Breeders’ Cup Limited today unveiled the official artwork of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, created by world-renowned artist Charles Church. The 2024 World Championships will be held on November 1 and 2 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf” in Del Mar, California, and Church can bring to life a stunning landscape on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Church’s work will be featured on the cover of the official racetrack programs for Friday and Saturday, as well as on World Championship tickets. In Friday’s image, elegant guests gather in Del Mar’s iconic paddock just before the call to “rider up.” In Saturday’s image, an impressive bay strides in the foreground beneath bright California palm trees.

“I was there last August to study the characteristics of the track,” said Church of his first visit to Del Mar to capture the uniqueness of the seaside oval. “It’s very different to the tracks in the UK. I’ve visited many of the big US tracks, but Del Mar was at the top of my wish list. I really wanted to include the iconic yellow towers that overlook the paddock. Experiencing the atmosphere there was crucial to capturing everything that makes up Del Mar’s quintessential charm.”

A native of England, Church began painting as a teenager. Through painting, he discovered his love of horse racing. While enrolled at the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy, Church thrived spending weekends sketching horses at the racecourses of Florence and Pisa. The largest painting he has completed, a 36-square-meter canvas, was unveiled by the Queen in June 2023 and now hangs in Palace House as part of the British Sporting Art Trust collection. To date, Church has painted 90 Grade 1 winners. He prides himself on being a perfectionist, never willing to unveil a new work until it is flawless. For Church, flawlessness is achieved not only through anatomical accuracy, but also through depicting the horse’s many nuanced characteristics.

“We are honored to present Charles Church as this year’s Official Artist of the Breeders’ Cup,” said Justin McDonald, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “Charles approaches the subject with precision, an eye for detail and an understanding of horses that comes from a lifelong love of horses. His striking images of Del Mar will provide visitors with a beautiful souvenir of two days of world-class racing.”

The Cross Gate Gallery’s annual sports art auction, which will include Church’s Breeders’ Cup artwork, will be held on November 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET. For more information, visit http://www.thesportingartauction.com.

The 41st edition of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, November 1-2, will be broadcast live on NBC Sports. A few tickets are still available at BreedersCup.com/tickets.

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