Photos from the Second Annual Derby Dash

This Hearts and Hats for Horses event raised money for the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit.

On April 10, 2014, The Boston Mounted Horse Project celebrated their second annual Derby Dash, Hats and Hearts for Horses. The event was created to raise awareness about Boston’s underfunded Park Ranger Mounted Unit horses.

This year, the Brahmins (new and old) celebrated at the Lenox Hotel in their brightest duds. Hoping to win the night’s hat contest, the dashers sported their most fashionable millinery from the likes of Marie Galvin, Philip Treacy, Savoir Faire and Salmagundi Boston.

The festivities also included a short live auction, conducted by hotelier extraordinaire, Tim Kirwan (dressed in a black cowboy hat and using a deep western voice to match it) and his fellow hospitality bud, the Lenox’s, Dan Donahue.

The chatty crowd had to be hushed, even scolded, over a dozen times throughout the auction, when Donahue finally commanded the stage telling party-goers that he would interpret any talking at all as a bid on auction items.

Among the gabby group: committee members Stephanie Loeber, Joshua Janson and Anja Kola, Ki-Bar duo Stephanie Spooner and Alejandro Alvarez, Salmagundi owner, Jessen Fitzpatrick, event chair, Maggie DeSantis Ahearn and her real estate hubby, Kevin Ahearn, who appropriately named the Rangers’ newest horse, Otis.

The race for best-dressed won by Laura Baldini, William Schroeder and Addrienne Camire, who were also among the hat contest winners:

 

Laura Baldini in a fascinator from Alan Bilzerian, Lanvin dress and a fabulous golden bullet necklace from Louis Boston.

 

William Schroeder in a hat from Salmagundi Boston, and a dapper getup comprised of Ralph Lauren, J.Crew, Hermes and Belgian shoes.

 

Adrienne Camire in a hat from Marie Galvin, Prada dress and Christian Louboutin peep-toe pumps.