Create your own jockey silk
A brief history of jockey silks
silks refers to the lightweight jacket and cap that a
jockey wears
the colors of the silks are usually determined by
the horse's owner and owners can change the
colors over time
silks were a way for people to identify their
preferred horse during a race - the modern
tradition goes back to England during the 1700s
as horse racing became more popular
Bourbon County Horse Farms
Horse training, breeding, and racing has a long
history in the Bluegrass & Bourbon County
1827: Xalapa is established in Paris by William
Thomas Buckner.
1867: Runnymeade is established by Colonel
Ezekiel Clay (a cousin of THE Henry Clay) and is
currently said to be the longest continuously
operating Thoroughbred Farm in Kentucky.
1910: Claiborne Farm is launched in Ky by Arthur
B. Hancock, Sr.
1970: Stone Farm established by Arthur B.
Hancock, III.
1989: Secretariat dies and is buried at Claiborne
Farm.
1989: Adena Springs begins operation in
Versailles and moves to Paris in 2005.
2005: Rosecrest Farm begins operation on land
that was originally part of Claiborne Farm.
2007: Siena Farm begins operation.
Silk from Hopewell Museum Collections -
perhaps from George Holtsinger's
Roman Oaks Farm, 1950s-60s.
Silk from Hopewell Museum Collections
- perhaps from George Holtsinger's
Roman Oaks Farm, 1950s-60s.
Bright & Colorful. Often you will see jockey silks in bright
colors - this helps your horse & jockey stand out!
Use basic geometric shapes. Diamonds, squares, circles,
triangles, and stripes are popular patterns because they
are easy to spot and create.
Some owners use their initials or the letters of their farm
on the back of the silks (not their full name though, no
room for that and too difficult to see!).
You can really design your silk however you are inspired,
but below are some tips for how the pros do it. Have fun
with it!
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Print out the attached template (or draw your own!).
Create your design - you may want to draw it in pencil
before you start coloring.
Color with markers, coloring pencils, crayons or use
construction paper scraps to glue shapes on.
Cut out your design & display your silk in a window, on
your fridge, or on your wall.
Share your design with us on social (FB, Twitter,
Instagram) - #HopewellMuseum #BoCoHealthyAtHome
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Instructions for making your own silk
Jockey silk design tips
