Each autumn, the Montpelier Hunt Races bring together Virginia’s equestrian community to celebrate steeplechase racing, sporting tradition, and country life. For the 2026 event, Virginia artist and horsewoman Kelly Wilkinson Coffin has been commissioned to create the official commemorative race poster.
The commissioned oil painting continues a cherished tradition of celebrating the horses, landscape and excitement of one of Virginia’s signature equestrian events. Every year, collectors have the opportunity to bid on the original artwork at auction on Race Day.
Passion for Horses
For Coffin, horses are more than a subject for her art; they are part of a longstanding connection to Virginia’s equestrian traditions. A member of the Farmington Hunt Club since 1988, Coffin has spent decades immersed in the world of foxhunting and country life, experiences that inform her appreciation for the athleticism, character and beauty of the horse.
A Virginia native and 1988 graduate of the University of Virginia, Coffin has a lifelong connection to horses. Before pursuing fine art full time, she spent a decade as a U.S. Naval Aviator, later flying for commercial airlines while continuing her service in the Naval Reserve.
Coffin’s artistic training took her to the Ingbretson Studio of Drawing and Painting in Massachusetts and the Charles Cecil Studio in Florence, Italy, where she studied traditional portraiture, figure drawing, and composition. Today, she lives and works on her family farm in Ruckersville.
Her experience in the equestrian world, combined with her classical artistic training, gives Coffin a distinctive perspective on the horses and traditions celebrated at the Montpelier Hunt Races.
The Montpelier Artwork on Auction
Commissioned artwork has long been part of the Montpelier Hunt Races tradition, capturing the event’s distinctive landscape, history, and racing excitement through the eyes of local artists. The original oil painting will be displayed at Caspari Charlottesville until Race Day, when bidding will begin both at the auction and online on the Montpelier Hunt Races website.
On Race Day—Saturday, November 7, 2026—collectors will have the opportunity to bid on Coffin’s original oil painting, the artwork behind the official 2026 Montpelier Hunt Races poster. While printed posters commemorate the occasion, the original canvas offers a chance to appreciate the artist’s brushwork, technique, and interpretation firsthand. For collectors of Virginia fine art and enthusiasts of equestrian sport, it is a distinctive keepsake from this year’s races.
Proceeds from official poster sales benefit the Montpelier Steeplechase Foundation, helping support the continuation of this historic event for generations to come. As the 91st running of the Montpelier Hunt Races approaches, Coffin’s painting adds a new chapter to a tradition defined by speed, style and community. ~
R. L. JOHNSON is our co-publisher and creative director, Robin Johnson Bethke, who began her career as a professional photographer in Los Angeles before moving into graphic design and art direction when she relocated to Charlottesville in 1994. As our company’s co-founder and visionary, she enjoys all aspects of the publishing process from story conception to graphic design to photography. Her work is often seen in many of our publications.
