The third Derby hat up for bid in our 2018 “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby” auction series honors New York-bred, Mr. Cowboy. This is the ninth consecutive year that MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® and Old Friends have teamed up for this unique online shopping experience, with over $33,000 raised for the retired racehorses of Old Friends.
An annual event, “Hats Off” features four one-of-a-kind couture Derby hats created by MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® with all of the proceeds from the sale of the hats going to Old Friends.
Mr. Cowboy, the 8 year-old son of Stonesider, is perhaps best known for his thrilling victory at Saratoga on August 26, 2012.
Mr. Cowboy retired in 2014 and is now an official Old Friend at the Old Friends satellite farm, Old Friends at Cabin Creek in New York.
Director of Old Friends at Cabin Creek, JoAnn Pepper, describes Mr. Cowboy in the following way: “Mr Cowboy is one of the most entertaining horses I know. For a small treat he will race anyone, anytime. He also entertains himself well with his jolly ball and road cone. He’s very lovable and we are thankful he’s in our lives!”
The fact that Mr. Cowboy is alive and well today is a miracle, for he was not breathing when he was born during the wee hours of March 15, 2009 at Cabin Creek farm. The owner of what was a boarding farm at the time, JoAnn Pepper, gave the tiny chestnut colt human-to-equine resuscitation which soon revived him.
A long period of recovery followed for the little colt that JoAnn named “Mr. Cowboy”, while another resident of Cabin Creek named Moonshadow Gold became Mr. Cowboy’s guardian and mentor.
You can read Mr. Cowboy’s story in the Q&A I did with JoAnn in a recent blog.
James Bond was the trainer of Mr. Cowboy when he had his big win at Saratoga in the summer of 2012. In an August 27, 2012 Bloodhorse article Mr. Cowboy’s trainer, James Bond was quoted as saying, “There are miracles in this world, and I think he (Cowboy) was a miracle. But the biggest miracle is he got to be with Mark and JoAnn. They believed in him and they never gave up.”
A minor injury in 2014 resulted in Cowboy heading back home to Cabin Creek where he has been enjoying a happy retirement ever since surrounded by all those who know and love him.
Clearly a very special hat was needed to reflect Mr. Cowboy’s bright chestnut coat, his yellow and green Cabin Creek racing silk colors, his buddy Moonshadow Gold, and Mr. Cowboy’s bloodlines.
But first, I needed to learn more about Mr. Cowboy’s life and career. I went online for inspiration and watched videos of his wins on the track, studied his pedigree and his connections, and before I knew it I had the background information that I needed.
I began the creative process by making a rough sketch of the hat followed by selecting a mix of fabrics that would make the hat come alive.
The foundation of the design was created with a strong Western flavor to reflect his dam, I’m a Real Cowgirl, and dam sire, Western Expression.
Fashioned out of deep rich yellow dupioni silk, the hat was shaped with a fedora-style crown and upturned “cowboy” style brim.
A thin strip of fancy dark green braiding was top stitched to a band of chocolate taffeta along the brim edge to give the edge a finished look.
For the trim centerpiece a large rose was sculpted out of swirling layers of chocolate organza and dupioni silk and placed along the front crown of the hat. A shiny gold star black button was stitched to the center of the rose with a medley of emerald green dupioni silk leaves with chocolate braiding loops to frame it.
Fabric “feathers”, a MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® trademark, were fashioned in varying sizes out of chocolate organza lined with golden yellow organza and layered and shaped to add a splash of dramatic detail to the floral trim.
Enhancing the hat’s Western flair, a unique sash was created out of braided chocolate and emerald dupioni silks and laid around the crown of the hat.
A large brassy colored button with a spiral design was added to the back of the hat for the finishing touch. Along with the gold organza-lined feathers, this button is a tribute to Moonshadow Gold, the horse whom JoAnn Pepper describes as, “The one who raised Mr. Cowboy”.
The lining for the “Mr. Cowboy” hat was created from a rich brown satin to coordinate with the trims.
The finished “Mr. Cowboy” hat design measures approximately 16 inches across, exclusive of the silk “feathers” which extend approximately 10 inches over the brim.
As a physical remembrance of Mr. Cowboy, several strands of his tail hair were braided and woven into the trim of the hat, creating a unique, one-of-a-kind Derby chapeau that captures Mr. Cowboy not only in spirit but in substance as well.
Once the hat was completed it was on its way to Old Friends for the grand photo shoot with our model, Acacia Courtney. From everything I heard everyone had a wonderful time!
Even when Mr. Cowboy tried to eat the HAT! 😉
We want to extend a big thank you to Acacia Courtney who traveled all the way up from Florida to model the “Mr. Cowboy” chapeau for us.
And a special thank you to Connie Bush of Tiger Eye Photography for her stunning images of Acacia and Mr. Cowboy.
The “Mr. Cowboy” is now up for bid on EBay. Bidding ends Sunday, March 11th at 8 PM EST.
Please also enjoy this slideshow of the “Mr. Cowboy” chapeau and the horse who inspired it.
For more information about this one-of-a-kind Derby chapeau please visit the Mr. Cowboy hat webpage.
Thank you for visiting Hats and Horses, and here’s to our best auction season yet!
Sally
Hats and Horses 