The Painting and Bottle Reveal for Montpelier Hunt Races
Kelly Coffin, 2026
For ninety-one years, the Montpelier Hunt Races have celebrated more than the excitement of steeplechase racing. The Races are the only steeplechase event held on the front lawn of a presidential home, the former estate of James Madison. They have also inspired a tradition of original artwork that captures the character, history, horses, and people of rural Virginia life.
Each year, an artist brings a personal interpretation to the Races, transforming a moment of competition, a horse and rider, or a familiar Montpelier landscape into an enduring work of art. The original painting is reproduced as the official race poster, making the artwork part of the event's history and sharing it with thousands of racegoers. Proceeds from the poster support the Montpelier Steeplechase Foundation.
Over the years, distinguished artists have created commissioned paintings for the Races, including Sam Robinson, Sandra Forbush, Mary Shira, Pat Turcotte, and D. Haskell Chuuy. Their work spans equestrian art, from close-up portraits of jockeys and horses to views of the course, paddock, and historic Montpelier landscape.
Artist Sam Robinson
Sandra Forbush created two paintings for Montpelier, including a 1994 image of a jockey wearing Marion duPont Scott's distinctive silks. She returned to the jockey theme in 2018 with another composition. Mary Shira also created two paintings for the Races: a 2006 depiction of a race start and a 2011 paddock scene. In 2021 and 2024, organizers commissioned Jim Power, a well-known English artist, to create the annual image. Power had worked in the racing industry for Juddmonte Stables and ridden as a steeplechase jockey as a young man.
In 2025, the 90th anniversary of the running of the Races, organizers extended the tradition by commissioning private-label wine and bourbon featuring artwork by artist Leslie Humphrey. The response established an ongoing tradition. Chateau Merrillanne in Orange County produced a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Petite Manseng bearing the special 2026 label. Reservoir Distillery offered the special reserve bourbon. The wine and bourbon were available for purchase at the winery, distillery, and the Races.
The 2026 artist is Kelly Coffin, a native Virginian and lifelong equestrian. A 1988 graduate of the University of Virginia, she returned to Charlottesville to open her own studio after three years of full-time study at the Ingbretson Studio of Drawing and Painting, an atelier in the tradition of the Boston School. She later completed a semester of study in portraiture and figure painting at the Charles Cecil Studio in Florence, Italy. Coffin is represented by the Pandion Gallery, Phaeton Gallery, and Highland Designs, and regularly shows her work in solo exhibitions.
Before turning to painting full time, she served ten years on active duty as a U.S. Naval Aviator and later flew as a First Officer with US Airways while continuing to serve in the Naval Reserve. A member of the Farmington Hunt Club since 1988, she is married to Tad Coffin and lives with her family on a farm in Ruckersville. Her 2026 painting and the accompanying wine and bourbon bottles were revealed at a September 24 reception at Caspari on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall.
The original paintings matter beyond their role as illustrations. They preserve individual moments and interpretations of Montpelier that might otherwise disappear with time. A race poster may be familiar to thousands of spectators, but the original painting reveals the artist's brushwork, composition, color, and attention to the horse and rider in a way a printed poster or photograph cannot. At the 2026 Race Day, the original painting will be offered in a silent auction, with the winning bidder receiving it before the final race. Bids can be placed in advance using the poster painting bid sheet.
Together, these paintings form an artistic record of the Montpelier Hunt Races. They reflect the athleticism of steeplechasing, the elegance of equestrian culture, and the enduring connection between the Races and Virginia's historic landscape. The original artwork is more than promotional material; it is part of Montpelier's cultural legacy.
