount accepted a role as an exercise rider at Meadow Horse Farm in Doswell.

“So you knew. You knew they were very good horses,” Mount said.

The 19-year-old couldn’t contain his excitement at the prospect of working in a place with such a prestigious pedigree.

“It was something special,” Mount said. “They took me in and I became one of them. It was incredible.”

During his twelve years at the farm, Mount was responsible for training the legendary Riva Ridge.

“I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Mount said.

VIDEO: How Secretariat Changed This Virginia Woman’s Life

How Secretariat Changed This Virginia Woman’s Life

The thoroughbred won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1972.

“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with Riva,” Mount said. “I always loved him.”

But Mount’s approach to galloping grandeur took an even grander turn.

“It was amazing when we started riding him,” Mount said.

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One morning, a Meadow Farm foal needed exercise. An animal that would rewrite the history of sport.

“Beautiful horse. You have no idea,” Mount said. “He just took his time and when he decided to go, he went. It didn’t matter. He was going.”

Mount was chosen to ride an unknown horse named Secretariat.

“He’s a monster. He’s a monster horse. He has to be to do what he did,” Mount said.

In the spring of 1973, the four-legged athlete set the bar so high that his Triple Crown feat stood for 51 years.

“He was an incredible horse. He really was,” Mount said.

In the span of five weeks, Secretariat broke records at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Feats unmatched before or since.

“Once the Derby came around, he said, ‘Goodbye, let’s go,’” Mount said. “That horse became America’s horse. He was the man for the job. Everybody loved him.”

Mount says few predicted the Secretariat’s dominance.

“I knew he was going to be good. I felt he was going to be good. But I didn’t know how good he was going to be,” Mount said.

How rare was the opportunity to ride the horse nicknamed Big Red? It is estimated that more people have walked on the surface of the Moon.

“Well, let me tell you one thing. He showed it to everybody. He showed it to everybody,” Mount said. “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe it.”

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Elizabeth Parrish says the story of her father’s Secretariat is an important part of family lore.

“I mean, I get chills because my dad had the opportunity to ride the greatest horse in racing,” Parrish said. “You don’t find many people who had that connection with such a great horse.”

Granddaughters Evaline and Allie marvel that their proud papa once rode the back of perfection.

“It’s a great pleasure to be among my riding friends. It’s really cool,” said Evaline.

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“It’s crazy that he was a little older than me to do something like that, it was crazy,” Allie said.

This spring, Mount drove 65 miles from his farm in Saluda to Ashland to attend a historic event: the dedication of a bronze statue of Secretariat.

For the 80-year-old, it is a welcome return to the past, more than half a century after he rode one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.

But today, this retired rider is turning to another means of transport with a little passion.

“They’re just super cool,” Mount said. “They’re fun to drive. They’re really fun to drive.”

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But Mount, the man behind the wheel, will always prefer to sit in the saddle of another American classic.

“I was there. Yes. It’s unbelievable,” Mount said. “I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. What else can I say? It’s like winning the lottery.”