John Rotz

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Jockey, John L. Rotz has been called to post by his Savior on July 12, 2021 when he passed peacefully at home, surrounded by his family. Visitation for John will be held 4:00 - 8:00 PM, Friday, July 16, 2021 at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 10:00 AM, July 17, 2021 at the funeral home. Memorials in John’s honor may be made to Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, PO Box 803,Elmhurst IL 60126, www.pdjf.org or Warrensburg-Latham Lions Club, PO Box 282, Warrensburg, IL 62573 www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/warrensburg-latham or Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy, 2365 Harrodsburg Rd, Lexington, KY 40504, kychaplaincy.org. John was born on December 16, 1934 to Harold and Ruth (Kizer) Rotz. After graduating from Warrensburg-Latham High School in Illinois in 1952, John went to work at Fairmount Park Race track in Collinsville, Illinois. 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. During a 20-year riding career, John 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 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 in the 1970 Belmont Stakes. In 1973, John was voted the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, given to a jockey in North America 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. John retired as a racing steward in1983 and John turned to riding Quarter horses in Western riding competitions. In 1987, he won the National Reining Horse Association Novice Horse Non-Pro World Championship. He rode well into his 80s, competing in cutting horse competitions at the Illinois State Fair and other shows in the Midwest. John was a member of The National Cutting Horse Association, Illinois Cutting Horse Asssociation, Midstate Illinois Cutting Horse Association, Northern Illinois Cutting Horse Association, Kentucky Horse Cutting Horse Association and Missouri Cutting Horse Association. After he stopped competing, John continued to participate in special fundraising events with other active and retired top jockeys to support the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. John was inducted in the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1983 and received a Warrensburg-Latham H.S. "Distinguished Alumni" Award in 1985. John was a lifetime member of the Warrensburg- Latham Lions Club, was a member of the Harristown Christian Church until its closure and most recently attended Warrensburg United Methodist Church. John is survived by his wife, Mary of 38 years; sister, Ann (Robert) Wubben; sister-in-law, Linda Rotz; nieces and nephews: Sue, Jill, Craig, Robert, Andrea, Amy, Helen and Matthew. He was preceded in death by his brother Walter “Wally” Rotz; parents Ruth and Harold and a niece, Jamie. The family would like to thank Buffy Stone for her steadfast support throughout John’s illness. As well as HSHS hospice nurse, Kisty Cox for her compassionate and excellent care, the HSHS team, Dr. Ben Esparaz and Dr. Kenneth Scribner.