Goshen, NY — On Oct. 30, the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame concluded the institution’s 26th annual Restoration Raffle. Through the generous and enthusiastic support from Museum members and friends, the event grossed more than $6,200. Begun in 1995, the Restoration Raffle has become the primary funding source for the preservation treatment of the Museum’s collections.

Conservation projects funded by previous raffles have included paintings, lithographs and textiles, as well as horse drawn vehicles. For a recent example of paintings that have been conserved, visit the online exhibit Gean Smith Highlights the Harlem River Speedway. Two Gean Smith paintings donated last year by John Cockerill were treated with funding from the annual Restoration Raffle.

Artist Gean Smith was born near Wurtsboro, N.Y., in 1851. His father, Benjamin N. Smith, was a lock tender on the D&H Canal in the Town of Mamakating before moving his family to Chicago where he worked as a horse dealer. Perhaps influenced by proximity to his father’s horses, Smith became best known for his equine portraits and images of the trotting sport, now known as harness racing. In 1885, Gean Smith returned to the state of his birth and established his art studio near 26th Street and Broadway in New York City.

One of Smith’s most outstanding works, a 1910 portrait of the European-bred trotting stallion Willy, in action at Goshen Historic Track, will receive conservation cleaning and care utilizing a portion of this year’s raffle proceeds. The staff of the Harness Racing Museum looks forward to sharing this addition to the Museum’s important equine art collection with visitors once planned preservation care is complete.

The winners of the raffle’s 33 prizes can be found on the Harness Racing Museum’s website at www.harnessmuseum.com.

The Museum is located at 240 Main St., Goshen, N.Y., but is currently closed to the public due to COVID-19. For information on Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame events or gift shop services, please visit our website at www.harnessmuseum.com or contact us at 845.294.6330 or email info@harnessmuseum.com.