Rosie Napravnik, Joe Sharp, and baby Carson with Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm (Photo by EquiSport)
Proceeds from the online fashion auction to benefit Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility
GEORGETOWN, KY – NOVEMBER 4, 2015 – For the third consecutive year, jockey Rosie Napravnik will model handcrafted, one-of-a-kind Kentucky Derby chapeaus to support the 7th Annual “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby,” an online fashion auction that raises money for Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY.
This seventh season, however, was a family affair. Napravnik posed with her husband, trainer Joe Sharp, and their new baby Carson. Joining them were leading rider Julien Leparoux, who posed with his wife Shea and their son Mitchell, and top jock Brian Hernandez, who posed with his wife Jamie and their daughter Joshlyn.
This is the seventh year that Old Friends has joined with acclaimed milliner Sally Faith Steinmann of the Massachusetts-based Maggie Mae Designs® to auction off six exclusive Kentucky Derby hats between November and April, each inspired by one of the non-profit organization’s 156 retired racehorses.
To date, this unique fundraiser has earned over $23,000 for Old Friends.
The six couture hats that will go on the block the first of every month between now and the 2016 running of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.
The fashion auction kicked off November 1st with Napravnik and Sharp showcasing the “The Silver Charm,” a design inspired by the 1997 Kentucky Derby Champion who is now retired at Old Friends.
To view the hat, visit http://www.maggiemae.com/OldFriendsAuction-Horse-SilverCharm.htm.
Bidding on “The Silver Charm” began at 8 pm on November 1st and will be open for 10 days only, until 8 pm on November 11th. Interested bidders can go to the Old Friends website at www.oldfriendsequine.org and follow the link. Or click this link: http://www.oldfriendsequine.org/hats-current.html.
For a video of the EquiSport photo shoot, visit http://vimeo.com/143786158.
Rosie Napravnik has been one of the most successful and influential women in the Sport of Kings. In 2012 she became the first woman to win the Kentucky Oaks, a feat she repeated in 2014. Napravnik, who retired from riding last year to begin a family with husband Sharp, also sits on the Old Friends Board of Directors.
Eclipse-Awarding winning Julien Leparoux is also one of horseracing’s leading jockeys. The France-born rider has earned titles at Churchill, Keeneland and at Turfway Park. In 2015 he won the Breeders’ Cup Mile aboard Tepin.
Brian Hernandez was an Eclipse Award winning apprentice in 2004. He has over 1,000 wins to his credit, including the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic aboard Fort Larned in 2012.
About Silver Charm
In 1997 Silver Charm won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Gary Stevens. The dual-classic wins helped him capture that year’s Eclipse Award as Champion Three Year Old Male. He went on to win the 1998 Dubai World Cup and, with nearly $7 million in career earnings, he was inducted in Racing Hall of Fame in 2007. After 10 years in Japan, Silver Charm retired to Old Friends in 2014.
About the Silver Charm Hat
The wide-brimmed “Silver Charm” hat features three varying shades of gray and white silk organza at its base. It is adorned with a single rose curl sculpted out of alternating layers of deep yellow dupioni silk and yellow silk organza, which reflect the stallion’s famous racing colors. A fancy charcoal braiding was top stitched to the ruffled-brim edges and along the under brim for a lovely finishing touch, while several free form bow loops, created out of gray veiling, adds just a hint of wispy elegance.
Dozens of long slender gray, white and charcoal silk organza feathers, a Maggie Mae Designs® trademark, were also carefully stitched, layered and shaped to frame the face beautifully when the hat is worn.
For additional information, contact Maggie Mae Designs® at sally@maggiemae.com.
Maggie Mae Designs® Custom Millinery offers magnificent hats for all occasions – from glamorous racing events such as the Kentucky Derby and the Royal Ascot to stunning bridal wear and handsome cocktail fashions. Every hat is carefully handcrafted by milliner Sally Faith Steinmann from her home base in South Harwich, MA. Salons of her fashions can be seen on her website at www.maggiemaedesigns.com.
About Old Friends
Old Friends is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that cares for 156 retired racehorses. Its Dream Chase Farm, located in Georgetown, KY, is open to tourists daily by appointment. Old Friends also has a satellite facility in Greenfield Center, New York, Old Friends at Cabin Creek: The Bobby Frankel Division, which is also open to visitors. For more information on tours or to make a donation, contact the main farm at (502) 863-1775 or see their website at www.oldfriendsequine.org.