Who was Thomas J. Scott?

The first selection for this year’s Sporting Bibliophile’s Book Club is Horse by Geraldine Brooks. I can’t tell you how many times each of us on staff heard, “Have you read Horse?!” Therefore, it was a no-brainer for the 2023 line-up. At the heart of the book is the fictionalized account of Lexington, that, for […]

A Day at the Circus

By Nicole Stutt, Visitor Services Associate Generally, when someone mentions Rome and sports, the first thing that comes to mind is gladiators. And indeed, the Romans loved gladiatorial games as much as they loved any public spectacle. The most popular of them all were the Ludi Circenses, the chariot races. In fact, the races became […]

Some things never change…

In today’s world, it is easy to take for granted the comforts of modern technology. Horseback riding is a hobby now, not a necessity. We no longer rely upon the animal to commute, to work, or to make a living. Cars, tractors, and farm equipment have taken over those tasks. Even caring for horses has […]

Ladies in Painting: Women’s equestrian portraits (19th–20th Centuries)

The 19th century was the golden age of horsewomanship. Progress made on roads and carriages had turned horseback-riding into a leisure rather than a necessity. The lighter all-leather sidesaddle with two horns, invented in England around the middle of the 18th century and derived from the novelty hunting saddle, had become very fashionable with ladies. […]

Horse Racing Resolutions, 1936

Now is the time when people set their resolutions for the new year. The Library’s main resolutions for 2019 are: (1) Complete setup of the Library’s new Digital Repository (2) Catalog the periodicals collection Speaking of the periodicals project, we were going through some old copies of Thoroughbred Record to catalog them, and picked up […]

A Medallion With Heart

There are more things than books in the Library, and some of our most unusual items in the collection are stored in a tray in the Rare Book Room. The same tray has some of our unique, prehistoric materials as well as a small assortment of commemorative medallions and buttons. One medallion recently caught my […]

The Patricia W. MacVeagh Photo Collection

Last month, the Library received a tremendous donation: a lifetime collection of equestrian photographs. The Patricia W. MacVeagh Photo Collection spans from 1939 to 2014. MacVeagh photographed horse shows and races from St. Louis to Virginia. Born June 16, 1929, as Patricia Kathryn Williams, MacVeagh graduated high school in 1947, attended Cornell University in Ithaca, […]

Stirrups and Stays: Riding Habits in the 18th Century

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the men of England were assaulted by a new and uncomfortable sight: women in masculine clothing! Even worse, these were upper class ladies, and they had donned cavalry-inspired costume to invade the male-dominated pastimes of riding and foxhunting. These daring women were often called ‘Amazons’ and were sometimes ridiculed […]

Fascinating Photos: 1920s Hunt Country

What was life like in western Loudoun County between 1911 and 1935? A worn, faded photo album provides a glimpse.

“Alligator – Horse of Iron”

“‘The Winnah’ Alligator – Horse of Iron” was the inscription that sporting artist and illustrator Paul Brown chose to describe Alligator, the bay gelding that he noted won not one, not two, not three, but an unbelievable FOUR steeplechases after various jockeys fell and remounted. The 1928 West Hills Plate, 1929 Maryland Cup, 1930 International […]