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Honorary
Chairperson - Josephine Abercrombie
Horses
have always been a passion and dominating force of
Josephine Abercrombie's life. Born in Kingston,
Jamaica and growing up in Texas with no siblings, she
was introduced to horses and began her riding career
at age four. At age six, she showed her first horse, a
polo pony named Lomita. Her father, James Smither
Abercrombie, also known as "Mr. Jim"
applauded her interest in horses and purchased 100
acres just outside Houston to establish Pin Oak
Stables in 1938. Josephine became a skilled
equestrienne before she was a teenager, winning the
title of Champion Child Rider at an All-American Show
in Ft. Worth. She often said that her mother,
"Miss Lillie" would not be watching from the
box seats bout would be in the ladies' room 'praying'.
And as a young woman, she became a champion show rider
of gaited horses and a record holder at Madison Square
Garden for prizes won in a single season.
Her
many competitions in the horse show circuit would lead
Josephine to Kentucky in the 1940's and by 1946 she
was captivated by thoroughbred racing. She and her
father established a racing syndicate involving an
uncle and a couple of friends to purchase yearlings
for training and racing. Trips to the horse sales in
Kentucky inspired Josephine and Mr. Jim to acquire an
enormous farm in the Bluegrass State in 1949. In the
heart of horse country they created Pin Oak Farm with
a new breed of horse taking residence in their stable.
Among
her early yearling purchases were MAKE A PLAY who won
the 1953 Astarita Stakes and ROMAN PATROL who was
winner of the 1955 Louisiana Derby. To date
Josephine's Pin Oak is the breeder of over 80 stakes
winners. These would include 1976 Preakness winnder
ELOCUTIONIST, 1982 English St. Leger winner TOUCHING
WOOD, Italian champion MEDI FLASH, 1990 Eclipse Award
winner LAUGH AND BE MERRY, 1995 Canadian Horse of the
Year and Champion 3-year-old Colt PEAKS AND VALLEYS
and 1995 Canadian Grass Horse HASTEN TO ADD. Other
notables include Grade I winning colts TREE OF
KNOWLEDGE who won the Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational
in 1974; COOL, the Manhattan H. in 1985,
CHANGEINTHEWEATHER, the Grey Breeder's Cup S. in
Canada; and Grace I fillies CONFESSIONAL who won the
Frizette; MISSED THE STORM, the Test S.; SEE HOW SHE
RUNS, the Selene. Many of her race mares went on to
produce such stakes winners as BEDANKEN, BROKEN VOW,
BROWNIE POINTS, CIRCLE, CRYPTOGRAPH, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS,
MOUNTAIN KINGDOM, MR. WASHINGTON, ROCK AND ROLL with
hopefully many more to follow.
Josephine's
involvement in the horse industry has brought her
personal awards as well. In 1995 The Thoroughbred
Owners and Breeders Association recognized her as both
the National Breeder of the Year and State Breeder of
the Year. She was the first Kentucky breeder to win
the national award. The Texas Thoroughbred Association
inducted her into the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame
in October 2005 for being instrumental in the passage
of pari-mutuel racing in the Lone Star State in the
1980s and for her continued political support. And, in
April 2006, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and
Breeders Association presented her with their
Kentucky Hardboot Breeder's Award designated for
breeders who drive hard bargains and have hard horses
to beat. She also received that same year the Penny
Chenery Distinguished Women in Racing Award at an
honors luncheon held at Arlington Park.
Besides
attending to her duties at Pin Oak, Josephine
Abercrombie is also actively involved as the President
and CEO of J.A. Interests, Inc., which manages her
portfolio of oil & gas, real estate, equine and
other investments. She is the President of The
Abercrombie Foundation, a philanthropic entity, and
Founder and Life Member of the Board of The Lexington
School, an independent school offering a high-quality
education for talented children in Kentucky.
Josephine
herself attended the Kincaid School in Houston and
graduated from Pine Manor Junior College in Chestnut
Hill, Massachusetts, where she received an Honorary
Doctor of Laws Degree in 1985. With her major in
writing, she has supported the college through the
Josephine Abercrombie Endowed Chair in Writing since
1986. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Rice
University where for her loyalty and support she was
presented with a Gold Medal for Distinguished Service
in 1982. She presently continues to serve as an
Emeritus Trustee of Rice University.
She
also serves as an Emeritus Trustee of The Texas
Children's Hospital in Houston. Founded by her father,
the hospital was built in 1953 and is supported
annually by the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, which was
created in 1946. Josephine was an organizer and
competitor in the show for a number of years. She was
the guest of honor at the horse show's 50th
anniversary celebration in 2003.
Other
current involvements include being a Founding Trustee
of The Vision Society of Bluegrass Tomorrow, a Trustee
of The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, a
Director of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research
Foundation and member of the Foundation's Rokeby
Circle, Director of the Woodford Theater, Honorary
Director of the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, a
Member of The Jockey Club, the Breeders' Cup Board of
Members and Trustees, the Kentucky Thoroughbred
Association and Kentucky Owners and Breeders
Association, National Thoroughbred Racing Association,
Thoroughbred Club of America, Kentucky Derby Museum,
National Museum of Racing, RIce Associates University
of Kentucky Fellows Society, National Advisory Council
of the Texas Heart Institute, Advisory Board of the
Kentucky Equine Humane Center, and Advisory Council of
the Woodford Humane Society.
Her
life has touched many in the horse industry, but those
outside the industry know her just as well. Over the
years in her numerous undertakings, she has had an
impact on the cattle industry, the boxing arena,
aviation, toy manufacture, movie production, song
writing, competitive snow skiing and competitive
ballroom dancing. But perhaps the most recent and most
personal impression she has made was writing and
dedicating two children's books, Charlie the Horse and
A Friend Indeed to her grandson and
granddaughter, respectively, and getting a celebrated
invitation to read them aloud to a highly attentive
audience of preschool children.
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