This month our “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby” auction continues with a third hat up for bid to honor 30 year-old Kentucky-bred gelding, Archies Echo!
This unique Derby hat auction series, now in its tenth year, is an annual event which features one-of-a-kind couture Derby hats created and donated by Sally Faith Steinmann of MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® to benefit the retired racehorses of Old Friends in KY. All proceeds from the auction go to Old Friends.
This month we are delighted to have retired jockey Joe Steiner and his wife, artist Dagmar Galleithner-Steiner joining us to model our “Archies Echo” auction hat.
Joe J. Steiner, now retired as a jockey, was born in Renton, Washington and spent his childhood in nearby Kent. Joe started riding at the age of 10 and was inspired at a young age to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Jack Leonard, a jockey during the mid 1930’s. His introduction to trainer Johnny Longden in 1981 led to a sterling racing career that would last 35 years with over $17 million in purses, 1,061 winners and 10,846 races at 52 racetracks.
Dagmar Galleightner-Steiner was born in Southern Bavaria, Germany. Surrounded by horses during her childhood, Dagmar worked during her college years at Daglting harness track in Munich exercising, grooming and hot walking Standardbred horses. Her first commissions as a painter were for owners and trainers who wanted portraits of their horses; her art can now be seen in private collections around the world. Dagmar recently published a book, The Art of Old Friends, Volume I, that features paintings, drawings and pencil sketches of the retirees of Old Friends.
Dagmar and Joe were married in 2013 and now live with their son Jonah in Georgetown, KY at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement farm where Dagmar is the Artist-in-Residence.
I recently got the chance to interview Dagmar and Joe following their big “Archies Echo” hat photo shoot with Barbara D. Livingston at Old Friends this past October.
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Dagmar and Joe, welcome to my Hats and Horses blog!
We are thrilled to have you join our “Hats Off” team for our 10th straight year with the “Hats Off to the Horses” Derby hat auction fundraiser for the retired racehorses of Old Friends. I’m so glad I got the chance to catch up with you and ask you a few questions for this Q&A!
For those who are meeting you two here for the first time, where were each of you born and where did you grow up?
Dagmar: I was born in Southern Bavaria, Germany and grew up there. I’m a true mountain and country girl.
Joe: I was born in Renton, Washington and grew up in Kent, Washington.
Sally: What is your earliest memory of a horse?
Dagmar: Horses have always been around for as long as I can remember, as I grew up in a small village and my extended family breeds Haflinger and Draft horses.
Joe: I just remember looking up at my uncle Jack Leonard, who was a jockey, when I was five and thinking “this is what I want to do.”
Sally: Did you both ride when you were little?
Dagmar: I sat on horses when I was little, but had to be patient and wait until I was 8 to finally convince my parents to let me go to riding lessons. My favorite horses were the biggest ones. Patak was one of the tallest horses at my riding school (which still exists by the way) and I was thrilled when I got to ride him. I definitely needed a leg up to get on his back.
Joe: Yes, I started riding when I was ten. I got a pony named Star for my birthday.
Sally: Joe, you had a 35-year career as a jockey riding Thoroughbred racehorses. How did you get started? Did your family ride or race horses? When did you know that you wanted to be a jockey?
Joe: My Grandfather Jack Leonard got me started. He was a jockey in the mid 1930s and then became a trainer. He introduced me to Johnny Longden who took me under his wing and I began my career as a jockey in 1981.
Sally: Do you remember the first Thoroughbred you ever rode? Is there something about Thoroughbreds that makes them unique for you? How would you describe the memory of your first race?
Joe: The first thoroughbred I ever rode was at Longacres Racetrack when I was 12. It was on the backside for my Grandparents. Thoroughbreds and I just always seemed to have a connection. Somewhat like in the movie Avatar where the main characters connect with their “mountain banshees” (I had to google the name of these creatures) by their braids and become one.
Joe: The memory of my first race is best described like being in a dream. Just super exciting.
Sally: I am sure you’ve have ridden some incredibly talented racehorses over the years; are there any that really stand out to you? Any especially memorable racing moments?
Joe: I have many fond memories of amazing horses, but the ones that stand out most were Saratoga Passage whom I won the Norfolk Stakes with at Santa Anita and Little Emily who I won my first race back with at Hollywood Park, after being injured and 6 years off. The odds were at 67-1.
Sally: Did I read that you retired a couple of times? What made you retire for good from racing in 2016. Do you miss it?
Joe: Yes, I retired a couple of times due to injury and the doctors even had told me that I would never ride again. When I retired for good in 2016 a number of tragic events clearly told me that it was time. The history of all of this would probably fill a book. I loved racing, but I am comfortable with my decision of retiring as a jockey.
Sally: Do you plan to continue to work within the world of horse racing in some way?
Joe: Definitely. It is not easy to regroup and find a new path after so many years of knowing exactly what you wanted to do. It will all come together when it is time.
Sally: Dagmar, have you done much riding? Did you own any horses growing up?
Dagmar: Yes, I have done a lot of riding all through my early teens. My Grandpa bought an Icelandic Horse for me when I was only ten. His name was Glanni and we spent every day together. I would ride for hours and hours. So many wonderful memories.
Dagmar: Glanni was with us until he passed in my arms at age 30. When I was 16 my family and I moved to the US for 2 years where I got jumping lessons on an former racehorse (Quarter Horse) named Quello.
Sally: I read that you worked at the harness track in Munich, Germany, called Daglting when you were attending college. What did you do at the track, and how did the experience influence the way you think about racing and racehorses?
Dagmar: Daglfing was my home away from home during college. When I started to help out I had to start from the ground up, which meant raking the shedrow, cleaning stalls and tacking up the horses for the trainers. Later on I would jog horses in the sulky and even work them, which was a thrill! One of the trainers would take the horses out to the paddock riding his bike and having them trot alongside him, which I thought was crazy! Little did I know that he would make me do the same thing. There were some fun and crazy times at Daglfing. You can’t get a better learning experience than around a racetrack. Working at Daglfing really opened my eyes to what happens with the horses after their careers.
Sally: Were the horses at Daglfing, Standardbreds? How do they compare with Thoroughbred racehorses?
Dagmar: Yes. Standardbreds were my first offtrack horses: Dickkopf and Conradi were their names. The first horse (other than my own, Conradi) that I retrained for his second career was a Standardbred named Herr Blumensee. I just love Standardbreds. They are so mellow (well, most of them that is) and I believe they are a little more forgiving than Thoroughbreds.
Sally: How old were you when you started painting? Did you study it formally before college?
Dagmar: Like most artists I have painted practically all my life. I didn’t study it formally, since my portfolio didn’t get accepted for art school in Munich. Interesting, right? And I never stood out in school either until moving to the US at age 16. My art teacher in high school was amazing. She really pushed all of us students to the next level. Thank you Ms Cushman!
Sally: What was your favorite medium when you first started? What is your favorite medium now?
Dagmar: My favorite medium has always been pencil. It was then, and it is now- after a few excursions into oil painting, watercolor and pastel. Pastels I still use today. When a was a little girl, art would let me fulfill all my dreams on paper. I would draw elaborate farms and barns and imagine that all of this would be built for me one day.
Sally: Can you remember what it was about painting, and the world of art in general, that appealed to you so much?
Dagmar: The design aspect and realism has always appealed to me.
Sally: What artists, living or dead, have influenced you the most?
Dagmar: I used to say that Richard Stone Reeves influenced me, but it really was Robert “Shoofly” Shufelt. Last summer my family was invited to his and his wife’s house and I must say that I still am a little star struck. His Western art done with pencil takes my breath away. His work was featured on the title of The Western Horseman magazine when I first heard about him and I have been a huge fan since. Getting to meet him and getting to ask him for advice whenever I need to is probably one of the greatest privileges ever given to me. In addition to his work I must add that photographers like Tony Leonard, Barbara Livingston and Matt and Wendy Wooley have greatly influenced me as well.
Sally: How do you think your studies in art history, architecture and American cultural history in Germany influenced you?
Dagmar: My studies in American Cultural History did not influence me much, but Art History and Architecture certainly have. Art History is an ongoing and lifelong study I believe and Architecture influenced me in the way that I faced the harsh reality of not being cut out to be an architect. I did however thrive in my landscape architecture classes which were part of the education and I actually ranked in the top 10 of my class. Unfortunately that did not impress anyone. 😉
Sally: When did you paint or draw your first horse? What was it about horses as art subjects that appealed to you?
Dagmar: I really don’t remember when I drew my first horse. The horses’ noble and elegant appearance and the variety of subjects may have appealed to me most when I started. And of course not to forget the love for them. I draw what I love: horses and dogs.
Sally: How did you know that you wanted to paint horses for a living?
Dagmar: To turn equine art into a living never entered my mind until trainers and owners at the two tracks (harness racing and thoroughbred racing) in Munich approached me about commissions. That and maybe the fact that people told me “you can’t” turned it into a determined journey…
Sally: Are there some horses that you’d still really love to paint or draw? Why?
Dagmar: Oh yes! There are about 150+ horses at Old Friends (past and present) that I would still really love to paint/ draw. Why? After completing Volume One of The Art of Old Friends with 47 horses in it I simply can’t stop there as they ALL deserve it.
Sally: How and where did the two of you meet? Did you live in CA for a long time after you met before moving to KY? During those early years, was it hard juggling your careers and doing all the necessary traveling as well as spending time apart?
Dagmar and Joe: We met at Santa Anita, Clocker’s Corner in 2010 when a friend of ours introduced us. I had to leave for Germany, but we kept in touch and eventually I returned to visit Joe, and we have been inseparable ever since. It was hard to be apart, but somehow we knew it would be worth being patient and sticking it out.
Sally: Dagmar, I understand that over the years you have donated through your artwork to many racehorse aftercare programs. Can you name some of the ones you have supported through your paintings?
Dagmar: Some of the aftercare programs were Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue, SAFE in Washington and of course Old Friends.
Sally: How did you come to know about Old Friends? When did your first meet Michael Blowen? What inspired you to choose Old Friends for your book, The Art of Old Friends, featuring your paintings of the equine retirees who live at Dream Chase Farm? How has the book been doing?
Dagmar: Old Friends I came across on Facebook, of all places. And I believe I met Michael during one of my very first Kentucky visits back in 2009. Vivien Morrison played a huge role in connecting with Old Friends as she was always my direct line being far away in Germany. When I first came up with the book idea it wasn’t planned to feature the Old Friends retirees, as all I knew was that I wanted to create a book.
Dagmar: To feature the Old Friends horses – I would say it was meant to be. Marquetry was the first horse I painted without even knowing that he would retire to Old Friends. I don’t recall exactly, but he may subconsciously have influenced the direction. The book has been received very well. I believe we have about 400 copies left and we won’t be reprinting. It is a collector’s item for sure!
Sally: I understand, Dagmar, that you and your family moved to Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement facility in Georgetown, KY, and that you are the Artist-in-Residence. How did this come about?
Dagmar: Yes, we do live at Old Friends in Georgetown. How this came about? Magic, I would say. Magic and God’s blessings.
Sally: Joe, did I hear that you are leading tours at Old Friends as well?
Joe: Not doing tours on a regular basis currently, but I have done some private tours in the past.
Sally: Do either of you have any future projects on the horizon you’d like to share?
Dagmar: Currently I am working on a project with Team O’Neill Racing. It is a selection of drawings of some of Doug O’Neill’s top horses. This project will benefit Down The Stretch Ranch in Washington. And then I’d like to share that my huge love for dogs got me into drawing them again. The dogs had to take a backseat to the thoroughbreds for a while. That’ll change. And last but not least, I am constantly thinking about Volume Two of The Art of Old Friends…
Sally: You have a little boy, is that correct? What is it like raising a family at Old Friends? Does he like the horses?
Dagmar and Joe: Yes we have one boy. His name is Jonah and he will turn four in July. He loves being at the farm and really loves Maggie, the cat. The horses are wonderful with kids. Yankee Fourtune and Saratoga Episode are his favorite! And they just love him right back.
Sally: Living at Old Friends must be amazing, surrounded by a whole herd of incredible horses! Do you have any of your own pets right now?
Dagmar and Joe: Did I mention that Old Friends is Paradise? 🙂 We don’t have any pets of our own right now, because I go back and forth to Germany a lot. However, we would love for Jonah to grow up with a dog. Joe and I both grew up with pets as kids. There’s nothing better!
Sally: If you could picture it, what would the perfect day look like for you?
Dagmar: The perfect day would be spent outside, interacting with the horses and spending time with friends and family. Joe and I both love the warmer weather and can’t wait for Spring to roll around. All three of us are outdoorsy.
Sally: Our next hat up on the block for the March auction is the “Archies Echo” chapeau which the hat that you modeled at Old Friends. Did either of you know Archie before you came to Old Friends? How would you describe him, personality-wise?
Dagmar: Neither one of us knew Archie before he came to Old Friends. He is a real sweetheart and the kind of horse you just want to hug and hold tight. He also is one tough cookie and takes life as it comes and tackles it. I bet you, even if he had a human voice he would never complain about a single thing.
Sally: How did the photo shoot go for you both? How was it working with the photographer, Barbara Livingston?
Dagmar and Joe: The photo shoot was an amazing experience. It was super windy that day, so naturally the horses were a little wound up. Still, with the support of a few helpers and knowing that with Babs being the photographer there is nothing to worry about it was an experience to remember. Patience is the keyword. And teamwork. Definitely to be repeated!
Sally: Dagmar, you looked AMAZING in the “Archie’s Echo” chapeau. Are either of you “hat people” and if so, what kind of hats do you like to wear?
Dagmar: Thank you for the compliment, Sally. Joe is not a hat person at all. His hair is way too cool for a hat, haha! As for myself – I love hats, but must say I don’t get the chance to wear one very often. People who know me well would agree that three words describe my style (including the book) best: simple, classy and elegant. I can’t wait to call one of your hats my own and wear it with pride.
Sally: I am sure that people are going to be inspired by your support of Old Friends. Why is it important to you to support these retired Thoroughbred athletes?
Dagmar: Raising awareness is key to many things. Supporting Old Friends and talking about it is raising awareness. We all need to do that with whatever we believe in. These retired athletes have given their all for us humans without ever asking for anything in return. And they should not need to ask. It should be a given that they all get the best care possible throughout their entire life. It simply is our responsibility. And people need to know and ask themselves the same question I did when I worked at the harness track: where do they go when they are done with this career?!
Sally: Do you have any suggestions for how people can get involved and participate in helping the retired racehorses?
Dagmar: My suggestion would be to keep spreading the word. Talk about it. Get involved by volunteering, donating and keeping your eyes open to your surroundings. From experience I know that everything counts. Even the little things or better said ESPECIALLY the little things. Some people go to the kill pen auctions and help identify the horses stranded there. I greatly and deeply admire their heart and determination to handle their impressions. These people make a huge difference and don’t care about how they themselves feel after experiencing this sadness, but rather care about how they can help these doomed creatures.
Sally: I could easily ask you both so many more questions, but I know you are very busy and I appreciate all the time you have already given to me and to Old Friends for the “Hats Off” fundraiser this season.
Thanks again!!
Sally
All photos courtesy of the Galleightner-Steiner family and Barbara D. Livingston.