In 1996, Leslie Priggen left her twenty year career as a fashion photographer and commercial
director based in New York, Paris and Milan and moved to her farm in upstate New York to
become a painter.
“Life now is much the same as it was when I was a youngster. My parents were English which
means there was a dog in every chair and riding gear all over the house. I have thirty odd
chickens, four horses and nine dogs and nowhere to sit. I learned a long time ago to sleep
holding on to the bedside table.”
Considering her deep affection for and understanding of animals (all of hers are rescue cases)
the obvious choice was animal portraiture. It was a wise choice and a happy one as her client
list now ranges across the United States and Europe.
She has been commissioned to paint many of the world’s top race and steeplechase horses,
including Saint Ballado, Vindication, Soaring Softly, Congaree, Sarava, Buck Jakes, Swayo
and Welterweight to name just a few.
Her portrait of Lonesome Glory, who was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 2005, has
recently been bought by the National Steeplechase Museum.
“I consider myself to be extraordinarily lucky. My days are spent with the creatures I love
doing what I love. By the way, if there isn’t dog hair on the canvas it’s probably not a portrait
I’ve painted....”
LESLIE PRIGGEN was born into a family that hunted ardently in the U.S. as well as
England, Ireland and France. Priggen’s earliest memories are of horses and dogs, and she
has an abiding love for and a deep commitment to both.
In 1993, after a long and successful career as a fashion photographer and filmmaker in
New York, Paris and Milan, Priggen decided to give it all up to live fulltime at her farm in
the Hudson Valley, where she could devote herself to her 12 rescue dogs and her three
horses (all thoroughbreds from the track) and her new life as a painter.
Her International list of client’s art includes such racing greats as St. Ballado and Chief
Bearhart, Eclipse winner in 1998 and Canadian Horse of the year in 1998 and 1999.
This year's commissions include, among others, steeplechase greats Buck Jakes and
Welterweight and from the flat racing world, Sarava, Offlee Wild and Soaring Softly,
Champion Female Turf Horse 1999.
Leslie Priggen has distinguished herself as one of the world's premier animal portrait painters. Her
paintings of dogs and horses can be found in the collections of clients in the United States and Europe.
Priggen's artwork will be on display at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum from
Thursday through Nov. 27. A reception for the artist will be held Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m., and the public
is invited to attend.
The exhibition is being co-sponsored by Garden & Gun magazine.
Her work ranges from hunt scenes to steeplechase racing, equestrian pursuits and wildlife.
A portion from the proceeds of any artwork sold will go to benefit the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of
Fame.
There will be a special collection during the reception for the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation.
"The most important thing in my life other than painting and my animals is the Thoroughbred Retirement
Foundation," Priggen said in a phone interview Monday. "Nearly 30 percent of my day is spent working on
Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation business."
Priggen grew up in Hamilton, Mass., and fox hunted from an early age. She became a renowned
international fashion photographer, but the self-taught artist found great happiness in painting animals and
made the successful transition from photographer to full-time artist.
Priggen's first racing commission was the stallion and multiple-graded stakes winner Saint Ballado, a halfbrother to Sovereign Award and Eclipse Award winner Glorious Song.
The artist's second racing commissioned painting was that of Eclipse Award winner and six-time Sovereign
Award winner Chief Bearhart.
She's also been commissioned to paint a number of other successful Thoroughbreds, including the 2002
Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Award winner Vindication; 2002 Belmont Stakes winner
Sarava; Giacomo the 2005 Kentucky Derby winner; 1999 Eclipse Award-winning Turf Mare Soaring
Softly; Stonerside Stable's multiple Grade One winner and 2002 Aiken Trained Horse of the Year
Congaree; two-time Maryland Hunt Cup winner Swayo; Welter Weight, who won three consecutive Grand
National Point-to-Point races; three-time Grand National Point-to-Point winner Buck Jakes and five-time
Eclipse Award winning Steeplechase Horse and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee
Lonesome Glory. The portrait of Lonesome Glory was purchased by the National Steeplechase Museum.
"I'm excited about the opportunity to display my work at the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and
Museum," Priggen said. "I like being with the horses and dogs; it makes me happy. I love painting portraits
of the dogs and horses I've met. I have a lot of dogs and several horses, who are all rescues. The horses are
Thoroughbreds from the racetrack."
For more information about the artist, visit www.leslie-priggen.com.
The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Hopelands Gardens at 135
Dupree Place. For more information, call 642-7631.
After a successful career as a New York fashion photographer, Leslie turned her talents to
painting in oil the fox hunting, horses and dogs that have been her lifelong interests . While
residing on her Hudson Valley, NY, farm, she has painted race horses, polo ponies and dogs
for a national and international cliental.