Lexington, KY - As Kentuckians at this time of year, we are ready with our Derby hats and mint juleps, but how many of us know the deeper history of the Kentucky Derby?
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A new book titled The Kentucky Derby: How the Run for the Roses Became America’s Premier Sporting Event is the favorite to be a winner for book lovers and Derby buffs alike. Written by James Nicholson, the book is the culmination of years of research on Kentucky’s proud tradition. He is currently touring the region promoting the book with bookstore visits and book signings.
Raised on a Thoroughbred horse farm in Lexington, where he developed his love of horses, Nicholson spent summers and part of the school year working with horses and learning the industry. As a graduate student working on his master’s degree and then a doctorate in history, Nicholson researched and wrote extensively about the Kentucky Derby.
“I attempted to answer the questions of when, why and how the Derby became such a big deal. I had a lot of encouragement from my professors to explore publishing options. I found in University Press of Kentucky a great collaborative partner,” explained Nicholson.
Feedback after the release of the book has been very positive, he said, and the subject is appealing to historians and horse lovers alike.
“I tried to write a book that could appeal to a broad audience but that wouldn’t bore people who were intimately familiar with the sport of horse racing,” he said. “So far, it seems that this book has accomplished that goal, which is especially gratifying.”
Anne Dean Watkins, senior acquisitions editor of University Press of Kentucky, said she recognized the quality of the manuscript when it came across her desk.
“Jamie could have taken this book anywhere, so we are very pleased to have it as one of ours and on a topic so close to home,” said Watkins. “There was not a good cultural and historical study on the Kentucky Derby. This was well-written and posed the question: Why is the Derby so popular? In looking for an explanation for the significance and popularity of the Kentucky Derby, the author found that the meaning and identity of Kentucky within American popular culture played a role in making the Derby an attractive event to American sports fans and tourists. We tend to think of the horses when we think of the Derby, but the people and the culture make a good story as well.”
As the racing season gets into full swing there are even more ways to celebrate the horse culture of the Bluegrass. New Editions Gallery in Chevy Chase is featuring an exhibit of equine art that will delight horse and art lovers alike. The passion for horses is something Kentuckians fully understand, and that sentiment is shared by the two exhibiting artists, Lesley Humphrey and Jaime Corum, who have each created paintings showing horses at their finest.
Originally from Lancashire, England, and now living in Houston, Texas, equine artist Humphrey has always loved horses and horse culture in America.
“I love Keeneland,” Humphrey said. “I love the dusk, the dawn, and I love the people. I am absolutely in love with Lexington and so many of the wonderful people I have met.”
A member of the American Equine Art Association, Humphrey was chosen as the official Derby artist last year and said she nearly passed out when told she was chosen.
“It was almost more than I could handle. I was so honored and thrilled,” explained the artist. “I have always used horses as my personal metaphor because they offer so much symbology and they feed my spirit.”
Humphrey’s father was an artist, and she was exposed to art early on but didn’t take it seriously as a career choice until she was 31, when she left a job in a law office to paint full-time and has found success.
“Now I want to give back,” Humphrey said. “If you keep your art bottled up, it quits coming. I now give my educational workshops for free. I want to teach and paint, and I want others to enjoy it, too.”
The artist hosted a free painting workshop at Artists’ Attic in Victorian Square while in Lexington.
Corum came to equine art out of her own lifelong love of horses.
“I was pretty horse-crazy when I was a child,” Corum said. “I couldn’t get enough. I didn’t really have access to horses, so I guess my access was drawing.”
She explained that this early drawing of horses is what brought her to the study of art and an eventual career as an artist.
“I studied and did many types of art, but I came back to horses,” she said. “I eventually started to ride, and it made me want to draw and paint horses again. I began to be asked to do commissions, and it just sort of organically evolved into my dominant career path.
“I love it,” Corum added. “It feeds my horse passion. I love being with horses, riding and grooming. Horses know when you love them and special bonds are formed. I feel healthier both physically and emotionally when I have spent time with horses.”
Well-known for her life-size portrait of famous Thoroughbred, Zenyatta, Corum lives in Louisville, Ky., and has shown work in Lexington before.
“I did a show at New Editions last year, and the response was great,” she said. “People were very enthusiastic and really connected to the work. I met many terrific people in Lexington. It’s great to be back.”
New Editions owner Frankie York loves the two artists’ work in this year’s exhibit.
“Their work is good together,” York said. “Each artist has a different style, but their love for their subject is obvious. They each show an understanding of the horse and what it means to her. They capture the physical presence and the energy of what is going on.”
The Kentucky Derby, by Nicholson, is available at local bookshops and at Keeneland racetrack. See the University Press of Kentucky website at kentuckypress.com for details.
The exhibit featuring the art of Lesley Humphrey and Jaime Corum will be at New Editions Gallery in Chevy Chase at 807 Euclid Ave. through May 15. See their website at neweditionsgallery.com for details.