Thoroughbred Racehorse - Green Silks

This is the second image in the series I'm doing of Thoroughbred race horses. The Kentucky experience is one that lends itself to Thoroughbreds and of course I have always been a particular fan of racing.

My plan is to continue this series with several of the larger images such as "Red Silks" shown in the previous post as well as a number of smaller pieces that will be in the same style.

These are images that I enjoy doing. The kaleidoscopic colors and the tension and speed all contribute to an electric feeling at the track in person, whether it is the Kentucky Derby or a small County Fair track in Montana. The horses shine from the efforts of the groom's brushes and the wash of nervous sweat as they tense from the knowledge they will soon be racing.

The sense of ceremony is impressive in the TV specials and in the grandstands at the big racetracks but in some ways my memories of the small County Fair races in Montana are even more vivid to me. There you can stand at the side of the track, in some cases less than 50 feet from these powerful animals as they lunge from the starting gates, hear the thud of the hooves on the track and the snorts of effort as they reach for their maximum stride.

These are the things I remember the most clearly as I work on these images and in fact there are even individual horses, seen just once on a race track 40 years ago, that remain clear in my memories.