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Earliest-known, Virginia-made Horse Racing Trophy

Acquired by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

WILLIAMSBURG, VA – In October 1810, a Grand in stature, the Madison trophy stands
horse named Madison (likely in honor of 13-1/4” high and expands to 10-1/4” between its
President James Madison), won first place in a lip and its handle. Made and marked by Johnson
race held at the New-Market racecourse in & Reat (1804-1815) of Richmond, VA, the
Petersburg, VA. Its owner, Revolutionary War trophy is similar in form to a cream pot but on a
veteran Burwell Bassett Wilkes (1757-1815) of majestic scale. Its tall, helmet-shaped body is of
Brunswick Country, VA, received a $400 cash swollen, rectangular cross-section and has two
prize for the win. Although Wilkes, who had bands at its mid-point. While the top one is plain
turned to farming and breeding in the decades and convex, the lower band is milled and carries
following the war, had several prized racehorses, a grapevine motif. The right side of the trophy
this victory was certainly his greatest equestrian bears an engraved inscription, while the other Wilkes, being “low and weak of body,” com-
triumph. To mark the event, Wilkes converted carries an engraved racecourse scene replete with posed his estate plan in late 1814; he passed away
his stakes into a monumental and unparalleled an American flag at the finish line, centered the following year at the age of 57. Described in
piece of early Virginian silver holloware. Known around a cast appliqué of two galloping horses his will as “a silver Cupp won by Madison,” the
as the “Madison” Horse Racing Trophy, it and their jockeys running neck and neck – with trophy went to his daughter Mary “Polly”
descended through five generations of the Wilkes Madison in the lead. The body flows into a very Wilkes, who saw fit to scratch variations of her
family before recently coming to The Colonial narrow neck set above a stepped, rectangular foot initials into the underside of the foot. It seems the
Williamsburg Foundation’s silver collection. with a strip of the same grapevine banding at the formal inscription was added years later and
“Following more than two hundred years of bottom. Its pouring lip is edged with an applied included the erroneous date “Spring, 1811” as
careful preservation in the family of its original gadrooned band that ends in an even higher shown by contemporary newspaper accounts.
owner, Colonial Williamsburg is honored to three-dimensional horse’s head crest. Made of The trophy has been preserved in Virginia by
become the permanent steward of this important hollow repoussé construction, the horse head Burwell Wilkes’ descendants since it was made.
and monumental example of early Virginia details are applied, chased and engraved. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation pre-
silversmithing,” said Ronald L. Hurst, the “The Madison Trophy is colossal, a work of serves, restores and operates Virginia’s 18th-century
Foundation’s senior vice president for education silversmithing genius, and jaw-dropping to see. It capital of Williamsburg. Visit www.colonial-
and historic resources. will instantly grab and hold your attention,” said williamsburg.com for more information.

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54 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles