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The Kentucky Derby Festival Royal Court: Grace Trimble, Grace Wainwright, Julia Springate, Morgan Cooksey and Eriauna Stratton. Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; hats and fascinators courtesy of Nitty Gritty, Pink Door Boutique and Amy Gall
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; fascinators courtesy of Pink Door Boutique
Eriauna Stratton
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; hat courtesy of Nitty Gritty
Julia Springate
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; hats courtesy of Nitty Gritty
Grace Wainwright
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; fascinator courtesy of Amy Gall
Grace Trimble
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie
Morgan Cooksey
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; hats and fascinators courtesy of Nitty Gritty, Pink Door Boutique and Amy Gall
The Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses in the Jock's Room at Churchill Downs
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; clothing and accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; hat courtesy of Nitty Gritty
Julia Springate
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Photo by J.A. Laub Photography; Alison Longmire, stylist; Autumn Sharp, makeup artist; accessories courtesy of Anthropologie; fascinator courtesy of Pink Door Boutique
Eriauna Stratton
Terri Saunders pulls from her bag a piece of paper marked “Princess Diary for April 2014.” On it are calendar squares filled with appointments: They’re Off! Luncheon, Balloon Fest, Bed Races and Steamboat Race, just to name a few. For several months, Terri will serve as a royal attaché, attending more than 60 events heralding the arrival of spring in Derby City. Terri is a “Princess Mom.”
“It changed my favorite time of the year. It used to be fall; now it’s spring,” says Terri of her membership in The Fillies Inc., the volunteer organization responsible for coordinating the program that each year crowns five Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses. Originally called the Fillies Club and consisting of 17 members, the group was founded in 1959 primarily to organize a grand coronation ball for the Derby Festival Queen and her court. Today, The Fillies’ 250 active members publish the Kentucky Derby Festival program and host a children’s tea party (a lavish affair complete with tiaras and feather boas for the kiddos), but it is the Derby gala—now known as The Fillies Derby Ball and held as a fundraiser for the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation—and its attendant Royal Court that are the hallmarks of the 55-year-old organization.
The 2014 Princesses’ roster of appearances commenced on Feb. 20 at Festival Unveiled, a Kentucky Derby Festival kick-off event, but Terri’s Princess Mom duties began months earlier when more than 100 hopefuls applied for the Princess program. All registrants who met the Royal Court requirements (entrants must be single female Kentucky residents and full-time college or university students with a minimum 3.0 grade point average) were interviewed and then narrowed down to 25 finalists, a process Terri helped facilitate. The remaining young women went through a second round of interviews, this time with a panel of three out-of-state judges—“for fairness,” says Terri. “The main criteria is knowledge of the Kentucky Derby Festival,” she continues, adding that the judges also considered each woman’s personality, appearance, intelligence and community involvement.
And then there were five. In early January, the 2014 Royal Court was announced: Grace Trimble of Winchester and Morgan Cooksey, Julia Springate, Eriauna Stratton and Grace Wainwright, all from Louisville. Since then, Terri—an operating room nurse at Kosair Children’s Medical Center by day—has been responsible for everything from wardrobe fittings (local businesses donate to the Princesses an enviable collection of clothing and accessories) and keeping each young woman’s tiara and sash safe and sound, to managing the royal schedule and booking speaking engagements.
Three days after Festival Unveiled, Terri accompanies her bubbly, chatty royal brood to Churchill Downs locales most people never get to see: the Directors Room, where dignitaries, sheikhs and kings are entertained; the jockeys’ locker room; and Millionaires’ Row. Makeup and hair perfectly done, attired in outfits of their choosing from the lifestyle brand Anthropologie, the Princesses pose and smile for the Kentucky Monthly cameras. Their reign is underway.
An impartial spinning of a carnival-type wheel at The Fillies Derby Ball will determine which Princess will be crowned Derby Queen. But on this day, in the luxe surroundings where Queen Elizabeth II watched the 2007 Run for the Roses, all five young women enjoy the royal treatment—their Princess Mom happily watching them soak up their moment in the spring spotlight.
Eriauna Stratton
When she declared elementary education as her major at the University of Kentucky, Eriauna says she wasn’t certain teaching was the career path for her, but her mother was a teacher and encouraged her to also become an educator. So, she gave it a go. Once she started working with kids, she says she “was seeing how much I could impact their lives” and knew she was, indeed, on the right path.
Eriauna began impacting lives prior to attending college. While still in high school in Louisville, she was a big sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters and a peer educator for Planned Parenthood. She currently is the Lexington chapter president of Voices for Planned Parenthood, an organization that educates college students about reproductive health and rights, and volunteers for Amachi Central Kentucky, a mentoring program for children who have incarcerated parents.
“I used to be that kid,” says Eriauna. “It’s important for [the children] to have someone to talk to, to look up to.”
The Derby Festival events Eriauna is most looking forward to attending as a Princess are The Fillies Derby Ball and the Children’s Tea. “I really like being a positive role model for little girls,” she says. “I like letting them know they can be involved in their community.”
Her style: Eriauna makes an elegant statement in Anthropologie’s Lace Study Dress. Calling the dress “timeless,” she also likes that the structured silhouette “showcases the little part of curve I have.” Like the woman wearing it, this dress boasts many interesting facets, including layered fabrics with cut-out detailing and smocked side panels. A feather fascinator from Pink Door Boutique, a sequined belt and chic drop earrings lend additional touches of glamor.
Julia Springate
It seems Julia was born to be a steward of springtime fun in the Bluegrass State.
Her May 7 birthday often falls on Derby Day. “It’s the best time to be in the city. You feel the spirit of Derby all around,” she says. “There’s always something awesome going on. It’s a good time to be a Louisvillian.”
Her favorite childhood memories include attending the Derby Festival Balloon Glow and Great Balloon Race. “I remember getting up early with my dad and brother to chase balloons all around the city.” As a young adult, she once worked as a pari-mutuel clerk at the Derby.
Julia is a senior at Centre College, majoring in biology and serving on the student Senate. She also volunteers for the Salvation Army and a Danville food pantry. She plans to go to medical school and has gotten a jump start on helping others through health care by volunteering at the Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center. “I always knew I wanted a job where I could interact with people,” she says.
Her style: The laser-cut lace detailing on her fit-and-flare dress not only adds texture and visual interest but also lends a romantic flair that suits Julia’s kind-hearted nature. “I like clothes that are feminine and soft,” she says. “It fits more my personality.” Her layered necklace—a contemporary upgrade to the classic strand of pearls—adds sparkle, while the jeweled belt and vintage, high-crown pillbox hat add an orange pop of playful cheer.
Grace Wainwright
“Better than Christmas” is how the University of Louisville senior describes her hometown’s Derby celebrations. Grace recalls as a child attending the Pegasus Parade with her father and says she always looked up to the Derby Festival Princesses. She is honored now to be a Princess herself. “I love the city so much. It’s great to give back.”
A bioengineering major, Grace plans to get her master’s degree from UofL’s Speed School and then pursue her doctorate. “In high school, I wanted to go to medical school. I loved math and science,” she says. “But I [later] realized that I’d rather conduct studies and do research.”
Her analytic side well occupied by her studies, Grace also makes the time to spread her creative wings. “As an engineer, I don’t have many artistic outlets,” she says. “I love style, and I love clothes.” So, three years ago, she started a fashion blog, asoutherndrawl.com, where she shows off her personal style. As she notes on her blog, “I guess you could call me a fashion enthusiast who is a nerd at heart.”
Her style: “Go bold or go home,” says Grace, describing both her fashion style and her personality. The geometric pattern on her New Moon dress is boldly bohemian and is complemented by the clean lines of a 1960s Finnish hat. The clusters of purple beads and yellow gems on her necklace add a perfectly powerful finishing touch.
Grace Trimble
When she was a junior in high school, Grace decided she wanted to share her love of tennis with children who otherwise might not be exposed to the game. “The game of tennis meant so much to me, but I saw what an exclusive sport it was economically,” she says. This led her to start LTC Smart Shots, an organization Grace says “goes to lower-income schools once a week to teach life skills, teach tennis and encourage [the children] to believe in themselves.”
Grace is a junior at the University of Kentucky, majoring in political science. She initially wanted to be a lawyer but says she instead plans to pursue a master’s degree in public administration. “I realized my talents were leading me down a different path: public service,” she says.
Unlike her fellow Princesses, Grace, a native of Winchester, didn’t grow up attending the Derby Festival and says she’s most looking forward to the weekend of events that include the They’re Off! Luncheon, The Fillies Derby Ball and Thunder Over Louisville. “It’s a wonderful experience to be an ambassador for our state, at a wonderful time—spring in the Bluegrass.”
Her style: “Once I put it on, I wasn’t taking it off,” Grace says of her Laced Strata Dress. “I like classic dresses—something I can wear for years to come.” Ruching at the waist highlights Grace’s lean frame, and subtle pleating adds a playful flounce to the skirt. A bold Badgley Mischka fascinator and dramatic earrings complete the sophisticated look.
Morgan Cooksey
“The Kentucky Derby Festival is so much more than people realize,” says Morgan, a junior at the University of Louisville. “The opportunity to be a part of it is humbling.” This isn’t Morgan’s first stint at being an emissary of goodwill for her hometown. She is a member of the university’s student activities board and serves as a Cardinal Ambassador, responsible for showing prospective students and their parents around campus. “I get paid to tell people how much I love UofL,” she says. The political science major and Student Government Association member also is an award-winning artist who specializes in printmaking.
Morgan recalls watching the Derby Festival Princesses ride on their Pegasus Parade float, an activity she looks forward to experiencing firsthand. “When I was a little girl, I was convinced they were real royalty,” she says with a laugh.
But the miniMarathon is the event to which she has the strongest connection, having watched her mother run it for many years. “To be able to watch [my mom] cross the finish line and reach her goals—it’s inspired me to reach mine,” she says.
Her style: “I’m a really relaxed person. I wanted something fun and airy and youthful. I didn’t want something you’d wear at a business meeting,” says Morgan. So she coupled a textured zigzagged tee with a flowing maxi skirt that features a complementary geometric embellishment on its waistband. A 1940s skimmer hat from Nitty Gritty, a Louisville vintage clothing shop, tops off Morgan’s fanciful look.
Special thanks to: Churchill Downs, Inc., the Kentucky Derby Museum, Anthropologie, Pink Door Boutique, Nitty Gritty, Amy Gall, Rick Sneed and Wendy Treinen