John L. Rotz (December 16, 1934 – July 12, 2021) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

and a World Champion in Western riding competitions.

Early career

After graduating from Warrensburg-Latham High School in Illinois in 1952, Rotz went to work at Fairmount Park Racetrack in Collinsville, Illinois. After working as a

groom A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man an ...

, hot walker, and exercise rider, he began riding professionally in 1953. Nicknamed "Gentleman John" because of his polite demeanor, he gained a reputation for being able to handle temperamental Thoroughbreds.

Riding career

During a 20-year riding career, Rotz won many of the most important races across the United States. In 1969 and 1970, he won more stakes races than any other jockey in American racing. He earned two wins in the

American Classic Races In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three ...

, the first coming in 1962 when he rode

Greek Money Greek Money (foaled 1959 in Virginia) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes. Background Greek Money was a chestnut horse sired by Greek Song whose wins ...

to victory in the Preakness Stakes. A year earlier, he finished second in the Preakness aboard Globemaster and earned another second-place finish in 1968 with King Ranch's Out of the Way. He got his second Classic race win aboard

High Echelon High Echelon (March 22, 1967 – May 14, 1991) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1970 Belmont Stakes. Background High Echelon was bred by the partnership of Isidor Bieber and owner/trainer Hirsch Jacobs. His sire ...

in the 1970

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

. In 1973, Rotz was voted the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, given to a jockey in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack. He retired from riding that year following surgery for a foot injury, but he remained active in the industry, working for ten years as a racing steward at various racetracks in Louisiana, Ohio, Delaware, and New York. While working at Thistledown Racecourse in North Randall, Ohio in 1975, he met his wife, Mary, whose sister was a horse trainer at the track.

Retirement

Rotz retired as a racing steward on March 31, 1983. He and his wife returned to his native Warrensburg, Illinois where they purchased a farm. Mary Rotz became involved with the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife through her Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation program while John turned to riding

Quarter horse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at s ...

s in Western riding competitions. In 1987, he won the National Reining Horse Association Novice Horse Non-Pro World Championship. He rode well into his 70s, competing in cutting horse competitions at the

Illinois State Fair The Illinois State Fair is an annual festival, centering on the theme of agriculture, hosted by the U.S. state of Illinois in the state capital, Springfield, Illinois, Springfield. The state fair has been celebrated almost every year since 1853 ...

and other shows in the Midwest. After he stopped competing, Rotz continued to participate in special fundraising events with other active and retired top jockeys to support the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. John Rotz died peacefully on July 12, 2021, at age 86 at his farm in

Warrensburg, Illinois Warrensburg is a village in Macon County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 1,110 at the 2020 census, down from 1,201 in 2010. It is included in the Decatur, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. Warrensburg was established in 1841. ...

Honors

John Rotz was inducted in the United States'

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

in 1983. Rotz, 1952 graduate, received a Warrensburg-Latham H.S. "''Distinguished Alumni''" Award in 1985... given by the W-L Education Foundation.

References

John L. Rotz at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotz, John L. 1934 births 2021 deaths American jockeys United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees People from Macon County, Illinois