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New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show Prizes

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It was a great honor for us at Alizarin Chestnut to have the opportunity to craft trophies for the 20th Annual New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Horse Show, set to take place from June 2-4, 2023, in the beautiful city of Aiken, South Carolina. 

New Vocations, founded by Dot Morgan in Ohio in 1992, stands as the oldest and largest racehorse adoption program in the country. This esteemed organization serves over 500 horses each year; and their commitment to thoroughbred aftercare has been exemplary, as they work tirelessly towards providing a smooth transition for retired racehorses into their post-racing lives. 

To stay updated with New Vocations’ initiatives, news, and available horses, you can follow them online:

Website:  https://newvocations.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/new.vocations1/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewVocations
Instagram: https://instagram.com/newvocationsracehorseadoption

The trophies chosen for the upcoming show were yet another rewarding collaboration with my husband Chris and his mad woodworking skills (check out his work at Bird Brain Woodworking). They include groom boxes made from hackberry and hickory. These boxes feature a laser-engraved show logo, moveable dividers, and an offset handle, allowing them to hang conveniently on stall doors. We also designed a western dressage charcuterie board made of walnut. We then laser-engraved western dressage art and the show logo into it and filled them with teal resin. 

We would like to extend our special thanks to Maranda Crittenden for providing us with a tour of the organization’s incredible facilities at the picturesque 1,200-acre Mereworth Farm in Lexington, KY. It was a treat to experience the location in person!

To all the competitors participating in the show, we wish you the best of luck. Your dedication to showcasing the talents and abilities of these incredible horses contributes to raising awareness about thoroughbred aftercare and the importance of providing a second chance to these magnificent animals.

How We Created the American Saddlebred Horse Association of Ohio’s 2022 Awards

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We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to create the 2022 high point awards for ASHAO. The process began with pencil sketches of 7 different horse designs that would be capable of representing the wide range of American Saddlebred and Hackney divisions members competed in throughout the year. The sketches were then refined digitally on an iPad Pro using Adobe Fresco and Adobe Illustrator with the goal of creating a matching system of designs. The result was a series of silhouettes. A background inspired by the Great Seal of the State of Ohio was applied to each piece of art.

At this point, the designs were ready to be brought to life by Bird Braid Woodworking in the form of wooden plaques. We selected hickory and oak boards for their unique grain patterns. They were cut down to twice the size needed, milled flat, cut into 10-inch squares, sanded, and then a slight roundover was applied to the edges. Gold and silver paints were applied to the squares with a roller with each one receiving 3 to 4 coats on its top surface. Once the paint dried, the artwork was engraved into the wood with a laser. Each piece was sealed with shellac and finished with polyurethane. A keyhole was also added for hanging.

We also created 2 handmade jewelry boxes. These boxes were made of hickory. A special Saddlebred pegasus was laser engraved on each lid and hand-painted with acrylic paint.

Congratulations to all of the winners! We hope that your awards serve as delightful reminders of your accomplishment for many years to come.

Visit Us at the Heartland Fall Spooktacular Horse Show

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Come visit us at this fun horse show loaded with holiday spirit in Springfield, Ohio. We’ll be on hand with spooky art, a traditional Dia de los Muertos display honoring our beloved pets, beautiful new products and gift items to kick off the Christmas holiday shopping season. We’ll be at the show all day from Friday, October 22 through Sunday, October 24, 2021.

Show Information | Directions

AHP Conference + Breyers

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Last week I attended the American Horse Publications conference in Texas. It was an amazing opportunity to meet other media professionals who share a lifelong passion for horses. 

I had quite a collection of Breyers growing up. (Okay maybe I still have every single one of them in boxes in the basement.) My friend and I made them saddles, bridles, harnesses, blankes, horse show arenas, ribbons and much more. So it was such a treat to see Stephanie Macejko, Breyer VP of Marketing, bring her first Breyer with its homemade blanket up to the podium to accept the Equine Industry Vision Award.

If you’d like to learn more about some of the cool things Breyer and other AHP members are up to these days, check out the episode of Horses in the Morning that was recorded live at the event – https://www.horseradionetwork.com/2021/09/17/hitm-for-sept-17-2021-live-from-ahp-in-dallas-by-kentucky-performance-products/?fbclid=IwAR2vIVPImAg07lM0P9R7eLDmtUMY2Zh7Sd5i5JoLZJpWBbBN6cYcf19xRP0

Breyer at for the Equine Media Awards Dinner
The Justify Breyer collection that currently occupies a shelf in my office
A campfire scene from an old photoshoot I set up with my Breyer Arabian mare sometime in the early nineties

2019 Kentucky Book Fair

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Visit us during the Kentucky Book Fair at the Alltech Arena located in the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Lesley will be available to sign books and say hello from 9am to 1pm. The fair is part of the week-long Kentucky Book Festival. To learn more, click here »