Horse painter Richard Reeves dead at 85

GREENPORT, N.Y., Oct. 13 (UPI) -- World-renowned racehorse painter Richard Stone Reeves has died in Greenport, N.Y., at age 85.

His Friday death was confirmed by his daughter, but no cause was given, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Reeves painted oil portraits of more than 1,000 thoroughbreds including

Affirmed, Buckpasser, Cigar, Dark Star, Forego, Genuine Risk, John Henry, Kelso, Nijinsky II, Northern Dancer, Ruffian, Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Spectacular Bid, the Times said.

His equally impressive list of patrons included W. Averell Harriman, Paul Mellon, Allaire duPont, Harry Guggenheim and the Aga Khan.

In 1982 President Ronald Reagan presented Queen Elizabeth II with a special edition of Reeves' book "Decade of Champions," which included his watercolor of her champion racehorse Dunfermline.

Reeves is survived by his wife, a daughter, a son and a brother.