Breeders’ Cup Limited today unveiled the official artwork of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, created by world-renowned artist Charles Church. The 2024 World Championships will be held Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, “Where the Turf meets the Surf” in Del Mar, Calif., giving Church breathtaking scenery to bring to life on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
Church’s work will be featured on the cover of both the Friday and Saturday official track programs and on tickets for the World Championships. In Friday’s artwork, elegant patrons gather in Del Mar’s iconic paddock moments before the call for “riders up.” In Saturday’s image, a striking bay strides in the foreground beneath vibrant California palm trees.
“I went last August to study the characteristics of the track,” Church said of visiting Del Mar for the first time to capture the uniqueness of the seaside oval. “It’s quite different from tracks in the U.K. I have visited many of the big U.S. tracks, but Del Mar has been top of my wish list. I was eager to include the iconic yellow towers overlooking the paddock. Experiencing the atmosphere there was vital in helping me to capture all that encompasses the quintessential charm of Del Mar.”
A native of England, Church began painting as a teenager, and through painting, discovered his love for horse racing. While enrolled in Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, Church flourished when sketching horses at the Florence and Pisa racecourses on the weekends. The largest painting he has completed, a 36-square-foot canvas, was unveiled by The Queen in June 2023 and now hangs at Palace House as part of the British Sporting Art Trust collection. To date, Church has painted 90 Grade 1 winners. He prides himself on being a perfectionist, never willing to unveil new work until it is flawless. To Church, flawlessness is achieved not only through anatomical accuracy, but by portraying the many nuanced characteristics of the horse.
“We are honored to feature Charles Church as this year’s official Breeders’ Cup artist,” said Justin McDonald, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Breeders’ Cup Limited. “Charles approaches his art with precision, an eye for detail, and an understanding of the equine subject built on a lifelong love of horses. His striking images of Del Mar will give attendees a beautiful keepsake from two days of world-class racing.”
Cross Gate Gallery’s annual Sporting Art Auction, which will include both pieces of Church’s Breeders’ Cup art, will be held on Nov. 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET. For more information, please visit http://www.thesportingartauction.com.
The 41st running of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 1-2 will be televised live by NBC Sports. Limited tickets are still available at BreedersCup.com/tickets.
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