The Garland of Roses, worn by a single 3-year-old every year, has come to symbolize the Kentucky Derby throughout the world almost since the race’s inception. It is 122 inches long, 22 inches wide, and weighs approximately 40 lbs. The lining is made of deep green moiré bengaline and features the great seal of the Commonwealth of Kentucky embroidered on one end and Churchill Downs’ logo on the other. More than 400 “Freedom” roses are sewn into the garland.
The “Freedom” rose – a perfect patriotic red – was named shortly after the events of September 11, 2001 in tribute to the victims, their families and the men and women serving in the armed forces to protect the freedom of our great nation and is grown and cultivated for its impressive bloom size, stem length and lush foliage, longevity and classic rose shape. The “Freedom” rose was chosen to replace the “Classy” rose in 2008. Several different roses have been used throughout the years.
With today’s “Freedom” rose, each stem is inserted into its own water vial hidden inside the garland backing, and all are carefully hand-sewn into place. The roses are framed with an attractive hand-made border of boxwood, camellia, and coffee leaves. To complete the design, custom-made ribbons are tied to fronds at each end and to the crown of roses at the center. The final step in crafting the garland is placing a crown of roses, greenery, and ribbons at the center – one rose for each Thoroughbred running in the Kentucky Derby. A special rose will be placed in the center of the arrangement to symbolize the struggle and heart necessary to reach the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle.
The winning horse will be adorned with the Garland of Roses – the most coveted possession in the world of horse racing – in the hallowed grounds of the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle just minutes after the race. In addition, the Kentucky Derby-winning jockey will be presented with the Jockey’s Bouquet, which is made of 60 matching long-stem roses wrapped with 10 yards of ribbon.
The Garland of Roses, which is crafted by hand every year at a nearby Kroger, and Jockey’s Bouquet will be transported to Churchill Downs with a police escort. It sits on public display near the Clubhouse Garden under the Jockey Club Balcony with Kroger designers on hand to answer questions and speak with spectators. Following the public display, the roses are stored in a room inside the Paddock Runway until they are brought to the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle. The Kroger floral designers are also responsible for decorating the great urns in the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle and red carpet celebrity entrance with roses, typically a total of 2,100 roses that aren’t selected for the Garland of Roses.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
