LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Derby Festival announced it has lost a long-time member of the organization, Bridget Sherrill. 

What You Need To Know

  • Kentucky Derby Festival veteran Bridget Sherrill dies

  • She worked for KDF for 50 years

  • She helped to develop and maintain the Pegasus Pin program

Sherill was Vice President of Merchandising, but anyone who worked with KDF or knew of her, simply called her “The Pin Lady.” Sherill, who celebrated 50 years with the Festival this year, had a significant role in KDF’s Pegasus Pin program.

President and CEO, Matt Gibson said, “We were blessed to have her at the heart of our organization for 50 years. Our Festival family will lean on each other through this, as we honor and celebrate her, and continue to share her Festival spirit.” He added, “We know the Derby Festival would not be what it is today without Bridget’s spirit, her devotion to our organization, and her love of Pegasus Pins. Her passion for the Festival and Pins was equally infectious and inspiring.”

The 77-year-old Louisville native died Aug. 18. She was one of KDF’s first professional staff members and served in several capacities during her time there. But it is her work with the Pegasus Pins that will be her lasting legacy. She was involved in every aspect of the pin program, from its design, its sales and its distribution.

The pin program started in 1973 as an “awareness campaign.” Now, over 200,000 Pins are made each year and sold at 1,000 retailers around Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Like Sherill herself, the Pegasus Pin celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. It is one of the primary fundraisers for the KDF.

Mike Berry, Secretary of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet and former President & CEO of the Kentucky Derby Festival said “The one constant for nearly five decades was the guiding hand of Bridget Sherrill, truly the godmother of a program which is the envy of the special events industry. Bridget has left an indelible mark on the Festival and Kentucky. Each time we pin on a Pegasus Pin, we will remember the difference she made in her hometown — one piece of plastic at a time.”

Sherrill has three children, three stepsons, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

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