Horse

Theo, PhD candidate in Art History at Georgetown University, is the son of two foreign-service members. Theo’s mother, Abiona, is Yoruba, from Nigeria, and his late father was a Black man from California. Theo was raised in various parts of the world, including Australia, where he learned to ride horses with his father, until the family moved to London when he was seven. Saddened by his parents’ divorce and his isolation at boarding school, especially as a young Black boy among privileged, white aristocrats, Theo is drawn to the stables. In time, he becomes a star polo player and earns a significant fan base. Theo’s story addresses the theme of Characteristics of Racism in Various Historical Periods. Despite his prowess and contributions as a horseman, Theo quits the polo team because he can no longer tolerate the hostile, cruel environment he is regularly subjected to, and he becomes an art historian instead.

Theo kicks off one aspect of the 2019 plotline when he begins to investigate The Lost Stories Within American Racing History after rescuing a painting of Lexington from his widowed neighbor’s “FREE” pile. Taken by the portrait, he changes the trajectory of his PhD research to focus on Black horsemen in 19th-century equine paintings of the American South. Alongside Jess’s rearticulation of Lexington’s skeleton, Theo uncovers pieces of Jarret and Lexington’s story, which eventually find their place in a Lexington-centric exhibit. At the end of the novel, Jess discovers Theo had begun investigating Jarret and Harry’s loss of ownership of Lexington, but his death prevents this aspect of Jarret’s story from being told.

Theo carries his parents’ legacy through his patient, diplomatic attitude, even in the face of daily racism and microaggressions. His sense of right and wrong is not swayed by the inability of others to behave appropriately. This is seen both in his interactions with his widowed neighbor, to whom he shows kindness despite her cold attitude, and his relationship with Jess, even with the friction caused by their differences. Not unlike Harry’s concern for Jarret, Theo’s friends worry that Theo lacks the wariness they see as essential for self-preservation as a Black man in America. Theo is ultimately murdered by police in a racial profiling incident. His widowed neighbor, who had surprisingly thought him nice “for a student” (386), insists that the Lexington painting Theo had claimed from her “FREE” pile be sold to Lexington’s new museum exhibit in his honor, tying Theo directly to Lexington’s legacy.

As a young girl growing up in Australia, Jess’s early fascination with animal bones startled her mother when, at seven years old, she exhumed her beloved dog to respectfully preserve his remains. Perceived as strange due to her obscure hobby, Jess did not have many friends as a child. When she began an internship at the Smithsonian while pursuing her Master’s degree in zoology in America, Jess’s skill at skeletal articulation was appreciated by her mentors, and she was assigned to the Natural History Museum. She was offered the position of head of the Osteology Prep Lab at the Smithsonian’s Museum Support Center, her dream opportunity, where the reader finds her at the beginning of the novel.

Jess is vital to the theme of The Lost Stories Within American Racing History and kicks off the second part of the 2019 storyline. When she encounters Lexington’s skeleton with visiting veterinarian Dr. Catherine Morgan, Jess is inspired to correct the articulation. She discovers the anomaly in Lexington’s skull that, she later learns, led to his blindness, and she finds herself invested in Lexington’s history as she works on his skeleton. It is thanks to Jess’s efforts that Lexington eventually finds himself placed in an exhibit that truly reflects his accomplishments, making her the catalyst for the modern-day aspects of Lexington’s Legacy, Heritage, and Inheritance.

Jess’s relationship with Theo is sparked by their mutual interest in Lexington and what his remains—and the extant paintings and images of him—hold the potential to reveal. Due to the way their relationship begins, Jess is part of the theme Characteristics of Racism in Various Historical Periods. She is haunted by her poor behavior and prejudiced assumptions, as she immediately accused Theo of stealing his own bicycle, mistaking it for her own. As they grow closer, Jess begins to examine her own reactions and responses more carefully. There remains a sense of unease between them, even as Jess acknowledges she is falling in love with Theo; Jess feels Theo treats her with a certain level of classism and academic elitism, while Theo knows Jess can never truly comprehend the racism he experiences.

Jess is devastated by Theo’s murder, deciding at the close of the novel to take Theo’s dog Clancy with her and return to Australia. 

Scott’s story takes place alongside Jarret and Lexington’s. Later revered as an exceptional talent as a painter of horses, he originally intended to become a veterinarian. When tuition expenses proved too steep, he ventured south, working as a novice portrait artist for the owners of some of the finest racehorses in Kentucky. As a highly knowledgeable fan of Thoroughbred turf racing, he also worked as a reporter for the popular publication Turf, Field and Farm. Scott first meets Jarret and Lexington when he is commissioned to paint Glacier, one of Dr. Warfield’s horses, and they share multiple friendly encounters throughout Lexington’s life. Scott becomes highly sought after by the Southern racing elite as his skills as an artist improve.

Scott is tied to the theme of Characteristics of Racism in Various Historical Periods. He believes in abolition, though he keeps these views to himself while in the South, and he openly discusses his opinions on enslavement with Jarret. Jarret is frequently insulted and exasperated by Scott’s ignorance, but Jarret knows Scott to be a trustworthy man of integrity, and he frequently utilizes Scott’s help in placing the racing bets he cannot as an enslaved person. Scott eventually enlists with the Union during the American Civil War, acting on his pro-abolition beliefs.

Scott is essential to the theme of Legacy, Heritage, and Inheritance, as Scott’s portraits of Lexington and Jarret are a key part of Lexington’s legacy. While in New Orleans, Scott meets and falls in love with a portrait painter named Julien, whose mentorship contributes to Scott’s improvements as an artist. It is their loving relationship that ultimately helps reunite Jarret with one of Scott’s portraits: While on a brief furlough after reenlistment, Scott sees Jarret for the last time, painting him and Lexington together in what is later considered his finest work. Scott sends the painting to Turf, Field and Farm via Julien, which is where Jarret finally acquires it in 1875.

Shortly after painting his final Lexington portrait, Scott is kidnapped by secessionist raiders, along with several of Lexington’s descendants. Jarret, who fled with Lexington (and lost another one of Scott’s paintings to the raiders in the process), rescues Scott, and together, they rescue the stolen horses. Scott rides off in one direction, Jarret in another. Though they never see one another again, their last encounter speaks to the respect and admiration they have developed for one another.