The Sir Peter O'Sullevan Award Lunch

This annual event is the principal fund-raising initiative of The Sir Peter O’Sullevan Charitable Trust, which was set up in 1999 following the success of the first two Annual Award Lunches.

The perpetual bronze in the shape of Peter’s own racing binoculars, sculpted by Janie Beardsall, is awarded for a lifetime’s contribution to the sport. It already bears the names of some of the most renowned and respected people in horseracing.

The 2024 Award was presented to John Francome MBE, by the 2023 Award Winner Nicky Henderson OBE.

The 2025 Award Lunch will again be held at the Dorchester on Thursday 27th November 2025.

Recipients of the Award

Johnny Jonas

Portraits of the Award Winners

Born in 1948, Johnny Jonas is an international and multi-talented artist, portrait painter, composer and inventor. The culmination of his formal art training was in 1972 when he won a place at the famous Academmia di Belle Arti in Florence, and later at the Fine Art Academy in Perugia. During his studies he began to paint everyday life scenes and this led him to become essentially a painter of people.

In 1979 he moved to Grimaldi, a small medieval village overlooking the French Riviera, Monte Carlo and Cannes. Here he began the series of paintings which have become the hallmark of his work – people going about their everyday life, in street cafes and market squares, in and around Monte Carlo, orchestra and opera rehearsals, circus, casino, jazz and cabaret.

He returned to England in 1985, and a chance invitation to the races inspired a series of exhibitions themed around the British Sporting Year, including ‘A Day at the Races’ and ‘Looking for a Winner’. His fascination lay as much with the urgency and action of the sport as with the punters, the bookies, the randomness of people enjoying themselves.

His many commissions include military campaigns for the Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers and Royal Logistics Corps, the assembly of the main drill for Eurotunnel, and portraits of Sir Geoffrey Howe, Lord Vincent, Lord Wakeham, and more recently, the official portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.