America's Best Racing Art Contest Finalists Announced

"Hard Tack" by William Wilson is one of 10 finalists in the inaugural ABR Equine Art Challenge.
NEW YORK CITY- From a pool of entries submitted by artists across the country, 10 finalists have been selected in the inaugural ABR Equine Art Challenge. The top 10, determined by an independent panel of expert jurors, are (alphabetically by artist, with title and medium):
Ronnie Betor, The Road to Sovereignty, photograph

Ciara Bowen, Dedication, photograph

Brittany Brett, High Pulse, oil on canvas

Casey Brister, The Real Payoff, graphite pencil on multi-media paper

Robert Clark, Backtalk, oil on linen

Judith Kennedy Zinner Kronbach, Horse Hysteria!, acrylic

Daniel van Bilderbeek, Atma Jnana, oil on canvas

Joy Walsh, Dappled Gray, oil on canvas

Ken Wilson, Chromie, oil painting

William Wilson, Hard Tack, oil on panel

Prize winners will be announced July 21. First place will receive $400 and the opportunity to exhibit their work at a major racing event. Second is worth $100 and third is $25. 
Finalists were selected by guest jurors Miranda Lash, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Ky.; Cameron Shaw, Executive Director and Founding Editor of Pelican Bomb, a contemporary visual arts organization based in New Orleans; and Edward Waites, a successful young equine sculptor based in England.
Artworks were judged “blindly,” with each object assigned a random number for identification purposes. Having no knowledge of the artists’ names or backgrounds, jurors ranked their 10 preferred works. Points were assigned accordingly on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Asked to comment on a work that ranked among her favorites, Lash praised William Wilson’s oil painting, Hard Tack. “It’s very well-executed and the colors are very vibrant,” she said. “I love the sheen on the horse’s coat and the accuracy of the muscles. There’s also an element of mystery that I find intriguing, as that stick he’s tied to obviously isn’t going to keep the horse from going anywhere.”
Shaw was partial to Bowen’s photograph, Dedication. “I liked this photograph because of its unexpected point of view,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like a human vantage, but rather like another horse’s gaze. It shows how strong and sinewy the animals are. It puts the many details into focus – from veins to mane – that make horses feel so majestic, magical and sometimes scary.”
Entries were accepted from late February through June 8, the Monday after American Pharoah completed a historic sweep of the Triple Crown.
“Our congratulations and thanks to these 10 artists, whose work showcases so many aspects of what makes horses and horse racing fascinating to fans from all walks of life,” said Stephen Panus, Vice President of America’s Best Racing. “We are delighted by the quality and variety of work submitted to our first Equine Art Challenge and look forward to building this into the nation’s premier juried equine art competition.”
Comment below on which works are your favorites and check back on July 21 to find out who the top three prize winners are!