Kentucky Derby 150

It was a gorgeous- albeit a little wet on Friday and a little hot on Saturday- weekend in Louisville. I am thankful for mostly beautiful weather and two great days of racing. This weekend marked a big milestone, as it was the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. The KY Derby has been held on the first Saturday of May very year since its inaugural event in 1875 with the exception of two years: in 1947 it was held in June due to the end of WWII, and in 2020 it was pushed to September due to COVID.

There are so many special elements about the derby; I personally love all of the fashion with its focus on giant hats and fascinators, the history all around at Churchill Downs, and the sheer athleticism of the beautiful horses. It is always interesting to me to learn about the people who make horse training a family affair and about the science behind making the perfect bet.

This weekend was a special one for us, because Daniel proposed at the Derby exactly 10 years ago! It was my dream to go to the Kentucky Derby and he surprised me not only with tickets that year but with a ring. Because of that, we have made the trip back many times and feel a special connection with Churchill Downs.

This year, I decided to paint the famous Kentucky Oaks lilies on my dress for Oaks day. I included giant pink lilies (it is customary to wear pink on Oaks Day) and of course some roses, too.

On Derby day, I wore a dress embroidered with jockey silks. My dress is linked below.

I wore one-of-a-kind fascinators from The Hat Doctor on both days.