Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office
Governor Beshear, First Lady Announce Jockey Silks Design Contest for Kentucky Students

Contest is a part of Governor’s Kentucky Derby Celebration Festivities

FRANKFORT, Ky. – As a part of their efforts to involve Kentucky students in the annual Derby festivities, Governor Steve  Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear today announced a design contest for Kentucky middle and high school students.  Students will be encouraged to digitally design unique jockey silks that may be displayed on the state’s Derby websites.

“The Kentucky Derby and Governor’s Derby Celebration is about people of all ages celebrating and participating in a fantastic Kentucky tradition,” said Gov. Beshear.  “This contest is a way to help older students get involved in the Derby festivities and use their creative abilities to compete in a friendly, fun competition.” 

Sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Education, this year’s contest helps incorporate the arts through advanced technology.  Students are asked to digitally design a jockey silk image to be displayed and promoted on 2012 Derby websites.  Once the designs are submitted, they will be displayed on the Governor’s Derby Celebration facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/2012GDC?filter=1.  

Winners will receive a commemorative 2012 Governor’s Derby Poster and have their winning design tweeted by Governor Beshear. 

Projects may be submitted by an individual student, a class, a team of students, or school clubs or organizations.  Each design must include the students’ names, school, school district and a description of the project design.  The deadline to submit entries is May 1, 2012.

Jockey Silk Details
Jockeys traditionally wear colorful jackets, called jockey silks or racing colors.  Each racehorse’s owner has a unique pattern for silks and during the races, and many attendees identify their selected horse by looking for specific colors and silks worn by the jockey.  Students are encouraged to consider the silk’s color, pattern, fabric, crest, shape and fastening for their design creations.  Each submitted project must include a description of how and why the design was chosen and what the various designs’ colors and shapes represent. 

Project design entries must to be submitted to donna.melton@education.ky.gov by Tuesday, May 1 to qualify to win the contest. 

Earlier this month, Governor and Mrs. Beshear announced that the 76th annual Governor’s Derby Celebration will be held in historic downtown Frankfort for the second year in a row.  This year’s celebration will be held on Kentucky Derby Day, Saturday, May 5 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and is free and open to the public.  For more information on the celebration, please visit http://governor.ky.gov/derbycelebration/.