Not the jockeys on the Race Course! Chances are, if you’ve ever driven through Saratoga Springs, you’ve seen a number of small jockey statues scattered on lawns throughout the city. You can find them wearing an array of silks, even silks themed for sports teams! While I had seen them during my visits to Saratoga, I didn’t realize how many there actually were until I moved to Spa City.
So, where did they come from? Who makes them? We were curious, too! Check out their full backstory:
Nancy Smith, owner of Saratoga Signature Interiors, began selling the lawn jockeys 20 years ago when she started her business on Broadway. At the time, she thought it was a good way to attract attention to the store by lining them outside her window.
Flash forward to today, you can find them on almost every lawn! Dan Czech, the jockey artist at the shop, told us that when he was young he would always come to Saratoga and remembers when he started seeing the jockeys appear on North Broadway. Then, it always signaled that the stable owners were in town and that Opening Day was approaching!
Czech also told us that it’s not only Saratogians who love to adorn their lawns with colorfully clothed jockeys. He receives orders from all over the country! One customer, he recalled, ordered jockeys from Florida for their 40th floor condo apartment balcony, just to remind them of Saratoga. In addition to fans of the race track, Czech has also painted jockeys for almost every major owner, trainer and jockey.
Have you noticed the lawn jockeys scattered throughout the city?
