PHOTO CREDIT: Rosie Napravnik photographed at Keeneland
racecourse by EquiSport Photos; clothing courtesy of the
Lexington boutique Bella Rose.
GEORGETOWN, KY – July 23, 2014 –Top jockey Rosie Napravnik is once again lending her support to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Central Kentucky.
Napravnik, who is a member of the Old Friends Board of Directors, will act as spokesmodel for the new “Rosie Signature Hat Collection,” three new handcrafted chapeaus created by couturemilliner Sally Faith Steinmann of the Cape Cod-basedMAGGIE MAE DESIGNS®. Each hat will feature a single rose in its trim and each will be signed by Napravnik before being sold via the Maggie Mae website (www.maggiemae.com) beginning on Saturday July 18.
The stylish hats, perfect for a day at the races, will retail for approximately $598 to $698. Twenty percent of the proceeds will benefit Old Friends.
“I am a big fan of Old Friends and its mission,” says Napravnik. “I always keep in mind that a horse may win a Breeders’ Cup race this year, but next year they may need a place to reside in retirement.”
Napravnik is one the sports all-time leading athletes, having won more than 1,800 races since beginning her career in 2005. In 2012 she broke the total wins and earnings record for a woman jockey previously held by the legendaryJulie Krone and became the first woman to win the $1 million Kentucky Oaks aboard Believe You Can. Napravnik repeated that feat in 2014 riding the brilliant filly Untapable.
The “Rosie Signature Hat Collection” is the second fundraising campaign done by the jockey and Steinmann to support Old Friends. In 2013-2014, Napravnik participated in the 6th annual “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby,” an online fashion auction spearheaded by Steinmann in 2008.
For that fundraiser six exclusive Kentucky Derby hats-each inspired by one of Old Friends retired racehorses- are sold on EBay between November and April, leading right up to the famed First Saturday in May. To date “Hats Off to the Horses” has earned over $20,000 for Old Friends, and this past season Rosie modeled all of the hats for the auction series. “I wanted to start a new fundraiser for Old Friends that would be more of a year-round effort,” says Steinmann of the new collection. “Rosie’s dedication to her career and to the horses that she loves inspired me to create a collection in her name.”
“We’re so honored to be associated with Rosie and Sally Steinmann,” said Old Friends founder and President Michael Blowen. “Their continued support and generosity have been invaluable to us and to the horses. Sally’s hats are truly works of art, and it’s great to see the beautiful Rosie Napravnik in something other than a helmet.”
The hats for sale are The Hallie, The Teddy, and The Jordan. The Hallie is astunning wide-brim design done in red dupioni silk, its rose framed by a medley of green taffeta leaves. The Teddy is a playful ‘top hat’ also made of red silk with matching veil accents. The final hat, the Jordan, is afedora-inspired, wide-brim hat created in black and red and trimmed with silver organza feathers. The lining of each hat is white brocade to honor Napravnik’s own Off-the-Track Thoroughbred Sugar, who is a gray gelding. Each lining will be autographed by Napravnik. For ordering information go to the website at http://www.maggiemae.com, or contact Steinmann at info@maggiemae.comor (508)430-1626.
