From the collection of:
International Museum of the Horse || VAM Home

Legendary thoroughbred Citation won the three race trophies in this set in 1948. The 14-karat gold Kentucky Derby cup is positioned on an onyx base, with finial horse and rider and 18-karat gold handles. The sterling silver Preakness Stakes trophy is actually a replica of the Woodlawn Vase, which was originally designed by Tiffany and Co. The round silver platter was created in honor of the Belmont Stakes. It features a picture of the foundation sires of modern thoroughbreds (Eclipse, Herod, and Matchem) on the front and a list of all Belmont winners on the back. The triangular silver trophy, created to commemorate the rare feat of winning all three of these races—horse racing’s Triple Crown—was awarded in 1950. Each of its sides is devoted to facts about one of the three races.

Front left to back right:

• silver Triple Crown trophy created by Cartier
• silver Belmont Stakes trophy made by Peter Guille, Ltd.
• 14-karat gold and marble Kentucky Derby trophy designed by George Lewis Graff and crafted by Lemon & Sons of Louisville
• sterling silver Preakness Stakes trophy created by Kirk Stieff of Baltimore, MD

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: Do you think it is important to reward a significant achievement with a trophy or another memento? Why or why not? Is there a reason why most trophies are designed to look like cups? Why might an artist choose to create a more unusual trophy design, like the Triple Crown trophy or the Belmont Stakes platter?

Look at the Three for the Crown quilt in the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society gallery. Compare the way the artists interpreted this sporting event. What were the purposes of the works of art? How did the artists use the elements of art and principles of design to create their works?

Activity: Think about some of your greatest accomplishments in life. Does one of them deserve a trophy? Think of something you have done that you are proud of and design a trophy specifically for that achievement. Remember to include in your design details that relate to the feat that you wish to honor.

Links

Read an article about how the Kentucky Horse Park acquired the trophies at Traditional Fine Art Online.
[www.tfaoi.com/articles/mile15.htm]

Learn more about the Triple Crown races at the official web sites for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.
[www.kentuckyderby.com]
[www.preakness.com]
[www.nyra.com/belmont]