horses

Jenny Craig's Dreams Ride on Chocolate Candy

Jenny Craig might taste victory at the Kentucky Derby this weekend -- but if she does, it's likely to be bittersweet.

That's because -- while the average person associates Jenny Craig with a weight-loss program -- horse racing fans know Jenny and her late husband, Sid, as long-time sports enthusiasts. They first got involved with racing by buying up successful horses from Argentina, and eventually began home-breeding their biggest winners in California. Like most owners and trainers, their dream was to win the Kentucky Derby.

The couple made their biggest splash in 1992, when Jenny gave Sid a $2.5 million present for his 60th birthday, a Kentucky Derby hopeful named Dr. Devious. (He ultimately finished 7th, but went on to win $1.4 million for them.) The forgotten part of that story -- until recently -- is that Jenny bought Sid a filly named Crownette as a part of that same gift, for a paltry $190,000. She wasn't nearly as successful as Dr. Devious at the track, earning only $184,488 in 19 total starts before the Craigs sent her to be a broodmare.

Fast forward 17 years, though, and Crownette is suddenly the best gift Jenny could've given Sid -- because the Craigs bred her to their biggest champion, Candy Ride (who went undefeated in all six of his careers starts, earning $749,149). That pairing gave them a chestnut colt they named Chocolate Candy. (Maybe CNBC will relax their cries to rename Chocolate Candy something more diet-friendly now that they understand the origins?)

When Chocolate Candy loads into gate 11 to run in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, he'll be the third horse to do it wearing the white and blue silks of the Craig Family Trust, but he'll be the first Craig homebred to wear them.

He'll also be the first hopeful Sid won't be there to see.

He lost a long battle with cancer at age 76 in July 2008, with Jenny by his bedside and his Derby dreams unfulfilled.

Tags: chocolate candy, ChocolateCandy, horses, jenny craig, JennyCraig, kentucky derby, KentuckyDerby, sid craig, SidCraig, thoroughbreds

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Celebrate Derby Day With Esquire and Maker's Mark

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Dining, Spirits, Events, Charity, Sports

On Kentucky Derby day - Saturday, May 2nd - Esquire magazine will celebrate the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" at NYC's Eleven Madison Park with Maker's Mark bourbon. Esquire Editor-in-Chief David Granger and Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Danny Meyer will co-host the event at the award-winning restaurant. The fete will feature live coverage of the race at Churchill Downs, chef Daniel Humm's take on Southern cuisine, Maker's Mark mint juleps, a cigar lounge by Nat Sherman, live music, and a silent auction benefiting New York Horse Rescue. Maker's Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith will also be holding bourbon tastings in the upstairs lounge.

Four special Maker's Mark Bourbon bars will be stationed throughout the restaurant, serving Maker's mint juleps in traditional ice-frosted silver cups. Legendary tobacconist Nat Sherman will transform Eleven Madison Park's patio into a sleek cigar lounge, complete a Maker's Mark bourbon bar and live Kentucky Bluegrass music. A portion of the proceeds from a silent auction of luxury, epicurean and travel packages will benefit New York Horse Rescue, New York's not-for-profit charity whose goal is to place unwanted thoroughbred racehorses in new homes. The price per person is $250, plus tax. To purchase tickets visit www.elevenmadisonpark.ticketleap.com. You can also email derby@elevenmadisonpark.com for more info.

Tags: bourbon, Danny Meyer, DannyMeyer, equestrian, Esquire, horseracing, horses, Kentucky Derby, KentuckyDerby, Makers Mark, MakersMark, Nat Sherman, NatSherman, New York Horse Rescue, NewYorkHorseRescue

Woodford Reserve Ltd. Ed. 2009 Kentucky Derby Bottle

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Art, Sports

Woodford Reserve, the "Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby", crafted at the historic Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky in the heart of thoroughbred country, has released its limited edition 2009 Kentucky Derby liter-sized bottle (right) featuring artwork by retired jockey Tom Chapman.

Chapman's eye-catching image captures the excitement and intensity of the Kentucky Derby as two jockeys in brightly-colored silks concentrate on the race with the historic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs in the background. The artist's signature adorns the neck band of the bottle, and an attached tag bears information about the artist and product.

Woodford Reserve, an award-winning small-batch bourbon, has served as the Derby's official bourbon for the past 11 years. It also sponsors a Grade I race, the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, which is run on Derby Day, May 2, 2009, and has become one of thoroughbred racing's premier events.

"Much as we try, it's impossible to express in words the intensity of racing from a jockey's perspective," Chapman says. "My goal is to capture it with a paint brush and canvas, often using unique angles and vibrant colors to set the tone. But no painting can truly capture the vibrancy and intensity of the Kentucky Derby."

Tags: bourbon, equestrian, horseracing, horses, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, KentuckyDerby, Tom Chapman, TomChapman, Woodford Reserve, WoodfordReserve

Celebrating Derby Day With Jim Beam

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Events, Sports

With the Kentucky Derby coming up on May 2 we start thinking seriously about bourbon. As Fred Noe, Jim Beam's seventh-generation distiller, puts it, "It ain't a Derby without bourbon, and it ain't bourbon if it's not from Kentucky." Noe knows whereof he speaks, given that Jim Beam, which dates back to 1795 and is now he world's No. 1-selling bourbon, is located in Louisville not far from Churchill Downs where the Derby has been held since 1875. In addition to the classic Jim Beam Bourbon we're all familiar with however, there are some other variations which are well worth trying on an important bourbon-drinking occasion like the Derby: Jim Beam 7-Year, Jim Beam Black, and Jim Beam Choice (above, left to right).

Jim Beam Black is the oldest of the trio. Eight years of aging make for a complex, sophisticated taste, with aromas of toffee and tobacco and flavorful notes of oak and toasted grains. Jim Beam Choice, aged five years, is rounded and mature with added complexity and depth from charcoal filtering. The strong aroma of oak and sweet nuttiness is balanced by a rich, creamy flavor. Jim Beam 7-Year is ideal for drinking straight up or on the rocks, and it makes a mean mint julep, with notes of caramel and vanilla. In 2008, Derby-goers consumed nearly 10,000 bottles of bourbon, mixed into 120,000 mint juleps, the Derby's official drink.

To help celebrate on Derby Day, here's a new variation on the mint julep which you can make with your favorite variety of Jim Beam. Bottoms up:

Jim Beam Jule-Up
4 parts Jim Beam Bourbon
3 parts Simple Syrup
3 parts Fresh Lime Juice
6 each Fresh Mint leaves (Medium size)
*note: 1 part = ½ oz.

Tags: bourbon, horseracing, Horses, Jim Beam, JimBeam, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby, KentuckyDerby, whiskey, whisky

The Classicist: Polistas - For Polo Players, By Polo Players

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style, The Classicist

Enthusiasm for the noble sport of polo and the luxurious lifestyle it entails has never been more in evidence. It seems the economic downturn has done little to dampen it, perhaps because polo's roots are so steeped in class and tradition. Over the past several months we saw Veuve Clicquot stage the first polo match in New York City in over 70 years; St. Regis inaugurate a major new International Polo Cup; the Snow Polo championships take place in Aspen and St. Moritz; and the first Desert Palm Nations Polo Cup in Dubai. Polo player Johnny Lynn (above) saw it all coming. In 2001 he founded Polistas, the first true polo lifestyle brand, made for polo players by polo players, and now he's opening up branches all over the world.

Lynn, a Canadian-born former financier who plays polo internationally and teaches as well, conceived of Polistas to outfit polo teams with high quality clothing and accessories both for playing in and for après polo. An immediate success, polo and equestrian enthusiasts of all stripes soon gravitated to his flagship store in London's famed Burlington Arcade. The name Polistas is Argentine slang for "polo players" and it is the classic Argentinian polo lifestyle - rugged, laid-back and timeless - that comes through in Polistas' products and attitude. For the past six years Polistas has had a major presence at Harrods and other high-end boutiques worldwide, and has been selected as the official supplier to several major tournaments, including the Veuve Clicquot British Open Gold Cup, The Hildon Queen's Cup, and the Prince of Wales Trophy in the UK.

Gallery: Polistas Polo Style

Founder Johnny Lynn and Polo Babes Outside the Burlington Arcade Store

Prince Charles wearing a Polistas polo shirt

Tags: Argentina, British royalty, British style, BritishRoyalty, BritishStyle, Burlington Arcade, BurlingtonArcade, Equestrian, Harrods, Horses, Johnny Lynn, JohnnyLynn, London, Polistas, Polo, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, PrinceCharles, PrinceOfWales, Snow polo, SnowPolo, St. Regis, St.Regis, UK, Veuve Clicquot, VeuveClicquot

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The Classicist: The World of Snow Polo

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, The Classicist

Snow polo was first introduced in 1985 in Switzerland's swank St. Moritz, and caught on immediately among the bon ton. It's no surprise that swells in equally upscale Aspen, CO decided to stage their own snow polo tournament nine years ago, the only one of its kind in the United States. The ninth annual World Snow Polo Championships just took place there, and the Land Rover America's Polo Cup Team, fielded by the famed British auto marque and the luxurious St. Regis Aspen Resort, made a strong showing.

The Land Rover team - comprised of John Gobin at 8 goals, (one of the highest rated arena polo players in the world) at position 3; Doug Barnes at position 2, rated at 3 goals; and Team Captain Tareq Salahi at position 1, rated at 1 goal - usually plays on grass, and of course some changes to the game are required for playing on snow.

For one thing, the polo ponies are shod with special cleated shoes to provide better traction in the snow, and the ball is larger, lighter, and painted bright red to accommodate winter conditions. The Championship is a four-team elimination tournament comprised of local and international players mounted on Colorado-raised ponies; teams are comprised of three players and play consists of four seven-minute chukkers.

Gallery: Snow Polo

The game played on snow is every bit as dramatic, aristocratic and, of course, expensive as the original. In Aspen, the Land Rover America's Cup Polo Team played a dramatic match against the Roaring Fork Polo Team, scoring the winning goal in the final five seconds. Prizes were presented by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and model Michaele Salahi. The game has now become so popular it has even spread to the Middle East; a tournament was held in Iran in 2006 and it and will be played in Dubai next winter, no doubt on artificially created snow.

The Land Rover America's Polo Cup is the world's most prestigious and largest international televised charity grass polo sporting event. The Land Rover team will take the field at the America's World Cup on May 9th, 2009 at their host club, the Capitol Polo Club in Potomac, Maryland. The first polo match will feature the New York Empires vs. the Washington DC Patriots. The main polo match will be the World Cup, in which team USA will being challenged by Australia in a weekend featuring concerts, fashion shows, military exhibitions and a spectacular fireworks show said to rival the 4th of July.

Tags: Americas Polo Cup, AmericasPoloCup, Aspen, Colorado, Equestrian, Horses, Land Rover, LandRover, Polo, Snow polo, SnowPolo

$1.8 Million Munnings Stars in Sporting Art Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

A foxhunting portrait painted by British master Sir Alfred James Munnings in 1925 could fetch up to $1.8 million at Christie's Sporting & Wildlife Art sale in New York on Dec. 3. Titled F.H. Prince and the Pau Foxhounds, the painting (above), depicts American financier Frederick Henry Prince riding to hounds at Pau, his estate in the foothills of the Pyrénées. Prince had a stable of over sixty horses at the château, where King Henri IV of France was born in 1553. There are several other Munnings works in the sale as well.

Tags: Christies, Equestrian, Foxhunting, Horses, Sir Alfred Munnings, SirAlfredMunnings, Sporting art, SportingArt

The Classicist: On Equestrian Style

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Sports, Books, The Classicist

Followers of my sporadic style posts here have probably noticed certain threads running throughout; anglophilia, certainly, but also an affinity for all things equestrian-related: the polo matches staged by the likes of Veuve Clicquot and Mercedes-Benz; the Royal Ascot Races; riding boots by John Lobb of London; leathergoods by Swaine Adeney Brigg; and even classic sporting art. All these elements and more come together beautifully in Vicky Moon's new book Equestrian Style: Home Design, Couture, and Collections from the Eclectic to the Elegant, due out this week from Clarkson Potter.

It's a magnificent, much-needed extension of the horsey lifestyle portrayed in Hunt Country Style, the book I wrote about back in April. Moon divides her volume into different facts of the equestrian experience: In the Field, On the Farm, At the Track, In the Ring, On the Move, and Down the Road, focusing on all facets of horsiness and everything that goes along with it. The emphasis is on authenticity, not affectation; she barely mentions Ralph Lauren for instance except in the context of the actual polo team he fields.

Gallery: Equestrian Style

Racing tropy from Bonhams Sporting Sale.

Tags: Bonhams, equestrian, Equestrian Style, EquestrianStyle, foxhunting, Hermes, horseracing, horses, Hunt Country, HuntCountry, John Lobb, JohnLobb, polo, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, sporting art, SportingArt, Tattersalls, Vicky Moon, VickyMoon

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Sunrise Horse Rescue, Charity of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day

Here at Luxist we have a bit of a weakness for charities involving horses, we've covered quite a few of them and here comes another worthwhile horse rescue. The Sunrise Horse Rescue is located in St. Helena, California in the Napa Valley. Sunrise Horse Rescue is a non-profit organization that operates at the Sunrise Stables, a riding school that emphasizes not just riding but total horse care. Children and adults spend as much time grooming and feeding and cleaning up after their horses as they do riding in the arena and on the trails at the ranch.

Sunrise Horse Rescue is the only horse rescue operation in the Napa Valley. They rescue abused and neglected horses in Napa and Sonoma Counties and provide students of all ages with life-enhancing skills derived from riding and horsemanship. Sunrise Horse Rescue currently shelters 10 rescued horses of a variety of breeds, ages and backgrounds and welcomes donations and volunteer support.

Source

Tags: horse rescue, horses, napa valley

Lifesavers Inc., Charity of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Charity of the Day

Lifesavers Inc. is all about saving horses -- all kinds from unwanted or homeless domestic pets to retired working animals to wild mustangs. Created in 1997 it's a fairly young organization that serves as a source of news and contacts to other horse related campaigns (like this one geared towards saving America's wild mustang population) and events like this horse dancing competition and this women's empowerment workshop. They also provide links to horse rescue resources and homeless horses that are available for adoption -- I love horses and seeing these that need a home makes me wish I had room for a one!

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Tags: animal rescue, AnimalRescue, animals, charity, charity of the day, CharityOfTheDay, conservation, equine, horse, horses, wildlife

Million-Dollar Paintings Headline Sporting Art Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art, Sports

On May 7, Sotheby's in London will stage an auction of important Sporting Art, headlined by two Sir Alfred Munnings equestrian paintings worth several million dollars. The top-priced piece of the sale is Munnings' "A Boy And His Pony - Portrait of Daffern Seal on Canary" painted in 1926. With an estimate of $3 - $5 million, it's one of the highest-priced equestrian portraits ever; however, it's worth noting that in 2004 Sotheby's sold a Munnings entitled "The Red Prince Mare," which had formerly belonged to Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney, for $7.8 million, almost $2 million over estimate.

The second-highest lot in the May 7 auction is also a Munnings, "Portrait of Lady Barbara Lowther on Horseback" painted in 1919, with an estimate of $1.6 - $2.4 million. However, we happen to prefer the work of earlier artists such as Ben Marshall and John Frederick Herring, Sr., whose "The Match Between Priam and Augustus at Newmarket," painted in 1831 and pictured above, is estimated at $1 - $1.4 million -- a relative bargain.

Gallery: Sporting Art Auction

Munnings' Portrait of Lady Barbara Lowther on Horseback

Ben Marshall's Mr. Henry Vansittart's Chestnut Colt Burleigh With Sam Chifney Up

Portrait of William Bolton Aspinall by Thomas Weaver

Tags: equestrian, horses, Sir Alfred Munnings, SirAlfredMunnings, sothebys, sporting art, SportingArt

Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary, Charity Of The Day

by Star Sutherland (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Charity of the Day

Tierra Madre (Spanish for Mother Earth) is a 3 acre Horse Sanctuary located in Arizona, that houses just under 30 horses at a time. Horses arrive at Tierra Madre after living as race horses or pets, many of them are simply not wanted anymore or not being cared for adequately. Injured horses receive medical attention as well as chiropractic care for their sore and broken legs at this amazing safe haven. Tierra Madre is owned and operated by Jim Gath (pictured above) who comes from a family of horsemen. After a successful career in both journalism and advertising he decided to return to his roots and found his true calling rescuing horses. Tierra Madre offers adopt-a-horse programs, and also gladly accepts donations from the public. Learn more about this charity here.

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Tags: charity, charity of the day, CharityOfTheDay, horses, Tierra Madre Horse Sanctuary, TierraMadreHorseSanctuary

Return To Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary, Charity of the Day

by Star Sutherland (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day

In the mid 1990's the Associated press was doing an investigation and expose on the widespread abuse and slaughter of wild horses. Many Americans were surprised to discover that there were still in fact wild horses living in remote areas, and outraged that they were being destroyed. After learning of this situation Neda De Mayo founded the Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary in 1997. The sanctuary's mission, is to provides a safe haven for herds of wild horses (and burros) that would have otherwise be separated, slaughtered, abused, or left to starve to death. Currently home for around 200 horses including some very rare breeds, the Return to Freedom sanctuary focuses on many key "horse issues" including education, preservation of natural habitat and changing of legislation. One of the horses residing at the sanctuary named Scout, was rescued off the floor a slaughter house after a US federal court ruling saved her life! Visit www.returntofreedom.org and read some of the amazing rescue stories and learn how your donation of money or time can help save wild horses.

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Tags: horses, return to freedom, ReturnToFreedom, wild horse sanctuary, WildHorseSanctuary

The World of Rare Horses: The Lipizzaner

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Pets

Horses are exquisite animals capable of so many different tasks from polo to jumping, roping to dressage, leading a carriage or packing into the mountains. With hundreds of breeds around the world bred for specific capabilities it is hard to narrow a list of the rarest horses to just a few but these stand out for good reason.

The Sorraia Horse is said to be the direct descendant of the wild Iberian horse but only 200 head currently remain living in South Iberia. The Tiger Horse is a rare breed which is said to have existed in Ancient Spain and the beginning of the New World and its looks are similar to an Appaloosa. The champion of medieval times in the UK was the Cleveland Bay which is now Critical on the Rare Horse Breeds Survival list. There are certainly more than these three to consider rare. But one of my personal favorites, and rare in terms of its abilities and characteristics, is the Lipizzaner. Bred for its military prowess, courage and smooth gait it is first-class in terms of its dressage movements and acrobatic feats. Typically one of these animals sells for $7,500 to $100,000 depending on its age, training and breeding lines.

Their colors, their talents, but most of all, their sweet and fiery dispositions place horses among some of the most amazing animals and truly loyal pets. These creatures are powerful and endearing, large and small, but no matter which breed it is they will always be loved.

Tags: horses, rare-horses

The Richest Horse Races in the World

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

Going to a big horse race is about more than just cheering on your favorite pick, it's also all about fashion, parties, and socializing with the uber-rich. Depending on where you're headed, carnivals are scheduled around the races, there are parties galore, and no shortage of supermodels or brand name and designer goods up for sale and raffle. Horse races are big money, but the biggest of the them all is The Dubai World Cup. With a prize of $6 million dollars you can imagine what decadent luxuries they have available to keep people in the lap of luxury before, during, and after the actual running of the race. Read up and get an idea of the goings in in Dubai, plus several of the other richest horse races in the world, and get ready to plan your next vacation!

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Tags: dubai, equine, horse, horses, most expensive, MostExpensive, race, races, racing, rich, richest

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