‘Tis that time of the year again: time to celebrate another year gone by, another moment to pause and give thanks and share some good food and good fun with those who mean the most to us. Also on the agenda? The proverbial exchange of gifts to celebrate the bonds we have with those loved ones. If you’re a horsey person like me, you often hear that you *might* be hard to shop for. This holiday gift extravaganza is here to answer that very question.
Let the fun begin!
Year in, year out, Amie Martinez is my go-to, the queen of all things customizable for racing fans. Christmas ornaments? Check. Insulated tumblers? Check. Makeup bags, masks, keychains, pillowcases, T-shirts? Check, check, and CHECK. Amie’s Horse Racing Gifts has it all, as seen on TV behind Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens and on my Christmas tree, throughout my office, and MORE.
In addition to custom items, Amie also does monthly goodie boxes, which come with cool themed swag each month, celebrating everything from the Triple Crown season to Breeders’ Cup and more.
Dawna Wood at OddsNHindEnds on Etsy offers pins and stickers that celebrate some of our favorite Thoroughbreds, including Frosted, Tiz the Law, and the immortal A.P. Indy. She also has Tiz the Law T-shirts, Triple Crown winner socks, and Swiss Skydiver keychains.
Anything from Dawna’s shop would make fantastic stocking stuffers for your favorite racing fan. Support a small business and get adorable stickers and socks? Yes, please!
Grey Horse offers a number of soy wax candles and melts that bring your favorite barn scents to your home. Find candles in scents like Fresh Cut Hay and Peppermints for Ponies and more. With everything from wax melts that smell like cedar shavings to a jar candle that reminds you of feeding apples to your equine friends, how can you resist making your home feel a little extra horsey this holiday season?
I discovered this shop full of equestrian-inspired paper goods earlier this year. In Gate Goods has unique offerings, from ceramic ornaments that look like horse coats to an adorable set of stickers and keychains that celebrate the expressiveness of horses’ ears. You may see an ‘ears up’ sticker on my laptop in the near future. Grab a cool chestnut notebook for the horsey sort in your life.
Calendars!
I’m a sucker for calendars. I have three on my wall currently and I hope to be so lucky in the future. Here are two that I think would look fabulous in your home in 2022:
Artist Robert Clark has another fantastic collection of his paintings in his 2022 calendar. For the new year, he has portraits of Authentic, Monomoy Girl, and Covfefe included alongside other gorgeous portraits he has painted. The calendar also features the birthdays of many prominent names, both human and equine, on its pages. Order yours today so you can wrap it up or slide it into your favorite horsey person’s stocking.
The guys at This Is Horse Racing have collected images of 2021 stars like Knicks Go, Malathaat, and Essential Quality for their 2022 calendar. Featuring photography by Eclipse Award-winning photographs, this is another must for your home. Grab your copy (with free shipping!) here.
If you go into my closet, you will find an array of Old Smoke’s shirts and for good reason: they’re high quality, soft cotton with clever racing-related artwork. From Knicks Go to Sir Barton, from Big Money Mike to Jimmy Winkfield, the guys at Old Smoke have something for every fan.
My personal favorite is, of course, the Sir Barton shirt, but I also have the Graveyard of Champions shirt on my wish list because of its connection to Gallant Fox. Have a Secretariat fan in the family? Choose from a whole line of shirts dedicated to Big Red. Shopping for a hard-core handicapper? The “Hold All Tickets” shirt might be just the right gift for them. Pick up a cool shirt that’s sure to be a conversation piece next time you’re at the track. You never know what the Old Smoke guys will offer next.
Buy Cool Stuff, Help Horses
From our charitable giving collection comes two stores stocked with great racing memorabilia that also happen to benefit retired racehorses. The iconic Old Friends has its own shop at eBay where you can find books, clothing, horsehair lockets, and more for your holiday gift-giving. Oh, and when you buy from Old Friends, you help out the retired Thoroughbreds housed at the Georgetown, Kentucky farm. While you’re in between visits to Michael Blowen and friends, help them out by picking up a gift or two from their shop.
After the Finish Line offers grants and other assistance for retired thoroughbreds and those who want to help them. They help aftercare organizations when they need additional funds, transport horses for adoption, and more. Their eBay shop helps them raise money for the many organizations and horses that they support. Pick up collectibles like racetrack saddlecloths, Fred Stone artwork, hats, and more and help After the Finish Line continue their mission. Find a great gift and help Off-Track Thoroughbreds? What an unbeatable combination!
Last But Not Least!
Of course, I feel any gift guide for racing fans is incomplete without mentioning the rich offerings from shops like those at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Derby Museum. From old-school Derby glasses to gorgeous artwork themed to each year’s Run for the Roses, the Derby Museum’s gift shop has so many options for any racing fan. I personally wouldn’t mind finding a few of those winners’ silks pins under the tree this year. The 148th Kentucky Derby artwork is stunning and would look wonderful framed in your home.
The National Museum of Racing’s gift shop is a fun destination for gift-givers for one great reason: Greg Montgomery. The shop has Montgomery’s 2020 and 2021 Travers posters, both highly valued images of the Midsummer Derby. Additionally, while you pick up one of those, get the excellent Travers coffee table book published by Brien Bouyea and Michael Veitch. I have this book, an oversized collection of information and images on every Travers winner over its 150-year history. Grab the jockey print oven mitts and Man o’ War notepad while you’re at it, both unique items that would make any racing fan smile.
I hope the 2021 version of the gift guide for the horsey sort yields something memorable for your holiday gifting. Whether you’re lighting another candle on the menorah, setting up a nativity scene, or gathering in gratitude with your loved ones, may your holiday season be a merry one. If you have a unique shop or other ideas for the gift guide, let me know! You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.
Happy Holidays!