ALAMY.COM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING MUSEUM OF RACING NATIONAL

1. A bronze statue of 1. Hall of Fame saddle bronc rider Casey Tibbs on the horse Necktie stands outside the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame.

2. “Autumn Jumping 2. Meet,” by Sir Alfred J. Munnings, can be seen at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

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3. A miniature model of a Conestoga wagon is on exhibit at The International Museum of the Horse. KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

4. This large, bronze sculpture of a working Quarter Horse stands at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum. 4. ALAMY.COM NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MUSEUM OF NATIONAL 15 Museums for horse lovers 50 EQUUS 466 july 2016 july 2016 5. Secretariat in bronze, by John Skeaping, stands outside the National Museum of Racing KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING MUSEUM OF RACING NATIONAL and Hall of Fame. 6. 5. 6. A life-size bronze statue of Supreme Sultan, by Patricia Crane, greets visitors at the American Saddlebred Museum.

7. This early photographic print is from the historic collection at the 9. Museum and Hall of Fame. 7. HARNESS RACING MUSEUM HARNESS RACING MUSEUM 8. The Kentucky Derby Museum features a life- size model of American Pharoah.

9. “Gone to Ground: A grey hunter with foxhounds and a terrier,” by John Emms, hangs at the National Sporting Library and Museum.

10. “Percherons: 8. Messaline and Her Foal,” by Herbert Haseltine, is on display at the National Sporting Library and Museum.

10. Ready for a road trip? Here are 15 museums dedicated to all things equine. By Eliza McGraw NATIONAL SPORTING LIBRARY AND MUSEUM LIBRARY SPORTING NATIONAL 15 Museums for horse lovers july 2016 EQUUS 466 51 AIKEN AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE HALL OF FAME RACING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM AND MUSEUM AMARILLO, TEXAS AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA Larger-than-life bronze statues of Thoroughbred racehorses and other Quarter Horses greet visitors arriv- equine athletes have been wintered ing at the American Quarter Horse in Aiken, South Carolina, for many Association Hall of Fame and Museum. Inside, the Grand Hall is lined with Pony Express mailbag. decades, and champions such as 1984 bronze plaques honoring the people Olympic gold medals. Kentucky Derby winner Swale and 2013 and horses who earned places in the Gilded carriages. Belmont winner Palace Malice were Hall of Fame of the world’s largest Championship belt trained here. The Aiken Thoroughbred breed registry, which celebrated its buckles. Triple Racing Hall of Fame and Museum hon- 75th anniversary in 2015. Crown trophies. ors this long history. Exhibits tell the story of this ver- Breathtaking Exhibits include the Cragwood satile breed, and interactive stations art and Stable trophy collection, a tribute to African-American contributions to teach visitors about horse care, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MORGAN HORSE MUSEUM OF NATIONAL antiques. Real, live horses. These, and feeding, conformation and anatomy. much more, are on display at museums , and a “courtyard of cham- Annual events include the America’s across the country. pions” painted with the racing silks Horse in Art Show and Sale and a Whether you’re interested in learn- of the 40 locally trained horses in the Youth Art Show. “Whether you own an ing more about specific breeds or Hall of Fame. “We’ve got the saddlecloth American Quarter Horse or not,” says sports, delving into equestrian history, that Palace Malice wore in the Belmont Cailin Caldwell, the AQHA’s market- or just admiring beautiful paintings and Stakes,” says Lisa Hall, the museum ing and advertising coordinator, “the sculpture, there is a museum out there coordinator, as well as other photo- museum has something for everyone.” that will capture your interest---and graphs and artifacts that tell the

For more information, go to www.aqha. ALAMY.COM many are located near other amazing stories of owners, trainers and exercise com/museum. equestrian attractions. As you plan your riders. The museum also sponsors travels this summer, consider arranging special events, Hall says, including some time to tour museums that honor backstretch tours of the Aiken training horses and equestrian pursuits. track. For more information, go to www.aikenracinghalloffame.com. AIKEN THOROUGHBRED RACING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM THOROUGHBRED RACING HALL OF FAME AIKEN

AIKEN THOROUGHBRED RACING HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM

52 EQUUS 466 july 2016 AMERICAN HARNESS RACING

SADDLEBRED MUSEUM MUSEUM AND HALL ALAMY.COM LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY OF FAME A life-size bronze statue stands over GOSHEN, NEW YORK the grave of famed Saddlebred sire Housed in a historic 1913 Tudor-style Supreme Sultan outside the American APPALOOSA MUSEUM stable, the Harness Racing Museum Saddlebred Museum at the Kentucky MOSCOW, IDAHO and Hall of Fame is “a world-class, Horse Park. The museum houses an ex- Appaloosas are plentiful in the award-winning museum dedicated to tensive collection of trophies, tack, art- Palouse region of Washington State the preservation, conservation and works and other artifacts that celebrate and Idaho, which gave the breed its promotion of harness racing and the the history and versatility of the breed. name, and a small herd of the iconic ,” says director Janet A history wing features hand-carved horses graze in a pasture adjoining Terhune. The museum outlines the his- wooden statues of Saddlebreds, a chil- the Appaloosa Museum. “People are tory of the breed from founding sire dren’s area offers hands-on exhibits, and continually surprised that we have Hambletonian, through greats such a number of films explore aspects of the spotties out back,” says Crystal White, as Dan Patch and Greyhound, to cur- horses and their history. For example, the museum’s executive director. rent stars---and it shows the evolution “Out of the Shadows” tells the story of Inside, a number of exhibits ex- of , says Terhune, “from African-American horsemen in the plore the history and influence of the rough road horses to the sleek athletes Saddlebred industry. breed---from early art and literature that are on the track today.” “We have a lot of interactive exhib- depicting spotted horses, to their re- In addition to art and artifacts, the its that our visitors really love,” says lationship to the Nez Perce and their museum offers a number of interactive Megan McClure, the gift shop manager. role in the modern world. A hands-on displays, including a 3-D harness racing One favorite is life-size rocking horses. activity center for kids is one highlight simulator that puts visitors in the middle Additionally, visitors can sit in a saddle, of the museum. “There are saddles for of a race, as well as a series of portrait and a blue screen will show them “rid- the kids to sit on when they do their sculptures representing each inductee ing” world champions. “It is a activities, and the adults have just as into the sport’s Hall of Fame. Sulkies, great photo opportunity,” much fun sitting on them as the kids,” tack trunks and other exhibits demon- says McClure. For says White. For more information, go to strate the ingenuity of people involved more information, www.appaloosamuseum.org. in the sport. “They used tea strainers for go to www. goggles racing at Seminole Park in the

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK asbmuseum.org. late ’70s,” says Terhune. “It was a sandy track. They find something that works and they do it.” For more infor- mation, go to www. harnessmuseum.com. A bronze statue of champion Roxie Highland stands outside the American Saddlebred Museum.

HARNESS RACING MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME HARNESS RACING MUSEUM

july 2016 EQUUS 466 53 KENTUCKY MUSEUM OF POLO INTERNATIONAL DERBY MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME

MUSEUM OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY LAKE WORTH, FLORIDA MUSEUM OF POLO At Churchill Downs, the site of The Museum of Polo and Hall of KENTUCKY HORSE PARK THE HORSE the famous race, the Kentucky Derby Fame lies just a short walk from the LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY Museum offers an interactive experi- polo fields in Wellington, Florida. “This With a collection that totals more ence with “The Greatest Race.” Visitors museum is the only polo museum in than 16,000 objects, the International walk through starting gates, tour the the world even though polo is played in Museum of the Horse is the largest of racetrack and watch a 360-degree countries like Argentina and ,” the three museums at the Kentucky movie about the Derby. “The production says Brenda Lynn, the director of devel- Horse Park. “We are the only museum company had unprecedented access to opment for the museum. “Most people that attempts to try to do all breeds Churchill Downs,” says Lindsay English, who want to know about polo are drawn and all disciplines for all time, so that the museum’s communications manag- to the fact that it is a horse sport.” makes us stand out,” says museum di- er, “and they used a 360-degree rig, so it At the heart of the museum are ar- rector Bill Cooke. “We have something is a one-of-a-kind experience.” tifacts tracing the history of the sport for just about everybody who’s inter- In addition to viewing colorful exhib- from its birth 2,600 years ago in central ested in horses.” its of jockey silks and Derby hats, visi- Asia to the present day. Other current Cooke says he considers the “Legacy tors can ride in a simulated horse race, exhibits include Women in Polo, A Day of the Horse,” a timeline that show- pose within the world’s largest horse- in the Life of a Polo Pony and more. cases the historic relationship between shoe, and step into a booth to learn how Highlights include General George people and horses, to be the heart of to call a race. The newest exhibit, which Patton’s polo saddle, historic trophies the museum. Other highlights include profiles Triple Crown winner American and a wooden “practice horse” used by the Al-Marah Arabian Horse Galleries, Pharoah, is now open. “If you have a top player Tommy Hitchcock. Visitors which trace the history of the Arabian love of horses,” English says, “just com- can also read the stories of Hall of breed; dozens of antique horse-drawn ing here and getting the sense of pride Fame ponies, such as Sweet William, vehicles; and the Calumet Farm’s tro- that Louisville has for this event is a purchased for $500, who went on to win phy collection, with more than 500 rac- really special experience.” For more in- Best Playing Pony award in America. ing trophies earned over five decades, formation, go to www.derbymuseum.org. For more information, go to www. from champions such as Whirlaway polomuseum.com. KENTUCKY DERBY MUSEUM and Citation, some by makers such as Tiffany and Cartier. For more informa-

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK tion, go to www.imh.org.

The skeleton of the great Thoroughbred sire Lexington stands in front of a life-size copy of his portrait by Edward Troye.

54 EQUUS 466 July 2016 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MORGAN HORSE MIDDLEBURY, VERMONT Located just a few minutes from the University of Vermont’s famed Morgan Horse Farm, the National Museum of the Morgan Horse is also close to other local sites important to fans of the Morgan horse. “We are really steeped in the heritage of Morgan horses in this region,” says director Amy Mincher. “So in the museum we tell the history of the Morgan horse and of the early nationhood era.” Half of the museum features exhibits---with artifacts, paintings and sculptures---about the breed. On the other side of the museum is a rotating show featuring horse-related modern art. The museum also participates in a monthly arts walk, during which art- ists display horse-related works. “About 80 percent of the people who come in are not horsepeople,” says Mincher. “One of our missions is to ed- ucate the public about the Morgan horse. People often come in and say, ‘[Marguerite Henry’s] Justin Morgan Had a Horse is my favorite book.’” For informa- tion, go to www.morgan- horse.com/ museum. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MORGAN HORSE MUSEUM OF NATIONAL

MARCH 2008 EQUUS 466 55 NATIONAL SPORTING LIBRARY AND MUSEUM MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA Founded as a research library dedicated to equestrian sports such as foxhunting and polo as well as angling, shooting and other field sports, the National Sporting Library and Museum now also features an art museum with more than 800 pieces including paintings, sculpture, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING NATIONAL drawings and other decorative works NATIONAL from the 17th century to the present. Both the library and museum are MUSEUM OF RACING open to the public. AND HALL OF FAME “We see hundreds of visitors each SARATOGA SPRINGS, year who enjoy sitting in our cozy NEW YORK rooms reading family favorites by Marguerite Henry, Walter Farley and Adjacent to the historic Saratoga C. W. Anderson,” says librarian John Race Course, the National Museum of Connolly. “In the F. Ambrose Clark Racing and Hall of Fame has an exten- Rare Book Room, we have books that sive collection of fine art and sculpture chronicle the history of horse care along with Eclipse-award-winning pho- and riding, and an essay manuscript tography, all celebrating Thoroughbred by Theodore Roosevelt, written and horses and the sport of racing. Multiple signed by him.” For more information, galleries trace the history of racing in go to nationalsporting.org. America since colonial times, and a Racing Day Gallery offers a look at the world of contemporary racing. Collection highlights include Exterminator’s four Saratoga Cup trophies, Count Fleet’s Triple Crown “Civil War trophies and in the courtyard a bronze Cavalry sculpture of Secretariat by John Horse,” Skeaping. The Hall of Fame is lined by Tessa with jockey silks and bronze plaques Pullan honoring each inductee, and in the “Ready to Ride!” racing simulator, visi- tors can try out their own race-riding skills. For more information, go to www.

NATIONAL SPORTING LIBRARY SPORTING NATIONAL racingmuseum.org.

july 2016 EQUUS 466 57 NATIONAL PONY EXPRESS PRO RODEO STEEPLECHASE NATIONAL MUSEUM HALL OF FAME WIKIPEDIA MUSEUM ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI COLORADO SPRINGS, CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA The Pony Express National Museum COLORADO “We are the only museum in the Located on the grounds of stands on the site of the original Pikes world that is dedicated just to the sport Springdale Race Course---home Peak Stables, a 200-stall livery, where of professional rodeo,” says director of the Carolina Cup---the National on April 3, 1860, the first rider of the Kent Sturman of the ProRodeo Hall Steeplechase Museum is dedicated to Pony Express departed on the 2,000- of Fame. “There are other Western or introducing people to the jump races, mile journey to Sacramento, California. cowboy museums, but we are the only through videos, memorabilia, trophies, Today, the brick structure (which dates one that’s 100 percent rodeo. Pretty photographs and other interactive to 1888) houses vintage stalls, a tack much all of our exhibits are themed in exhibits. One exhibit pays tribute to room and harness shop, plus many oth- equine sports.” Marion duPont Scott, who deeded the er displays to educate visitors about this The museum offers a number of 600 acres that is home to the museum unique mail service, which lasted for 19 galleries, including Heritage Hall, and the race course to the state of South months, until the first transcontinental with saddles, ropes, boots, clothing Carolina. Scott owned , the telegraph was completed. and other gear that show the evolu- son of Man o’ War who won England’s Visitors can examine a four-pocket tion of rodeo since its roots in the in 1938. Out front mailbag called a mochila, stamp their Old West, and the Hall of Champions, stands a life-size bronze statue of own envelopes like those carried by which honors top performers in each Lonesome Glory, five-time winner of the Express, and visit a replica relay event, including notable horses---such the for Outstanding station, where riders changed horses as Gills Bay Boy, better known as Steeplechase Horse. along the route. Most of the displays “Scamper,” the barrel racing horse The museum sits near the training are kid-friendly; younger visitors can who won 10 world championships grounds, and visitors can sit on the explore a period play kitchen and a between 1984 and 1993. back terrace to watch the horses. “Some discovery area where they can dress In the Outdoor Garden Exhibit, people are dragged in here because in period clothes. “Nothing here says visitors can meet retired bucking their kids ride,” says executive museum ‘Don’t touch,’ except the fragile horses horses and attend Wild West shows director Catherine French, “and nine that date back to 1880,” says director and rodeo events at the Priefert out of 10 leave asking, ‘When’s the next Cindy Daffron. “So even the wagon--- Arena between May and October. race?’” For more information, go to www. they can go up a set of steps and For more information, go to www. steeplechasemuseum.org. look.” For more information, go to ponyexpress.org. prorodeohalloffame.com. WHEELER MUSEUM The Wheeler Museum, located highlight the sport of show jumping. LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY within the headquarters of the United “The show jumping focus will fea- States Hunter Jumper Association at the ture artifacts from the Show Jumping Kentucky Horse Park, is dedicated to Hall of Fame,” says Lacey. The display preserving the history of hunter/jumpers will include a Hermes saddle used by and show jumping. The museum is in Bill Steinkraus and a jump used on transition, says Megan Lacey, founding course in the Los Angeles Olympics. director and managing director of com- The museum is also adding more in- munications. Currently, the major teractive components to teach people exhibit is a history of heritage horse about show jumping. For more informa- shows, but a planned future exhibit will tion, go to ushja.org/wheelermuseum. KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

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