Visiting Thoroughbred Breeding Farms-A Personal Adventure!
Paniolo_Gal
Member
This thread was created to share my photos taken in late May 2015 during my recent adventure in Lexington, Kentucky. But after my review, this thread will be left open for others to also share their personal photo stories of visits to these "Equine Facilities" in the USA and elsewhere in the World. Note: Photos are to be your very own and not obtained from other websites or social media that are not yours. Please be sure to watermark your photos or list yourself in the photo credits!
If you do not know how to post images in the forum, please check with those that have the ability...we will be more than willing to help you share your story!
If you do not know how to post images in the forum, please check with those that have the ability...we will be more than willing to help you share your story!
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Before I start my adventure in the "Horse Capital of the World", I would like to thank lauraj_cincinnati in her help, advise and expertise of the Lexington area. Her deep knowledge of the area enabled me to plan a truly worthwhile itinerary a few weeks before I went on my trip.
Thank you again lauraj_cincinnati :oD
Note: There were other equine venues visited while in Lexington, but I will separate them out into more specific "topic" discussions such as behind the scenes at racetracks & training facilities, photos taken at the Kentucky Horse Park and other Equine Parks, as well as Old Friends/other aftercare TB facilities. This way, later postings by others will be in more cohesive discussions.
The estimated economic impact of Kentucky's horse economy is $4 billion annually. Only in the Horse Capital of the World would you expect to find such astonishing figures! But I was surprised to find that the horse industry is Kentucky's number two agricultural cash crop based on cash receipts from farm commodities. Lexington and Fayette County ranks first in number of acres dedicated to the Equine industry.
IT'S IN THE LAND...
The water that passes through the massive limestone shelf that lies beneath our nourishing bluegrass pastures feeds the soil and grasses that grow strong horses unlike anywhere else in the world. The high mineral content in the soils of the Bluegrass Region leads to stronger bones and greater durability in horses and helps maintain our reputation as Horse Capital of the World.
♦Lexington is home to the 1,200 acre Kentucky Horse Park which attracts almost a million visitors a year. Dedicated to all breeds of horse, nowhere else in the world can you see so many breeds in one place
♦Lexington is home to the official registry of all Thoroughbred horses world-wide, The American Stud Book kept by The Jockey Club.
♦The Kentucky horse industry is responsible for nearly 80,000 direct and indirect jobs, from grooms to administrative support staff to veterinarians.
♦Most of the living Kentucky Derby winners are stabled at the beautiful farms surrounding Lexington
♦This region is committed to taking care of retired race horses. There are 13 Equestrian Retirement Facilities in Kentucky.
The Triangle Foundation unveiled Bronze Horse Sculptures at the Blue Grass Airport on 10/21/2008. These beautiful life-like statues were created by Gwen Reardon and is located in a "paddock" between the airport terminal and the rental car facility. The "paddock" represents Keeneland's Paddock as racers are brought to be saddled. Keeneland Racetrack donated these synthetic pavers and landscaping elements that surround each of Gwen Reardon's works of art.
Reference Stats from:
http://www.visitlex.com/about/horse-capital-of-the-world/
http://www.kycorn.org/informationbin/kycornfacts.htm
https://www.kyfb.com/media/files/fed/kentucky-ag/CommodityBooklet2015.pdf
NEXT UP...THOROUGHBRED PARK IN DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON
Please note, on the day we landed, we were too tired and spent most of our "awake" time at the Downtown Visitor's Center and around our hotel. These photos were taken on a previous trip to Lexington during a different season of the year. Too bad the flowers were not in bloom back then. I know kurt once posted photos of this park, but sadly, since he closed his ImageShack account, his photos no longer show up.
Symbolic of early race pioneers who held races along Lexington streets in the 1780s...
In the heart of Lexington at the intersection of East Main Street and Midland Avenue is a beautiful park. The Thoroughbred Park opened to the public on 7/2/1982. This tranquil 2.5 acre park reflects the dominance of horses in this region. There are 44 plaques honoring the men and women who spent their lives breeding, training, racing and owning these magnificent racers.
Gwen Reardon sculpted 12 beautifully detailed bronze statues, including the 19th century's greatest foundation sire in the U.S.-Lexington. Up on the hills of this park are broodmares and foaling frolicking. On street level, are 7 horses racing with planters of flowers that bloom which are symbolic of the Triple Crown Races: The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont.
This 2.75 acre public park is one of the world's most unique cultural and historic landmarks. There are 5 vignettes in the park setting:
♦The Knoll which is an outdoor museum commemorating racing's best moments by both human and equine with bronze plaques that are found around the perimeter of the park. Here is an example of one of the plaques.▼
♦Lexington Grove, dedicated to Lexington, a 19th century stallion who was America's leading sire for 16 years. Trivia: Lexington was originally named Darley but when he was sold for $2,500, they changed his name to Lexington. Like his sire Boston, Lexington went blind as a 5-year old and was put to stud originally at Nantura Stock Farm in Midway and later was sold for $15,000 by Robert Alexander in 1856 and was moved to Woodburn Stud where he stood until his death in 1875 at age 25. Lexington was also called the "Blind Hero of Woodburn". Lexington's lineage lives on in Sidney's Candy, Homeboykris and Super Saver. ▼
♦The Meadow which is a multi-level oasis where statues of mares and foals "frolic". A handcrafted stone wall (not shown in these photos) reminiscent of old walls at traditional horse farms separate the upper and lower portions of The Meadow. ▼
♦The Track showing the excitement of 7 life-size bronze thoroughbreds and jockeys toward the finish line. The jockeys represented in this race are Willie Shoemaker,Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Randy Romero, Don Brumfield, Jerry Bailey and Craig Perret. The silks were "cast" from actual silks were donated by prominent stables! ▼
And the winner is....
♦The Winner's Circle depicts an immortal photo finish where two bronze champions strain neck-and-neck to the finishline. On the edge of the symbolic winners circle waits a young foal...the "Promise" of the next generation.▼
About Gwen Reardon, the Artist...
Gwen Reardon's love of horses began as a small child who would accompany her father who was a horse trainer & equitation instructor, patiently waiting for the promise of a ride at the end if she stayed put. Her determination to ride enabled her to became a state equitation champion at age 5! Her success in riding eventually led to her being the youngest competitor to win the ladies championship at New York's Madison Square Garden. In between waiting her turn up during these competitions, she started drawing on her show programs and developed her skills. Her program drawings became a sought after work of art and led to the demand for her paintings. A technique used by Charles Russell, she began to make small wax sculptures to aid in her composition of her paintings. Wax developed into clay and her clients wanted these sculptures as well. She enrolled in classes taught by the University of Kentucky Art Professor, John Tuska.
She selected Lexington as a her first equine model. She would visit the Smithsonian where his skeleton was then on display and spent hours upon hours, measuring every aspect of his confirmation. She then sculpted him into clay with painstaking detail and then cast this statue in bronze.
Her " success didn't come overnight. After completion of her statue of Lexington, she carried her heavy piece of art around in her van, hoping to find a buyer. She eventually met up with Alex Campbell, the Chairman o the Triangle Foundation. He liked Lexington and engaged her to sculpt horses for the Thoroughbred and Equestrian parks to honor Lexington's Thoroughbred heritage!" The rest is history! —triangleparklexington.org
References:
http://triangleparklexington.org/?page_id=126
http://www.gwenreardon.com/bio-contact.html
NEXT UP...TOURING AROUND THE AREA & A VISIT TO SEATTLE SLEW'S GRAVESITE AT HILL 'N DALE FARM!
Thanks all for your interest! I hope I can download photos quick enough and match them up correctly with my rough notes during our first day tour of the area. Please hang in there with me as I sort a zillion photos out and try to make sense of them. :oD
But what I am currently dealing with is trying to decipher what horse my husband took a photo of as he "forgot" to take a photo of the nameplate on the halter or on the stall wall. sigh!
DAY TWO: TUESDAY 5/26/2015
Around midday, a shuttle van from Thoroughbred Heritage Tour picked us up at our hotel. We decided it was best to relax and let someone else drive. We also wanted to get acquainted with the area and learn points of interest from our tour guide. Our initial stop was at Keeneland Racetrack but I will provide photos of this stop on a separate, new discussion topic: My Insider's Tour of Race Tracks & Training Facilities...to be posted later.
Please bear with me as many of these photos were taken while we were touring along back roads and I have no idea what farm or area we were driving past during this tour. If I miss labeled any photos, please don't hesitate to provide your feedback.
TOURING AROUND WITH THOROUGHBRED HERITAGE TOUR
Our guide today was John, who is a minister and did THT tours on the side. Quite an unusual blend of professions indeed. However, if you plan a wedding on horseback while in Lexington, he would be perfect for the job! :oD
MANCHESTER FARM
Next to Keeneland Race Track, was Manchester Farm which is a commercial Thoroughbred broodmare farm. It is one of the most recognized farms in Kentucky and this historic property is owned by Houston Oilman, Mike G. Rutherford who purchased the Farm in 1976 from Duval Headley (his family founded Keeneland Race Track). Manchester Farm foals between 15-20 babies a year and sells a majority as yearlings. To date, Rutherford has bred or raced over 70 stakes horses. Among this elite group are Cara Rafaela (G1 winner & Kentucky Broodmare of the Year after producing Bernardini) and Candytuft (dam of Midnight Lute).
The original Headley land was comprised of 125 acres and Rutherford later added 180 acres on the West side of Rice Road. The 1789 Gray Mansion (not pictured) was used as the background scenes in "Gone With the Wind" and "Kentucky".
http://www.manchesterfarmky.com/history-of-manchester-farm.html
ROSE HILL FARM
Rose Hill Farm encompasses 375 acres with 7 barns and 100 stalls. This estate is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Tony Ocampo. Tony Ocampo has his background in Animal Science and Equine Management from Louisiana Tech. After working at Prestonwood Farm (1988-1990), he managed Gleneagles Farm in Versailles and eventually bought the business from Ken Baer in 1999 and renamed it Rose Hill. Rose Hill is located just behind Keeneland and near Manchester Farm. This is another broodmare facility and they currently have 51 mares in their facility.
http://www.rosehill-farm.com/about-us.shtml
STONESTREET FARM
Above: The entrance to Jess Jackson's Stonestreet Farm. As a famed winemaker, Jess knew that a successful Thoroughbred operation has to begin with choice farmland. After purchasing the former Buckram Oak Estate in February 2005, Jackson established Stonestreet's yearling Division. This property is dotted with freshwater springs near the town of Versailles.
Another goal for Jackson's fledgling operation, was to own a truly great racehorse. In February 2007, Jackson's Stonestreet Stables purchased a controlling interest ($3.5M in a private sale) in a promising 3-year-old colt named Curlin. The rest is history! Curlin was to become the Eclipse Champion 3-Year Old and HOY in 2007 and Eclipse Champion Older Male & HOY in 2008. Curlin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
In 2008, Jackson acquired a majority interest in super fillly, Rachel Alexandra. Rachel Alexandra was to become the first 3-year old filly to win the HOY honors and Jackson became the first owner to have won three consecutive HOY awards with two different runners in the Eclipse Era. In a short amount of time, Jess Jackson made an unprecented splash in American Racing. Shortly after hearing Rachel Alexandra was in foal to Curlin (in April 2011), on 4/21/2011, Jackson passed away at the age of 81. He left behind with Stonestreet, a breeding operation for long-term success and a legacy of sportsmanship, integrity and the pursuit of excellence in Thoroughbred Racing. Barbara Banke continues Jess Jackson's legacy as is evident in recent champions Teen Pauline (2010f), and Dreaming of Julia (2010f).
http://www.stonestreetfarms.com/about/
Stonestreet Farm is Home of Rachel Alexandra, Maggy Hawk, Kauai Katie, Hot Dixie Chick and My Miss Aurelia among many other stellar broodmares!
HILL 'N DALE FARM
Hill 'n Dale Farms was incorporated in Kentucky in 1987. The original Hill 'n Dale was founded in Canada in 1960 by John Sikura Jr., the father of Hill 'n Dale owner and president John G. Sikura. The farm consists of 1300 acres of prime Kentucky bluegrass at the site of the former North Ridge Farm. Hill 'n Dale also exists in Aurora, Ontario, Canada which is run by R. Glenn Sikura. They run an interdependent connection between the two farms.
Hill 'n Dale is primarily a stud farm and currently have in their roster of stallions:
Atreides (2011), Concord Point (2007), Flashback (2010), Maclean's Music (2008), Midnight Lute (2003), Misremembered (2006), New Year's Day (2011), Power Broker (2010), Stormy Atlantic (1994) and Violence (2010).
Seattle Slew (2/15/1974 - 5/7/2002) stood at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington for 7 years before moving to Three Chimneys Farm in 1985. Before he became too ill, Seattle Slew carried a $300,000 stud fee. But in late February 2002, Seattle Slew suffered from a spinal cord compression between his vertebrae 4 & 5 and 5 & 6, due to arthritic changes in the vertebrae and was removed from stud duty on 2/25/2002. It was his 2nd bout with the condition in his vertebrae where he earlier had to have his vertebrae 6 & 7 fused with surgery in 2000. On 4/1/2002, in order to recover from his second spinal surgery and not be agitated with mares in the vicinity, Seattle Slew was moved from Three Chimneys Farm to Hill 'n Dale Farm. The reason stated: "it is in Slew's best interest to be in a setting which allows him to be more isolated from mares coming to the breeding shed...Hill 'n Dale provides that opportunity". Slew's owners, Mickey & Karen Taylor moved to Kentucky from Washington State two years earlier (2000) to be closer to the horse and had slept in the stall with Seattle Slew.
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/8850/seattle-slew-moves-to-hill-n-dale
The Night Seattle Slew Said Goodbye Forever
Just after midnight on Monday 5/7/2002 Seattle Slew said his goodbyes. He came up to Mike Taylor who had been sleeping in the stall, looked him straight in the eye to say thank you, then sniffed the dog Chet.. They licked tongues and then Slew laid down to go to sleep. It was 25 years to the day after he won the Kentucky Derby. That night, Seattle Slew died in his sleep at age 28. He was buried whole, the highest honor for a winning race horse in the courtyard at Hill 'n Dale farm. He was buried with his favorite blanket and a bag of peppermints which he liked to eat. Since Triple Crown winner and rival Affirmed died the year before on January 12, 2001, at the time, he was the sole living Triple Crown winner. His death left the racing world without a living Triple Crown winner for the first time since Sir Barton first accomplished the feat in 1919!
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/08/sports/horse-racing-triple-crown-legend-is-gone-seattle-slew-dies-in-sleep-at-28.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Slew
UP NEXT...DONAMIRE FARM AND PLAYING WITH THE FOALS AT MAGDELENA FARM!
http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20150528/storm-cat-to-stand-in-for-native-dancer-at-centennial-park-dedication-ceremony
@Celeste_in_TX I hope you get a chance to take a tour of the farms on your next visit...I'd love to see your story/photos in this discussion as well.
@bigherbie After I finished this tour, you now have a "home" to place your photos from your 2010 trip too! Anxious to see photos from Three Chimneys, Lane's End, etc.!
More info/photos coming...soon! btw...I hope you got a chance to read about Seattle Slew in the review on Hill 'n Dale. Especially "The Night Seattle Slew Said Goodbye Forever". I thought it was very touching...brought out the Kleenex when I discovered this story.
A continuation from The Thoroughbred Heritage Tour
DONAMIRE FARM
Donamire Farm is located on the corner of Old Frankfort Pike and Yarnallton Road. It is a 620 acre farm owned by Don and Mira Ball, who own one of Lexington's top home-building companies, Ball Homes. Their racing operation has been a family affair with son, Mike who trained their homebred racers before joining his parents and siblings at Ball Homes. Mike's wife Katherine now trains the Donamire horses. Donald and Mira Ball bought the farm in 1983 and combined their first names to create Donamire Farm. They are one of the few breeding farm owners that live at their residence year round.
This farm has all the trappings of a first-class Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation. It also has a 5-furlong training track along with a 1-mile grass course replicating European turf courses with rolling hills to strengthen the horses during training. Donamire is currently a broodmare farm and there are no stallions currently standing at stud there. Besides 15 miles of white fencing, they have preserved stone fences that date from 1820.
Above: The centerpiece of the Donamire Farm is the main residence, modeled after a French chateau designed by Architect Thomas E. Lett, which sits on the highest point of the farm. The guest house, Barkham Hall, is built like an English manor house. It has 10,000 square feet, two elegant guest suites, 30-foot-tall gray Doric columns and a brick chimney. Donamire also has its own conservatory, rose garden and greenhouse, as well as a five-acre vineyard that was planted in 1999."
Several racing movies have been filmed at Donamire including Dreamer (starring Dakota Fanning), Simpatico and Secretariat. Donamire is famed in Lexington as a location for fund-raising parties held for various charities at no charge-it is the Ball family's donation to the cause. Don and Mira Ball's charitable philosophy has earned them the Chutzpah Award in 2010.
http://www.virtualonlinepubs.com/article/TOPS+Tour+of+Horse+Farms/503253/0/article.html
NEXT UP...PLAYING WITH THE FOALS AT MAGDELENA!
Our Last Stop With The Thoroughbred Heritage Tour
Magdelena Farm, part of McPeek Racing consists of 5 barns and over 60 stalls. The farm facilities enable housing of horses at various stages of their careers from breaking, racing, layup, rehabilitation sales prep and/or breeding and foaling. The farm consists of a 115 acre farm with fenced pastures and paddocks of various sizes. They have a turf course along the perimeter of the farm that is 1-1/2 miles long and 100 feet wide with inclines designed to strengthen the horses heart, lungs and muscles.
Kenny McPeek has a special interest in South American bloodstock and has found clients successful racers like Tejano run, Take Charge Lady, Repent, Sarava, Noble's Promise and Kathmanblu among others.
We got an opportunity to play with this year's foals at Magdelena Farm. Kenny believes that early human contact makes for a more confident and less fearful horse. McPeek believes this regular contact with strangers enables easier handling during the training stages of the thoroughbreds. However, on this day, there was a thunderstorm brewing in the air and the staff brought all the mares and their foals inside. We were slightly disappointed that we didn't get to take better photos outside, but this allowed us to know who sired the foals with the nameplates on the stall wall. Regardless, we had fun "talking" to both mares and their foals and were allowed the opportunity to love on these cute babies. We eagerly gave them back scratches, massages and lots of pets on their soft muzzles and fuzzy foal coats! I could have stayed here for hours, but we were on a timetable with the tour.
Meet Bona Dea's 2015 foal by Einstein (I think it's a colt)
UP NEXT...MALIBU LOVE'S 2015 TOUCH GOLD FOAL
Meet Malibu Love's 2015 Foal By Touch Gold (I think it's a filly)
Malibu Love's foal was soo darn cute! She or he lowered it's head to let us scratch the forelock...then moved over a bit closer for better access to its mane...then maneuvered its body closer so that its back and hindquarters could get a good topline massage as well!
UP NEXT...SANDSTORM CAT'S 2015 FOAL BY CURLIN