Racing Museum Hall of Fame
It's Derby Time!
The famous horse race is always on the first Saturday in May, so this year it's on May 7, 2016.
The famous horse race is always on the first Saturday in May, so this year it's on May 7, 2016.
Here's just a tiny taste of Kentucky Derby history and lore.
Get all the details @ the Kentucky Derby Official Website.
Get all the details @ the Kentucky Derby Official Website.
There's more to it than just beautiful horses. There are beautiful hats, interesting traditions (including an official drink), and lots of memorabilia and collectibles.
The Kentucky Derby Museum
For Derby history:Check out the Kentucky Derby Museum website.
See the Kentucky Derby Museum's photo albums.
See the current exhibits here.
For 2015, the museum had vintage photos of celebrity attendees. The “Stars of the Stands” exhibit focuses on how fame and celebrity transformed the Kentucky Derby into an iconic event.
Kentucky Derby Museum showed fun side of Derby in 2014's Horse Play Exhibit
In 2014, the Kentucky Derby Museum had a wonderful vintage horse race toy exhibit.
Note: the toy exhibit was only for 2014 - "The museum has purchased a circa-1970’s, coin-operated, Kentucky Derby-themed carousel ride to become a permanent mainstay of the museum for this exhibit."
Media images can be found here courtesy of Kentucky Derby Museum: https://www.flickr.com/photos/77780824@N08/sets/72157642950705793/
Mint Julep
The Mint Julep has been the traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century. Early Times Kentucky Whisky has been privileged and honored to be a part of that tradition. The Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail has been "The Official Mint Julep of the Kentucky Derby" for more than 18 years.
How to Make a mint julep.
Click to enlarge the pic.
From 'A Taste of Kentucky': "While the concept of serving mint juleps was not new, the development of the Mint Julep Glass came later.
Many people think that Kentucky Derby Mint Julep glasses started in 1938, but although the confusion is understandable, they did not. What happened in 1938 is that instead of serving their mint juleps in paper cups, Churchill Downs served them in tall water glasses and people kept stealing them!
So the following year in 1939 Churchill Downs created a promotional piece — the birth of the Kentucky Derby Mint Julep Glass — that people could purchase and keep as a souvenir of their visit to the Kentucky Derby.
Over the years mint julep glasses have gone through many designs and styles."
It's a fun tradition for ladies to wear big-brimmed flower and ribbon trimmed hats at the Kentucky Derby.
Some designers specialize in over-the-top toppers. Read "Crowning Glory: The Art of Kentucky Derby Hats".
Believe it or not, this hat's relatively conservative.
Ladie's hats have been fanciful for decades (at least). Here's an illustration from 1902 from the Edwardian Clothing fashion history blog:
HORSE RACING BOOKS & DERBY HISTORY
- Read Horse Racing History Books from Arcadia Publishing
