Inspired by England’s Epsom Derby and French Horse Racing Traditions
The Kentucky Derby may be a distinctly American spectacle—replete with mint juleps, wide-brimmed hats, and Southern flair—but its roots are undeniably European. In fact, the entire concept was imported, quite literally, by a man on a mission: Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the grandson of famed explorer William Clark. In 1872, Clark traveled to England, where he attended the Epsom Derby, a prestigious race that had been held since 1780 and was already a cornerstone of British sporting culture. The grandeur, the pageantry, the elite social atmosphere—it captivated him. But it wasn’t just the English who left an impression.
Clark also visited France, where he encountered the French Jockey Club and witnessed the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp. The French approach to racing, with its emphasis on elegance, fashion, and high society, deeply influenced his vision. He didn’t just want to create a horse race; he wanted to craft a cultural institution. Upon returning to the United States, Clark founded the Louisville Jockey Club and secured land—leased from his uncles John and Henry Churchill—to build what would become Churchill Downs.
When the first Kentucky Derby was held on May 17, 1875, it mirrored the Epsom Derby’s original 1.5-mile distance and featured 15 three-year-old thoroughbreds. Aristides, ridden by African American jockey Oliver Lewis, claimed victory before a crowd of 10,000 spectators. The purse? A respectable $3,050—modest by today’s standards, but significant for the time. Over the years, the Derby’s format evolved—the race was shortened to 1.25 miles in 1896—but its European DNA remained intact. From the ceremonial traditions to the social spectacle, Clark’s inspiration from across the Atlantic continues to shape the event’s identity.
How the Grandson of William Clark (of Lewis and Clark) Founded the Race
The Kentucky Derby owes its origin to a man with exploration in his blood and ambition in his stride—Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., the grandson of famed American explorer William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. While his grandfather charted the wilds of the American West, Meriwether Jr. had his sights set on something equally audacious: bringing European-style horse racing to the American South. In 1872, during a trip across Europe, Clark Jr. attended England’s prestigious Epsom Derby and France’s Grand Prix de Paris—two elite racing spectacles that combined athleticism with aristocracy. What he saw wasn’t just sport; it was society, ceremony, and spectacle rolled into one. And he wanted that for Louisville.
Upon returning home, Clark Jr. acted quickly. He established the Louisville Jockey Club to finance a racetrack and secured land on the outskirts of the city from his uncles, John and Henry Churchill—names that would later be immortalized in the naming of Churchill Downs, though the name wasn’t officially adopted until 1937. Construction began, and by May 17, 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was held with 15 three-year-old Thoroughbreds in competition. The inaugural winner, Aristides, ridden by African American jockey Oliver Lewis, crossed the finish line before a crowd of roughly 10,000 spectators.
Clark Jr.’s vision wasn’t limited to the racetrack. He sought to elevate the Derby into a social institution, mirroring the pomp and prestige he’d witnessed abroad. While the Epsom Derby inspired the format, it was Clark’s uniquely American ambition—and his family’s legacy of bold undertakings—that transformed the Kentucky Derby into a cultural mainstay. His efforts laid the groundwork for what would become the longest continuously held sporting event in the United States, intertwining sport, Southern tradition, and high society into a single, enduring spectacle.
The Role of Aristocratic Southern Culture in Its Creation
The Kentucky Derby isn’t just a horse race—it’s a pageant of Southern identity, draped in roses and tradition. And at its core lies a lesser-known truth: the Derby was born from the ambitions of post-Civil War Southern aristocracy, eager to resurrect their social stature through spectacle. When Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.—yes, the grandson of William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame—founded the Derby in 1875, he wasn’t just importing European racing customs. He was also embedding the event within the deeply rooted customs of the Southern elite, who saw horse racing not merely as sport, but as a symbol of class, power, and genteel refinement.
In the Reconstruction-era South, plantation culture had collapsed, but its values—grandeur, hospitality, and social hierarchy—lingered. Clark, hailing from one of Louisville’s most prominent families, built Churchill Downs with this in mind. The track’s architecture, especially the now-iconic Twin Spires added in 1895, reflected the Victorian elegance prized by the upper crust. More than a racetrack, it was a stage for society to see and be seen. Social gatherings surrounding the Derby quickly became rituals of status, where fine dress, bourbon cocktails, and Southern etiquette reasserted the cultural dominance of the pre-war gentry.
But it wasn’t all about aesthetics. The Southern aristocracy had long been invested in horse breeding, particularly in Kentucky’s limestone-rich bluegrass region, ideal for raising strong Thoroughbreds. Owning a winning horse was a mark of prestige, and many of the early Derby participants came from families with deep equestrian lineages. In this way, the Derby functioned as both a sporting event and a cultural revival—an elegant solution for a region grappling with the loss of its antebellum identity. Today’s Derby, with its high fashion, lavish parties, and reverence for tradition, is still very much a reflection of these aristocratic roots. It’s not just a race—it’s a ritual of Southern legacy.
Early Festivities—From Gambling to Gilded Social Events
The Kentucky Derby wasn’t always the polished spectacle of mint juleps and million-dollar purses we know today. In its earliest years—starting with the inaugural race on May 17, 1875—the Derby was as much a social experiment as a sporting event. Nearly 10,000 spectators gathered at Churchill Downs that day, many lured by the thrill of gambling on the race’s unlikely winner, Aristides. But it wasn’t just about the horses. From the beginning, the Derby was a magnet for Southern society’s elite, who saw the event as a prime occasion to put wealth, fashion, and status on full display.
By the 1880s and 1890s, the race had evolved into a weekend-long affair. Breakfast parties, garden luncheons, and candlelit galas became staples of Derby culture. The Twin Spires, completed in 1895, weren’t just architectural flourishes—they were symbols of the Derby’s growing prestige and permanence. Gambling remained integral, of course. Wagering on horses—and sometimes off-track games—was a draw for both the well-heeled and the working class.
This dual identity—equal parts high society and high stakes—set the tone for what the Derby would become. It was never just a race. It was a stage, a salon, a spectacle. And that spirit still gallops on today.
The Inclusion of African American Jockeys in the First Derbies
The early years of the Kentucky Derby weren’t just historic—they were dominated by African American jockeys whose skill, bravery, and horsemanship helped shape the very identity of the sport. When the first Derby thundered across Churchill Downs on May 17, 1875, it was Oliver Lewis, a 19-year-old Black rider, who crossed the finish line first aboard Aristides. That day, in front of 10,000 spectators, Lewis didn’t just win a race—he opened a chapter in American sports that few today remember but none should forget.
Between 1875 and 1902, Black jockeys won 15 of the first 28 Kentucky Derbies, a staggering statistic that underscores just how integral they were to the sport’s foundation. Titans like Isaac Murphy, who won the Derby three times (1884, 1890, and 1891) and maintained a career win rate of 34%, became national celebrities in their time. Jimmy Winkfield, another standout, claimed back-to-back victories in 1901 and 1902, making him the last African American jockey to win the Derby for nearly a century. William “Billy” Walker, the 1877 champion, later became a trusted advisor in the racing world—proof that their influence extended far beyond the saddle.
This dominance wasn’t coincidental. Many Black jockeys had honed their skills during slavery, working as grooms, trainers, and riders on Southern plantations where horsemanship was both labor and legacy. After emancipation, these men transitioned into professional racing, where their expertise was irrefutable. But as the 20th century unfolded, so did America’s racial fault lines. The rise of Jim Crow laws, along with increasing violence and discrimination, systematically pushed Black jockeys out of the sport. By the 1910s, they had all but vanished from the Derby lineup—not due to lack of talent, but because of deliberate exclusion through intimidation, licensing bans, and institutional racism.
Today, the legacy of these early pioneers is being rediscovered and honored. The Kentucky Derby Museum’s “Black Heritage in Racing” exhibit and the growing recognition of figures like Murphy and Winkfield are helping to restore their rightful place in history. Still, the absence of African American jockeys in modern racing serves as a sobering reminder: the story of the Kentucky Derby isn’t just about roses and records—it’s also about the erasure and resilience of those who helped build it.
How Mint Juleps and Fancy Hats Became Derby Staples
The Kentucky Derby is as much a spectacle of Southern pageantry as it is a world-class horse race—and nowhere is that more apparent than in the twin traditions of mint juleps and extravagant hats. To the casual observer, these flourishes might seem like mere accessories to the main event. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a surprisingly rich history that mirrors the evolution of the South’s cultural identity and the Derby’s transformation into a national institution.
The mint julep, now synonymous with Derby weekend, began its life far from Churchill Downs. Originating in 18th-century Virginia as a medicinal tonic, this frosty mix of bourbon, mint, sugar, and crushed ice gained popularity in Kentucky thanks to the state’s booming bourbon industry. By 1938, the cocktail was officially adopted as the Derby’s signature drink, sold for 38 cents at Churchill Downs. A year later, it began appearing in collectible souvenir cups—a tradition that continues today. According to the official Derby site, more than 125,000 mint juleps are served each year during Derby weekend, requiring over 1,000 pounds of fresh mint and 60,000 pounds of ice.
As for the hats—those glorious, gravity-defying masterpieces—they owe their roots to Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.’s vision of the Derby as a refined social affair modeled after European racing events, particularly England’s Royal Ascot. In the late 19th century, upper-class American women rarely appeared in public without a hat, and the Derby offered a prime opportunity to showcase fashion and social status. But it wasn’t until the 1960s and ’70s, when television broadcasts beamed images of the Derby into living rooms across the country, that the hat tradition truly took off. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about refinement—it was about flamboyance, creativity, and turning heads. Today, hats range from wide-brimmed Southern classics to sculptural, surrealist concoctions adorned with feathers, flowers, and even miniature horses.
Together, these traditions have become inseparable from the Derby’s identity. They don’t just dress up the event—they define it, blending Southern hospitality with high society flair. Whether you’re sipping a julep in Millionaire’s Row or donning a custom headpiece on the infield, you’re participating in a ritual over a century in the making—one that’s as symbolic as the blanket of roses draped over the winning horse.
The Evolution from Humble Beginnings to “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”
The Kentucky Derby wasn’t always the glitzy, hat-filled spectacle we know today. When it first ran on May 17, 1875, it was little more than a regional horse race dreamed up by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr.—the grandson of famed explorer William Clark—and attended by about 10,000 curious locals at the newly built Churchill Downs. The inaugural winner, a horse named Aristides, set the tone, but few could have predicted the cultural giant the event would become. Back then, the race stretched 1½ miles, mirroring England’s Epsom Derby, but in 1896 it was shortened to 1¼ miles—a decision that would help craft the race’s now-famous two-minute thrill ride.
By 1902, the Derby was in financial trouble—until Colonel Matt Winn stepped in. A Louisville tailor with a knack for showmanship, Winn rebranded the Derby as a national event, introducing traditions like the rose garland (officially adopted in 1904) and ensuring the race was always held on the first Saturday in May. His marketing genius paid off: by 1925, the Derby was broadcast on radio, and in 1952, it hit television screens across the country.
The Derby’s reputation as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” didn’t come overnight, but milestones like Secretariat’s record-shattering 1:59.4 run in 1973 helped cement its legendary status. Attendance exploded—163,628 fans packed Churchill Downs in 1974, and a record 170,000 showed up in 2015 to watch American Pharoah begin his Triple Crown quest. Today, the purse stands at $5 million, and the Derby draws a global audience, blending Southern pageantry with high-stakes sport. What began as a modest local race has galloped into a cornerstone of American cultural identity—proof that even the most thrilling traditions can have surprisingly quiet beginnings.
