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

Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

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 Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet th ...

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 Collinsville is a city located mainly in Madison County, and partially in St. Clair County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 25,579, an increase from 24,707 in 2000. Collinsville is approximately from St. Louis, Mis ...

. After working as a groom, 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, 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 The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

. 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 sir ...

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 The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional condu ...

, 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 Jack Thistledown Racino is a thoroughbred race track and casino in North Randall, Ohio, at the outskirts of the city of Cleveland. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Jack Entertainment. History and Information The track came under ...

North Randall, Ohio North Randall is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,027 at the 2010 census. History Settlement at North Randall began in earnest in the 1850s when the Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad was extended to that poin ...

in 1975, he met his wife, Mary, whose sister was a

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some of the responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them submissive behaviors and/or coaching them for e ...

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 Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

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 in

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