1. a Bronze Statue of Hall of Fame Saddle Bronc Rider Casey Tibbs On
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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. 3. 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 MORGAN HORSE 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. Harness Racing 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 THOROUGHBRED 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 horse racing, 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 Standardbred,” 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 Standardbreds, 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 England,” 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.