Stampede Futurity Stakes by Hycroft

Stampede Futurity Stakes Plates

Description: These commemorative and collectable plates, made by Hycroft China, were part of the festivities in an annual horse race in Alberta.

Every fall from 1961-1996 a race for two year old thoroughbreds was held at Stampede Park. The $100,000.00 prize going to the winning horse would have indeed attracted some of the best two year olds in the country.

Commemorative plates were part of the race festivities for many years and Hycroft was the company providing the plates (from 1961 through 1984). After that they were made by other firms.

All of the plates made by Hycroft were produced on the 10.5” coupe style of dinner plate. Basically the plates stated “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES” above the central image of a horse or a horse-and-jockey, gave the number and dates of the running (be it the first, second or twenty-fourth running) and gave the name(s) of the winning horse from the year before. The central image was usually in brown or black on a white plate with the edge usually shaded with another colour, and the rim was invariably banded with gold. The only exception which I have seen was the first or inaugural plate for 1961; instead of an image of a horse or rider in the centre, it had a green horse-shoe shaped wreath and as the race was yet to be run, the winning horse’ s name could not be given.

In order to get a Futurity Stakes plate, you had purchase it directly from the gift shop or attend the brunch held the day of the race. Dr. Calvert, a collector, attended the races for many years - he got his plates at the annual brunch. The cost of the brunch varied from year to year but generally it was around $35.00, this included the cost of the plate itself. The brunch was often held on the stampede grounds (but not always as the Glenco Club and Palliser Hotel were hosts at different times).

Dr. Calvert received some of his plates directly from the Hycroft plant (due to his desire to have a complete set). When some of his original plates were accidentally broken, he wrote to Hycroft to see if he could get replacements, and he could. These may have been provided from old stock or they may have been newly made-up as Hycroft always kept the original silk-screens on hand and from them they could produce replacements when asked to do so.

The Hycroft files indicate that about six different colour and wording lay-outs were prepared each year and sent off to the Calgary Stampede for them to make the final selection. Usually these were returned to the Hycroft plant; but, as some collectors have picked up several different plates for a specific year, perhaps not all were returned. Perhaps in some years the racing fans were given a choice, but so far I have not run across any mention of this being so in any of the orders that I have examined in the Hycroft files. More likely, collectors have picked up some of the unapproved samples prepared for that year. Harry Veiner was hesitant to break-up or discard any piece of china made in his factory, putting all seconds and prototypes away for a rainy day. Eventually many of these pieces were sold through the Medicine Hat Hardware, also owned by Mr. Veiner, and perhaps that is how some collectors acquired different samples for the same year.

The Friends of Medalta Society have a complete set of Hycroft made Futurity Stake plates, and a good number of them are on display. In addition, they have many of the colour variation and layout prototypes.

In my listing of the Futurity Stakes plates, I have given the quantities ordered for each year (according to records I have run across to date). The numbers have been compiled from several lists including actual invoices and from the orders placed as given in Hycroft’s silkscreen booklets. The quantities ordered for the missing years will be filled in as time permits examination of the rest of Hycroft’s invoice records. As you can see the numbers ordered varied from about 250 plates in the early years to about 500 plates in the later years, generally increasing each year presumably due to the increasing popularity of the Futurity Stakes. 1971 and 1972 were exceptional years as 700 plates were ordered both years, and the 1973 order of 253 plates is likely only a partial order.

• “INAUGURAL/RUNNING/ Stampede/Futurity/Stakes/ SEPTEMBER 2 ND/ 1961” 258 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Second Running/ September 1st 1962/Silent Sandra/1961 Stampede Futurity Winner” 253 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Third Running/August 31st 1963/Sky Spark/1st Division/ Brother Leo/2nd Division/1962/ Stampede Futurity Winners” 275 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Fourth Running/ August 29th 1964/Lucky Diamond/ 1st Division/Billy Baton/2nd Division/ 1963/Stampede Futurity Winners” 302 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/ FIFTH RUNNING/August 28th 1965/ ROYALATACHE/1st DIVISION/ “SOLAR APEX/2nd DIVISION/ 1964/Stampede Futurity Winners” 303 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Sixth Running/ September 3rd 1966/”Wily Waltzer/1965/Stampede Futurity Winner” 307 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/ Seventh Running/September 9th, 1967/Prince Blue/1966/ Stampede Futurity Winner” 300 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Eighth Running/ September 7th, 1968/Sharon’s Cheno/1967/ Stampede Futurity Winner” 330 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Ninth Running/August 30, 1969/Roundy’s Kid/Never Lose Hope/1968/Stampede Futurity Winners” 436 plates ordered

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Tenth Running/ September 5th, 1970/ Flying Award/Stampede Futurity Winner/ 1969” 450 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ Eleventh/Running/ September/11th 1971/ ”BRANDY MAGIC”/ Stampede Futurity Winner/ 1970" 700 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ TWELFTH RUNNING SEPTEMBER 16, 1972/STAMPEDE FUTURITY WINNER 1971/MADLY MAGIC /60th ANNIVERSARY/DIAMOND JUBILEE 1912-1972/CALGARY STAMPEDE” 700 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/THIRTEENTH RUNNING - SEPTEMBER 1-1973/ NORTHLANDS PARK/Trochu Joe/ 1972 WINNER” 253 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/FOURTEENTH/ RUNNING/ SEPTEMBER 28/1974/STAMPEDE PARK/Sea Reason/1973 WINNER” 450 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/FIFTEENTH/ RUNNING/SEPTEMBER 27/1975/ STAMPEDE PARK/Western Dangler/1974 WINNER” 450 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/SIXTEENTH/ RUNNING/ OCTOBER 2/ 1976/STAMPEDE PARK/ Careless Word/1975 WINNER” 450 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ SEVENTEENTH/ RUNNING/OCTOBER 1/1977/STAMPEDE PARK/Honey Speed/1976 WINNER” 500 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ EIGHTEENTH/RUNNING/ SEPTEMBER 30/1978/STAMPEDE PARK/ Tojero/1977 WINNER” 500 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ NINETEENTH/ RUNNING/OCTOBER 13TH/1979/STAMPEDE PARK/Country Romance/1978 WINNER” 500 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ TWENTIETH RUNNING/ OCTOBER 4th/1980/STAMPEDE PARK/Bully for Butch/1979 WINNER” number ordered not known

• “Stampede Futurity Stakes/Twenty First Running/October 10th 1981/Stampede Park/DEGLO/1980 WINNER” number ordered not known

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ Twenty-Second Running/October 2nd, 1982/ Stampede Park/ LUCKY SHIP/ 1981 WINNER” 500 plates ordered

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ Twenty-Third Running/October 2, 1983/ Stampede Park/MISS NOTABLE/1982 WINNER” number ordered not known

• “STAMPEDE FUTURITY STAKES/ Twenty-Fourth Running/ October 13, 1984/ Stampede Park/SLY MANNER/ 1983 WINNER” 400 plates ordered.