“150th Anniversary of the Queen’s Plate – Woodbine” 2009 Queen’s Plate
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
24”X 36” X 1”
acrylic on wrapped canvas
with painted edges
– NO PRINTS
Photographer Nick Turchiaro very kindly gave me permission to use his photo of the 2009 – 150th Anniversary of the Queen’s Plate Race at Woodbine as a reference for this painting of mine. I truly appreciate his generosity.
I love to record our ever changing rural lifestyle. . .whether it is farmers working the fields, plowing matches, country fairs, rural landscapes, historic buildings or in this case . . . equine competitions.
Horse racing has been around for a millennium or more, but never as colourful as it is today. Look at the jockey silks . . .the colours, the patterns, the styles; the horse blinkers; their blankets and then the horses themselves. Look at how the jockeys crouch above the saddle with their rear ends raised, bouncing to the cadence of their horses’ hooves while their silks billow in the breeze. Look at the intensity of focus on each steed . . .wide-eyed, nostrils flared . . . . eager and ready for the challenge. They want to win!
To see this much raw horse power mobilized and pounding down the track at break neck speeds as they vie for a rail position and the lead, gets my heart pounding; my body thrumming to the beat of their hooves . . . . .and I just want to paint all of this excitement.
The one hundred and fiftieth running of the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Race Track was a close, exciting race. “Eye of the Leopard”, # 7,challenged “Mr. Foricos Two U”, who was in the lead, and the two battled it out, neck and neck, with “Eye of the Leopard” winning by a nose. The crowd went wild! . . . .and the winner is . . . Sam-Son Farm’s “Eye of the Leopard” ridden by jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva.
This pageantry and excitement, to me, is the essence of the Queen’s Plate. Hope you enjoy this too.
- Jenny