The Garland of Roses for the Derby Winner

Living in Louisville doesn't make it any easier to go to the Kentucky Derby than when we lived in Charleston. The Derby has become an event where the Upper crust of Society, the rich, politically connected and celebrities have purchased tickets for years in advance. Very few people who live in Louisville actually go.

However, we are not completely left out of opportunities to participate in the "Run for the Roses." As many people know the Kentucky Derby is also called the Run for the Roses because roses are all in bloom around Churchill Downs during the Derby and the winning horse has a garland of roses placed over its shoulders in the winners circle.

Tonight we all went to the Kroger Grocery store in Middletown to watch the garland of roses sewed together. It was more beautiful than it looks on TV. On TV all you can really see is the roses. However the garland is much more sophisticated than it looks. A satin cloth lines the inside, which lays against the horses skin. On each end of the satin cloth is embroided, one end has the twin spires of Churchill Downs and the other has the state seal of Kentucky. Over 400 "Freedom" roses are sewed into the satin cloth. It is ringed around the outside with a combination of boxwood, and camellia leaves. The top of the garland which rest of the top of the horses shoulders is called the "Crown." The Crown has one rose for each horse running in the Derby. When it is finished the garland is 2 1/2 yards and weighs 40 pounds.

The Freedom roses are very large. I have seen a lot of large roses at different places when I was Horticulture agent in Charleston with Clemson, but I don't recall seeing any as large as these. They were still closed tightly, but I could tell if they were full opened they would be as large as my hand.

So tomorrow we will all be watching the 134 running of the Kentucky Derby on TV just like the rest of our friends and relatives. If you watch it on TV and then see the garland of roses placed upon the winning horse, know that it is a beautiful work of art.