Taylor Made Celebrates 40 Years

After a cold but action-packed afternoon on GI Toyota Blue Grass S. day at Keeneland, Taylor Made celebrated 40 years of business by hosting a cocktail party and charity auction just down the road at the Headley-Whitney Museum of Art on Saturday night. The museum is currently exhibiting the Tony Leonard Collection, which features images from the famed photographer's extensive portfolio.

“We knew a lot of people would be in town because of the Blue Grass, and we knew this collection was here and it was something special,” said Duncan Taylor, Taylor Made's president and CEO. “I thought it would be a good time to invite people. Everyone could get exposed to the great work of Tony Leonard and have a good time. It's a good place to have a party, and a good time to do it.”

Both a silent auction and live auction were held during the event, which was dubbed “Celebrating 40 Years of Customers First,” with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit Old Friends, the equine retirement farm in nearby Georgetown. One item that had special meaning to Old Friends was a Leonard print of Touch Gold and Silver Charm battling it out in the GI Belmont S. in 1997. Both runners are now retirees at Old Friends.

The two most popular items during the live auction were halters worn by 2015 Horse of the Year American Pharoah and 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome. Triple Crown hero American Pharoah was raised at Taylor Made, while California Chrome, who just became the all-time North American money earner after his romp in the G1 Dubai World Cup, will retire there at the conclusion of his career.

“To spend all afternoon at Keeneland and then to come here tonight is fabulous,” said Michael Blowen, the founder and president of Old Friends. “We are getting support from Taylor Made, and it is a great party.”

Leonard, who died in 2012 at age 89, had paid a visit to Old Friends, but it had taken some convincing. Blowen credits fellow photographer Matt Goins for getting Leonard to see what the retirement facility is all about.

“I tried to get Tony to come to the farm for years and he wouldn't come,” said Blowen. “One day Matt brought him out. Tony came over after a little while, and he goes, 'Michael I really have to apologize. The reason I didn't come out here before is because I thought when I finally came out here I would see all these old, broken down horses. I thought it would be really sad because I remember when I took pictures of them in their youth, but some of these horses look better than the day I took pictures of them.'

“It was one of the greatest compliments we ever got, so it is really nice to be connected in any way with Tony and his magnificent work. At Old Friends, history is so important to us, and it was obviously important to Tony.”

Several rooms throughout the Headley-Whitney Museum of Art feature photographs from Leonard's decades of documentation. Some of his iconic shots of Secretariat are on display, as well as about 200 other moments frozen in time, both on the racetrack and behind the scenes. The exhibit runs through June 19.

Among those in attendance Saturday night were jockeys Chris McCarron and Jean Cruguet; bloodstock adviser Ric Waldman; Anne Sabatino Hardy, the executive director of Horse Country; and Jim Mulvihill, the director of media and industry relations for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

When asked to sum up the Taylor family's decades in the Thoroughbred business, Taylor said, “If you work hard and you stick to your values, those are the things that you are grounded in. A lot of times when you are working things don't come as quickly as you want. There are times when you feel like giving up or falling out with somebody, but it is important to realize that there are greater things in life ahead. There's always hope. Do the best you can, always, and try to help your fellow man as much as you can. Those are the things that mean the most.”