ridingcoatswintershowwashwinter01lvwashwinter washwinter15 washwinter14 washwinter16 washwinter18 washwinter10 washwinter17washwinter02 washwinter11washwinter07washwinter20foxhoundwashwinter04 washwinter12 washwinter13 washwinter03 washwinter05 Last night, the Washington Winter Show held the gala Preview Night for its annual antiques show, themed “The Thrill of the Chase: Antiques of the Sporting Life,” at American University’s Katzen Arts Center in northwest Washington. The show featured a special exhibit from the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg, Virginia, with important pieces like Triple Crown winner Secretariat’s jockey colors and Paul Mellon’s riding boots. Inside the exhibition hall, patrons indulged on champagne and ham biscuits while mulling over the dealers’ wares, including a variety of art, decorative objects, books, and sporting memorabilia. Specimens ranged from the accessible to the extravagant–and many fit the sporting life theme, with handpainted stirrup cups, hunt themed jewelry, oil paintings of prize horses, trompe l’oeil mallards, and antique books on polo, fox hunting, and fly fishing. The show is a must-see for those who appreciate beautiful antiques–or for anyone who needs to outfit a Virginia country estate on the quick. Hours this weekend are 11-8pm Friday and Saturday and 11-5pm Sunday.