2024 Honor Guest -
John C. Oxley

 
John C. Oxley was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on January 24^th, 1937, to John T. and Mary Katheryn Oxley. In addition to following in his father’s footsteps as an oilman, Oxley found great success in the sport of polo. He was a top tier polo player who won the U.S. Open Polo Championship in 1983, the Cowdray Park Gold Cup with the American Boca Raton team in 1970, the C.V. Whitney Cup, the Rolex Gold Cup, the America Cup, the Monty Waterbury, the Pacific Coast Open, the 12 and 16 Goal Championships, three Chairman's Cups, the Butler Handicap, the North American Cup and numerous Sunshine League titles. He was awarded the Hugo Dalmar award in 1985, and the Florida-Caribbean Sportsmanship award in 2001. Oxley served as President of the United States Polo Association, and as its Chairman from 1988-1991. In 2005, Oxley was inducted into the National Museum Polo Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed upon his father just two years prior.
 
In Thoroughbred racing and breeding, Oxley has a long and distinguished history. Horses he has recruited from sales and raced in his name include Monarchos, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Florida Derby in 2001; $2.7-million earner Beautiful Pleasure, winner of the Breeders' Cup Distaff and Eclipse Award-winning older female in 1999; Classic Empire, Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Award two-year-old of 2016, and Gal in a Ruckus, winner of the Kentucky Oaks of 1995.
 
Oxley also has raced other highly notable stakes winners such as Sky Mesa, Airoforce, Uncaptured, Spring in the Air, Snow Dance, Pyramid Peak, Jambalaya Jazz, Dixie Strike, Pretty Gorgeous, Noble Bird, Skyway, Flameaway, Dynamic Sky, Beethoven, Dancinginherdreams, Strong Contender, La Coronel, and Dream Dancing. In 2012 and 2013 Oxley’s Uncaptured was Canadian Horse of the Year and Spring in the Air was the Champion 2-year-old filly. In 2017, Oxley won his eighth graded stakes at Keeneland with La Coronel and was presented with the Keeneland Milestone Tray. In 2020, Pretty Gorgeous, a two-year-old filly, was named that year's Cartier Award of England Champion in the two-year-old filly division, and she was one of three equal topweights among juvenile fillies in the European classifications for the year. 
 
Oxley and his wife, Debby, have campaigned 84 stakes winners, several of whom were trained by with long-time trainers, John Ward and Donna Ward, and Mark Casse. Oxley is the breeder of a total of 33 stakes winners. Debby Oxley is an accomplished owner and breeder on her own. She is the breeder of Sierra Leone, which in 2024 won the Blue Grass Stakes and was beaten by only a nose by Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby.
 
As is true in other aspects of his career, Oxley generously supports various philanthropic efforts on the Turf through the Oxley Foundation (founded in 1985).  A specific challenge grant initiated by Oxley created donations totaling $2 million to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, the leader in funding of veterinary research specifically to help horses. The Oxley Foundation pledged $1 million over four years, contingent on Grayson matching that amount in other new donations, which the Foundation was able to achieve.
 
In 2019, Oxley was awarded the Dinny Phipps Award, which was created by horseman Earle Mack to recognize outstanding achievement in philanthropy in the world of Thoroughbred breeding and racing.
 
Oxley resides in Midway, Kentucky with his wife Debby at their farm, Fawn Leap Farm. Fawn Leap Farm is the home of Heavenly Love, the dam to Sierra Leone.