”Horses are a big part of my life,” says Lee McHugh, who has been breeding and racing thoroughbreds for about 20 years. ”Yet I could never find artwork or jewelry that I thought really represented the horse well, so I started a little collection and it just grew.”
It grew into a handsome store, called The Elegant Equine, 225 E. Deerpath Rd., Lake Forest, and it`s been in the winner`s circle ever since it opened in 1989-though not just with the boots-and-saddle crowd.
”I don`t know if there`s a typical customer,” says McHugh. ”We have our Lake Forest clientele, but people come from all over the country.”
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Wares include all kinds of home accessories, exhibited in antique armoires and cupboards to create the ultimate in hunt-country ambiance.
”It`s the wide variety of serious artwork-the paintings, prints and bronze sculptures-that bring the people in,” McHugh says. Art prices range from $300 to $12,000. Call 708-234-6901.