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______________________________ Current Auction Hat The
Derby Hat Collection by MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® ______________________________
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Please join us once again for The
Sixth Annual
For the sixth consecutive year, MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® of Cape Cod and Old Friends of Kentucky have teamed up again for an unparalleled online shopping experience that began November 1st with their "Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby" auction. This unique Derby hat fundraiser is an annual event which features one-of-a-kind couture Derby hats created and donated by Sally Faith Steinmann of MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® to benefit the retired racehorses of Old Friends. The sixth hat up for bid in our auction series honors the Kentucky-bred multiple stakes winner, millionaire and California racing star, Rail Trip. No one at Hollywood Park on July 11, 2009 will ever forget Rail Trip's stunning win in the TVG/Betfair Hollywood Gold Cup (G1).
Rail
Trip was retired by his owner, Samantha Siegel of Jay Em Ess
Stable to Old Friends of Kentucky in January 2014.
The “Rail Trip” hat is up for bid from March 1st through the 11th. _______________________________________________________________________________
When I asked Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends, what his impression was of his new retiree he stated, "Rail Trip is, well, a real trip. His sparkling racing career is a mirror of his great, supportive owner, Samantha Siegel. He's a great companion for another Sally hat inspiration, Catlaunch." To read about this magnificent Thoroughbred athlete, please click on the photo below of Rail Trip courtesy of Laura Battles.
Beth Shannon, a volunteer at Old Friends, states, “Rail Trip? He really is a trip! He's bright, active, young, and a total prima donna. He's just a medium bay, but he's gorgeous--so refined, so Thoroughbred-y. He's friendly, curious, confident, a bit bossy, but a very nice horse. He's a great favorite on the farm, and a favorite of photographer Laura Battles who we tease because she takes about 10 photos of "Tripper" for every 1 she takes of any other horse!”
Indeed, a very special chapeau was needed to honor this beloved Thoroughbred personality and celebrate his new life at Old Friends. The resulting design showcases Rail Trip's golden bay coloring, his captivating personality and Jay Em Ess's racing silk colors of bright green and blue. The foundation for the “Rail Trip” hat was fashioned as an asymmetrical wide brim shape. A sun-kissed apple green organza with a swirling bright green embroidery pattern was laid over green taffeta, in keeping with the spirit of the Jay Em Ess stable's curvaceous "JMS" script lettering that combines their distinctive green and blue silks.
A chocolate brown dupioni silk underbrim creates a vibrant, colorful effect when the wearer's face is upturned.
A single medium sized rose curl, created out of soft apple green organza, provides the center of the trim centerpiece. A delicate wisp of chocolate veiling and a tiny royal blue button accent the rose center.
A series of bright blue organza “loops” frame the rose, creating a kind of free form Marguerite. A medley of spring and apple green organza leaves complete the floral design.
The setting for this innovative floral creation is a large bow created in chocolate taffeta. Four medium length tails, created in the same fabric, add a bit of dimension and elegance to the bow as they gently frame the wearer's face.
For a final touch to the centerpiece, five long, curvaceous “feathers” created out of chocolate, black and deep blue organza were set behind the floral centerpiece to add dimension and a bit of playfulness to the overall design. Of all the trim elements, these playful feathers seem to reflect Rail Trip's buoyant, confident personality the best!
A chocolate taffeta sash, folded in layers, encircles the crown of the hat.
For one final touch, a large green button adorns the back.
The lining was created from deep royal blue swirling brocade as one more colorful reference to the Jay Em Ess racing silks.
The finished “Rail Trip” design measures approximately 24 inches across, inclusive of the trims.
As a physical remembrance of Rail Trip, several strands of the gelding's tail hair were braided and woven into the trim of the hat, creating a unique, one-of-a-kind Derby chapeau that captures Rail Trip not only in spirit but in substance as well. The purpose of this amazing millinery delight is to honor the life of Rail Trip and all of the horses who, thanks to the generosity of those who support their aftercare, now graze in the warm sunshine of Dream Chase Farm for the rest of their lives. "Sally Faith Steinmann's works of millinery art have raised thousands of dollars and a priceless amount of awareness for all these great retired athletes. Their stunning beauty and indescribable originality symbolize what one great artist can do to positively alter the lives of so many deserving athletes." - Michael Blowen, President and founder of Old Friends
Welcome
home, Rail
Trip!
__________________________________________________________________________ The “Rail Trip” chapeau is up for bid from March 1st through the 11th. To read more about Rail Trip, the horse, please click on the following link - Featured Horse. _______________________________________________________________________________ Bid as many times and on as many hats as you like during this running auction. For further information about the eBay bidding process, please contact Old Friends at 502-863-1775. If you don't desire to place a bid on a hat, please contact Old Friends to see about what other ways you might be able to help out at Dream Chase Farm. Freight charges will be at the expense of the winning bidder. Winning bidders, please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery of your hat in order to ensure proper sizing. To view the couture Derby hats from previous auctions, please click on the following - Old Friends Hat Auction Portfolio.
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