Horsetails
Lucilla II
![[Picture]](images/art/_DSC6307.jpg)
Spending her early years in Switzerland before being sold to the Grandini Team at age seven, Lucilla II earned an extremely positive reputation for herself, competing in the World Championships at Hickested and the 1998 World Equestrian Games. In 1999, Lucilla II was bought by Team Harmony and, partnering with HRH Princess Haya Al Hussein of Jordan, competed in the 2000 Olympics; she continued to compete until being put to foal. Her first colt, Riverdance, was born in 2003 and she has since continued to be a foundation mare for the Team Harmony breeding program. The tail hair has been donated by the Royal Stables.
Helene Steene
Arriving in the United States in 1976 from Sweden after living in several locations around Europe, Helene Steene received her art education from George Washington University and her Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Kentucky. She has since had over 200 exhibitions of her art work around the world, winning numerous grants and awards. In her depiction of Lucilla II, Steene wished to emphasize the strength and beauty of both the mare and her rider, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, by using industrial metal and by invoking the idea of jewels. Steene uses the crown, the logo of Team Harmony, as well as the colors burgundy, royal blue, gray, gold, and black that were chosen by Princess Haya and her father King Hussein. She uses strands of elongated beads to represent the jumps in Lucilla II's event of show jumping. Circles represent the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia where both horse and rider competed. Through her use of color and materials, Steene is able to communicate Lucilla II's extensive accomplishments and her royal ownership.
About the Project
Fifty-two artists from around the country have been chosen and each given small replicas of a violin and bow. Each artist has been assigned an unforgettable, beloved horse and has created a work of art. Artists have worked with paint, glass, metal, and other mediums. Their only charge was to embrace either the image or spirit of their horse. Horses include well-known Thoroughbreds, as well as other breeds represented in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™.
Each piece will be on display at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. During the Games, a silent auction will take place, with all proceeds go to the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra’s Partners in Education, a program benefiting the children in high-risk areas of Kentucky through music education.
Please take the time to enjoy our art gallery (link to gallery), learn more about our special events (link to special events), and shop in our retail area for your very own HORSETAILS® 2010 merchandise. If you have questions about the project or would like more information, please contact us.
The Presentation
Each completed work of art is professionally mounted on linen mat board and framed in an antique black wooden slant-top shadow box. Framed by Lexington’s premiere sporting arts framer, the finished size measures 13.25" x 17".
