The Official Horse Show Blue Book, Volume 41

This cover from The Official Horse Show Blue Book depicts a harness racing scene rendered in classical sporting art style. A driver in red jacket controls a trotting horse while a second figure in formal attire sits in the lightweight sulky. The composition captures the precision and elegance prized in equestrian competition. Published annually since the 1880s, this blue book served as the official registry and record for American horse shows—events that were significant social and competitive institutions. The painted cover announces the publication's prestige and the sporting culture it documented, where breeding lines, competition results, and show records held genuine cultural authority among horsemen and enthusiasts.