Every fall, people who are lucky enough to be in Lexington are drawn to the preview of the annual Sporting Art Auction (11^th edition) which is a collaboration between Cross Gate Gallery and Keeneland. “The Sporting Art Auction is a highlight of our fall season at Keeneland, and we are thrilled with the support it receives from sporting art enthusiasts and the community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “It’s a wonderful way to combine fun and philanthropy in support of our mission.” Keeneland’s portion of the auction proceeds continues its mission to benefit non-profit initiatives.

Streamed online for the convenience of internet bidders, there were times during the six-hour auction with more than 300 viewers watching. It led to some very spirited bidding wars! Eighty-eight percent of the 213 works were purchased by 112 buyers (from four countries) and sold for a total of $2,826,671.  

“We were blown away by the interest we received from buyers both new and old at this year’s auction,” said Catherine Ladd Kenneally of Cross Gate Gallery. “A shocking amount of works went well beyond our highest estimates, which is a testament to the growing interest collectors and buyers have in sporting art. We were fortunate enough to host our auction at Keeneland after an exceptional season of racing and sales, which undoubtedly inspired more fans to become owners of equine art themselves.”

Secretariat, by Richard Stone Reeves (Courtesy of The Sporting Art Auction)

The auction offered an impressive grouping of work to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of Secretariat’s 1973 Triple Crown campaign. It’s only fitting that he was responsible for the sale topper. He is still a champion in the hearts and minds of the racing world! Secretariat (1973), by LeRoy Neiman, sold for $146,875 and masterfully depicts him in a blur of speed. 

A glowing chestnut in sunlight is breathtaking. Artist Richard Stone Reeves painting Secretariat (sold for $76,375) displays every muscle rippling on his glossy coat warmed by the sun. Portrayed with his groom Eddie Sweat, jockey Ron Turcotte, and exercise rider Charlie Davis, Reeves captured the essence of Secretariat’s personality, and you can easily see his power, beauty, and intelligence.  

American artist Henry Stull was an actor, worked in insurance, and found his way to sketching on staff for Leslie’s Illustrated. He is known to be “exceedingly accurate, especially regarding the color of the horse.” It’s easy to see a comparison between Reeve’s Secretariat and Stull’s Lithos & Blue Away in the Racng Colors of Trowbridge & Co ($23,500) as both chestnuts accurately gleam in the sunlight. 

Jaime Corum provides a look at horses in the golden hour of light. September is a continuation of her Four Season theme, using horses with a rich tapestry background.  She explains, “I had originally planned for this painting to represent the season of ‘Summer,’ but I loved how the painting took a turn towards September’s golden light and leaves. The two horses stand in the dappled light of the trees, in stark contrast to each other — one a very dark bay and one a light gray. Against the backdrop of the gold-toned tapestry, they seem to be almost players on a stage, engaged in some deep and significant moment that we, the viewer, have just happened on. This is the first time I have integrated ‘real’ trees into and in front of a tapestry background and I’m happy with the almost surreal or playful use of space this creates around the horses.”

The Stride of Secretariat, by Jaime Claire Corum (Courtesy of The Sporting Art Auction)

For the Secretariat anniversary, Corum took on an astonishing project. She relays “My ‘Tremendous Machine’ Secretariat Stride painting set, and animation are a nod to Eadweard Muybridge’s famous 19th century stop-motion photographs of the galloping horse. I wanted to see if I could revisit that idea using Secretariat’s beautiful racing stride — perhaps one of the most perfect gallop strides ever seen. I used old, grainy slow-motion footage of Secretariat breezing to get the movement correct, slicing one gallop stride into 18 evenly spaced moments. Then came the task of ‘building’ his musculature and detail onto these vague silhouettes. I used many reference photos and videos of Secretariat himself and some of other racing Thoroughbreds to fill in any missing information that I couldn’t find in existing footage of Secretariat. The most exciting part was ‘re-animating’ his stride once all the 18 individual stop-motion paintings were completed. It became a moving painting, which was exactly what I hoped for! At a slower cycle speed than real time, I find the animation quite mesmerizing and love to sit and watch Secretariat gallop forever!” 

(Visit YouTube to view Corum's animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_hRtFufKkY)

Jeaneen Barnhart was the last artist Secretariat’s owner Penny Chenery officially approved and licensed. Her Secretariat ($4,348) captures jockey Ron Turcotte confidently perched on top of “Big Red” while the blue and white silks of Meadow Stable add to the power to the of the pastel portrait.

Looking Forward, by Diana Tremaine (Courtesy of The Sporting Art Auction)

Light plays an important part in the portrayal of horses. Montana resident Diana Tremaine captures the beauty of two draft horses with an unusual backend view titled Looking Forward ($9,400). With a dark background, the coats of the two grays dramatically pop in a moment of sunlight. Tremaine reflected on her painting. “The incomparable draft horse — sublime in their unparalleled size and strength yet always willing, proud, and kind. A spellbinding and rare combination to be sure. Looking Forward is a visual metaphor for the willingness to move into the unknown with the steadfast courage and conviction demonstrated by these gentle giants.”

English artist Michael J. Austin is a unique artist who uses a technique known as chiaroscuro. It is an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something. It’s beautiful how he depicts sunlight brushing the contours of the horse’s face in his painting. 

Austin says, “Afterlight is one of a short series I painted of a strong and handsome bay.  I called them my ‘Dark Horse’ series and painted them with a chiaroscuro technique to reflect the horse’s strength of character. The lighting for Afterlight was particularly challenging as it comes from above and behind, casting shadow on the face, with my main concern being the glancing light on the powerful neck. The arched neck adds even more to the power of the piece.”

Breeders’ Cup I, by Quang Ho (Courtesy of The Sporting Art Auction)

Quang Ho was this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championship artist. He had two paintings that captured the light and magnificence of Santa Anita Park. Ho went there last spring for inspiration. “I got to walk about the racetrack, with the facility’s beautiful turquoise color and the mountain range behind it. I spent a couple of days there seeing the horses up close, which is how the paddock inspiration came about. Where the racing scene was concerned, I could have taken it from so many different angles, but that iconic look of the mountain range behind the racetrack was looming in every race I watched.”

Flightline (winner of the 2022 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic) is a watercolor by celebrated American artist Sandra Oppegard. She was inspired by him. “I was very happy to see him so successful. He was so overwhelming in his short career. What he did was highly impressive.” Oppegard is known for her talent and skill in depicting movement in her work. Flightline, 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic ($2,350) is shown mid-stride in a lovely, soft watercolor that picks up the vibrancy of his astonishing accomplishment.

An international artist represented this year is Susan Leyland. Born in England, she received a pony (Robin) when she was 4 years old from her grandfather. This ignited a lifelong passion for horses. She moved to Italy and worked as a fashion model, taught English, and taught horseback riding. It was horses that motivated her next phase of life. Working with local terracotta artists, she was inspired to start sculpting. Her pieces are quite pleasing and unique. 

Leyland explains, “Horse Block Sculpture is the name given to her work that depicts a horse or horses on geometric figures. Horses interacting with each other where balance, harmony and timelessness are a fundamental part of a sculpture. The white is the natural colour of the clay, made in an Italian artist semi-refractory clay and fired at over 1,000 degrees.Terra Di Cavalli ($14,688), its name in Italian, meaning the Land of Horses.”

Sun Briar, by Ignac Konrad (Courtesy of The Sporting Art Auction)

There are stories that emanate from every piece of art that reaches across history. Sun Briar was the U.S. champion 2-year-old colt in 1917 and was considered the favorite for the 1918 Kentucky Derby. His training partner was a then little-known horse named Exterminator (and we all know how that turned out!). But Sun Briar had his revenge and is famous for being the first horse to defeat three individual winners of the American Triple Crown races in the Travers Stakes, besting Derby winner Exterminator, Preakness winner War Cloud, and Belmont victor Johren. 

Sun Briar ($10,575), by Ignac Konrad is exquisite. It captures the handsome bay in a pocket of sunlight while flanked by dark stormy clouds and the tail end of a brilliant rainbow. The painting is stirring when you learn that Konrad survived seven years as a prisoner of war in Russia during World War I. He later relocated to Budapest and had a successful career as a professor and was highly sought after for commissions. The rainbow? No doubt that there was extra meaning in that painting for Konrad. In fact, most of his paintings depict horses in pockets of sunlight.

Every year the Sporting Art Auction offers fans and collectors a glimpse of how horses are seen throughout history. From a classic style to a modern depiction, horses continue to always be inspirational and beautiful.   

For more information, please visit thesportingartauction.com.