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Beyond the Homestretch: What I've Learned from Saving Racehorses

Read how LOPE founder Lynn Reardon left a Washington-DC desk job, moved to Texas and created a racehorse adoption agency called LOPE that has found new homes and vocations for over 800 racehorses whose racing days were over!

90-second trailer for the book at http://beyondthehomestretch.com/trailer/

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To learn more about LOPE, check out some of their latest media coverage:

http://www.lopetx.org/documents/LOPE-cowboys-and-indians.pdf

http://www.lopetx.org/documents/LOPE-O-Magazine.pdf

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MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® Joins LOPE of Texas
for Annual Benefit Horse Show

^{MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS®
Custom Millinery by Sally Faith Steinmann}

On September 17^th, 2011 MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^® teamed up with LOPE (LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers) for a very special fundraiser to benefit LOPE of Cedar Creek, Texas.

Under the direction of Executive Director Lynn Reardon, LOPE is the largest racehorse adoption service in Texas. Since 2003, LOPE has found new homes and vocations for over 800 racehorses whose racing days were over. As part of their Annual Benefit Horse Show sponsored by Hy Court Farm LOPE presented a very special silent auction. The theme of the auction focused on classics of the equine world, along with the best of equestrian living and Texas lifestyle.

MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^® was honored to be a part of the effort this year and milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^® created a one-of-a-kind couture Derby hat for the silent auction with 100% of the proceeds to benefit LOPE.

The “Wooden Phone” hat was open for online bidding starting on September 5, 2011 which culminated with live bidding at LOPE's Benefit Horse Show at Hy Court Farm on September 17, 2011. To learn more about the horses of LOPE, please call them at 512-565-1824. For more information regarding the hat itself, please read the description below which outlines the hat's construction and artistic meaning.

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Wooden Phone
Pedigree: Foaled 1997; Pick Up the Phone/Teaksberry Road (High Honors)
Lifetime Earnings: over $833,000
Trained by: Bob Baffert; Bret Calhoun
Owners: Jim & Marilyn Helzer, Tom Durant
Breeder: Mary and T. Wynn Jolley
Jockey: Corey Nakatani

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The "Wooden Phone" Hat

Milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^® created this elegant one-of-a-kind couture Derby hat to honor Wooden Phone who has been an important and beloved part of team LOPE since 2006.

This handsome gelding is described by Lynn Reardon, President and Founder of Lope, as a classic bay who stands at a sturdy 16.1 hands. Wooden Phone is perhaps best known in the racing world as the horse who defeated the great Hall of Famer and Horse of the Year Tiznow in the 2001 $500,000 Strub Stakes. The hearts of owner Jim Helzer's team must have been soaring on that third day of February as Wooden Phone came flying down the stretch with Corey Nakatani aboard, and even the great Tiznow couldn't catch him. Some say that history repeated itself that day; the margin of Wooden Phone's victory was the same as Tiznow's over his rival in the San Fernado Breeders' Cup Stakes just weeks before. Most lifelong racing fans would simply say it was Wooden Phone's day to make history.

Wooden Phone returned to racing after his stunning victory in the Strub Stakes. Lynn describes Wooden Phone as “a truly classic racehorse -- he loved to run and had a competitive heart so much bigger than his pedigree or conformation would have predicted." Described by his trainer and handlers throughout his career as honest and gutsy, Wooden Phone unfortunately suffered a number of injuries including a fractured tibia, bowed tendon and fractured shoulder.

Wooden Phone, now 14 and retired, has found his forever home with Lynn and the LOPE family of Cedar Creek, Texas. To honor this extraordinary equine athlete's unique personality, conformation and racing history, MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS^® created this stunning chapeau which combines the bay's classic colors with the red and black of the racing silks into a 25-inch wide creation that is captivating to both the fashion-conscious race-goer and the fan of the history of horse racing.

A brilliant coppery brown dupioni silk was selected to capture the warmth of Wooden Phone's bay coat. One of the most striking and unusual features of this hat design is its asymmetrical shape. To accentuate this contour, countless layer upon rippling layer of shimmering black and chocolate tulle, topped with several wavy layers of black silk organza, were hand-stitched along the brim edge to catch the light and draw the eye along the full, sweeping length of the hat.

An ornate black braiding with a swirled rolling pattern adds the finishing touch to the brim edge and creates an added feeling of movement to the design.

A rich black dupioni silk was used to create a contrasting underbrim which forms a textured surprise when the wearer's face is upturned, framed by the soft wispy tulle layers that dramatically line the brim's outer edge...

Lynn Reardon says that Wooden Phone, affectionately known as “WP” by some, has a wonderful watchful eye and is “somewhat of a diva.” He still loves to engage in challenge matches with pasture mates to this day. Lynn affectionately describes him as a horse with an “I am the boss” alpha-style personality; some might say he understands his role as the watchful keeper of the herd.

To reflect this watchful eye imagery and also incorporate his racing silk colors of red and black, a stunning rose curl centerpiece in a star-like setting was created. Over one dozen hand-rolled miniature chocolate satin roses were created with one single black satin rose forming the center of the “eye”.

Six bow loops fashioned out of black satin and lined with red crinkled taffeta and reddish burgundy metallic taffeta shoot out from the rose curl center like a star, paying tribute to the Lone Star State of Texas that WP now calls home. Three medium bow tails, created from the same three fabrics, were tucked behind this “starry-eyed” centerpiece to give it added fullness and elegant appeal.

Tiny sprays of white wispy tulle form a border along the eye to reflect WP's unique textured white forehead marking.

Finally, an innovative sash design, created using the bow fabric elements of black satin lined with red crinkled taffeta and reddish burgundy metallic taffeta, serves to balance all of the other elements of this lovely asymmetrical design.

For one last touch, a single black pebble button adorns the back seam of the hat.

Clearly this is a remarkable design befitting of a superb equine athlete, stunningly dramatic from every angle!

The purpose of this amazing millinery delight is to honor the life of Wooden Phone and all of the horses who, thanks to the generosity of Lynn Reardon and everyone at LOPE who support their aftercare, now have the chance to move on to new careers and loving homes long after their days at the track are behind them.

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The “Wooden Phone” hat was open for online bidding starting on September 5, 2011, and then culminate with live bidding at LOPE's Benefit Horse Show at Hy Court Farm on September 17, 2011. Congratulations to Barry Irwin owner of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, the winning bidder of the “Wooden Phone” hat!

To read the latest press release about this special event, simply click on the following link at http://lopetexas.typepad.com/horse_tales/2011/07/maggie-mae-designs-joins-lope-texas-for-annual-benefit-horse-show.html

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