Each year, Kentucky Derby equestrians from all around the world enter the race with only one goal- to win the biggest horse race in North America. The winner, no doubt, gets all the fame and glory one could hope for. In addition to having the prestige to call oneself a Derby winner, some material prizes are also included to really drive in the win.

The Kentucky Derby is also called The Race for the Roses, the reason being, the winner gets adorned with a garland made of around 400 roses sewn into satin. The purse for the 149th Kentucky Derby is $3 million dollars, with the winner getting around $1.86 million, about 60% of the purse. Perhaps the greatest prize out of all these is the gold trophy.

Meet the makers of the Kentucky Derby gold trophy

The solid gold trophy given to the winner of the race was not a constant tradition in the first 49 races. However, since the 50th running of the Derby, a trophy has always been awarded to the winner by Churchill Downs. While the maker of the rose garland, Kroger, is popularly acclaimed, the makers of the trophy are lesser-known. The craftsmanship of the trophy is commendable, hence, the makers should get their due recognition.

According to a report by Fox 56 News, since the 1975 Kentucky Derby, a Rhode-island based company called S.R. Blackinton has crafted the Derby trophy.  The co-owner of the company, Susanne Blackinton-Juaire, revealed the history of the company and said, “My father had acquired a company out of New York called the Elgin Company, and they were the makers of the Kentucky Derby trophy for Lemon and Sons.” It’s been 47 years now since S.R. Blackinton has been molding the trophy. The felicitation awarded at a historic event such as the Kentucky Derby should be entrenched in history itself. Therefore, the Blackinton family is preparing its future generation to take over the reins.

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Susanne’s daughter, Skyla Fogarty, currently works as a sixth-generation silversmith with the company. Designing a distinguished trophy is never easy, it requires dedication. Fogarty referred to her family’s dedication, and said, “It truly is a labor of love. They’re not only talented, but they’re passionate. Their commitment to everything that they do is amazing to see.” The makers of the trophy need to ensure that every nook and cranny is perfectly made, which is not an easy task. The makers described the work that goes into making the trophy, and the hardships they face.

The arduous task of building the trophy

The construction of the Kentucky Derby trophy is not a cakewalk. The assiduity required is astronomical, as is the time needed to properly craft it. Skyla Fogarty revealed that it can take as long as an entire week sometimes to realize this reputable product. She said, “The difficulty of spinning solid gold, the attention to detail that goes into every piece. It’s not so easy just to have something so beautiful coming together. It takes hours and hours and hours of labor…” Even though technology has evolved, the Blackinton family still maintains the meticulous tradition of using the same process since they first started making the trophy.

The only thing that has changed since then is the placement of the horses in front, which they started doing in 1999. Susanne debunked common misconceptions that people have regarding the manufacturing of the trophy, and said, “A lot of people are under the impression you just melt the gold down, pour it into a mold, and you have a trophy. It takes months and months of work and hours and labor.” In addition to doing the service of creating this masterpiece for the Derby, the company is also involved in social service. According to Sussane, “A portion of all of our proceeds goes to the Permanently Disabled Jockey’s Fund, along with Old Friends at Cabin Creek and Old Friends here in Kentucky.”

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While it might be difficult to let go of something these people have put so much effort into, the joy on the faces of the jockeys as they proudly hold this invaluable prize makes it all worth the time of the Blackinton family.