Kentucky Horse Park Magazine 2020

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK magazine

CHAMPIONS

LIVE HERE

Up-Close Encounters

®

KENTUCKY’S

TRIFECTA OF TASTE

First Watch Locations Lexington: Hamburg Nicholasville Road Richmond Road South Broadway

Louisville: Hurstbourne St. Matthews The Highlands Middletown

Coming Soon: Georgetown and Richmond/EKU

Skyline Chili Locations

LaRosa’s Locations

Dry Ridge Florence Independence Richmond Road Richwood Taylor Mill Nicholasville (Coming Soon)

Dry Ridge Independence Richmond Road Southland Taylor Mill Nicholasville (Coming Soon) Richmond (Coming Soon)

ONEHOLLAND.COM

THINK

BIGGER

Plan your adventure at ArkEncounter.com (South of Cincinnati)

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

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10 HISTORY OF THE

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

16 INTERACTIVE

CONTENTS

EXPERIENCES

24 MUSEUMS AT THE

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

30 CENTRAL KENTUCKY DESTINATIONS

38 A TASTE OF BOURBON

44 EQUESTRIAN EVENTS

PUBLISHED FOR THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK 4089 IRON WORKS PARKWAY LEXINGTON, KY 40511 859-233-4303 KYHORSEPARK.COM All Horse Park Photos by James Shambhu

NICHE TRAVEL PUBLISHERS | 301 EAST HIGH STREET | LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY 40507 | 866.356.5128 | WWW.SMALLMARKETMEETINGS.COM

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SHELBYVILLE . SIMPSONVILLE . KENTUCKY Visit the American Saddlebred Capital of the World to witness some of the finest shows in the country. Be sure to wear your best for the Shelbyville Horse Show and be ready to have a good time!

Don’t forget to stop in to one of our many eclectic shops in charming downtown Shelbyville or make your way to the Outlet Shoppes of the Bluegrass. Visit Jeptha Creed Distillery for a selection of crafted spirits.

We’re located between Louisville and Lexington, and a great place to stay while you visit the surrounding areas.

HORSE FARM TOUR

Several Shelby County equestrian venues offer a variety of horse farm tours including American Saddlebred Horse Farms (tours by appointment).

Kismet Farm: Simpsonville Léttleiki Icelandics: Shelbyville Historic Horse Farm: Shelbyville For booking and tour information be sure to checkout www.VisitShelbyKY.com or call us at 502.633.6388

EVENT CALENDAR

Early May Kaspha-Horse Show Mid June Shelby County Horse Show Early Aug. Shelbyville Horse Show Mid Sept.

Kaspha-Horse Show Late Sept.

San N Tone Horse Show Early Oct. Sahiba-Horse Show

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

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rom the heart of the Bluegrass, we’re honored to invite you to the Kentucky Horse Park. Owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Kentucky Horse Park is a treasure to our state and a facility unlike any other in the world. Since 1978, our mission has been to celebrate our relationship with the horse through education, exhibition, engagement and competition. It is our daily commitment to do just that.

Each year we welcome over 500,000 visitors from around the world to our 1,200-acre working horse farm.

Guests visit the park as families seeking new and exciting experiences; horse enthusiasts eager to meet rare breeds and racing champions; equestrians competing for national and international titles; or first-time riders eager to hit the trails. Every experience is unique, and our guests leave not only with memories that last a lifetime but also with a deeper appreciation for the horse.

In the following pages, we’ve highlighted some of the “must see” attractions you will experience during your visit. We also encourage you to experience all that central Kentucky has to offer. From bourbon to bluegrass to horses, we take pride in what we do and hope you enjoy your visit.

We’ll see you soon!

YOUR FRIENDS AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

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KENTUCKY HORSE PARK FOUNDATION

A

s chair of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation board of directors, I am privileged to experience how special the Kentucky Horse Park is to individuals from around the globe. The Kentucky Horse Park is a unique treasure in the Bluegrass, serving school groups, businesses and visitors from all over as an educational, equine-themed park.

From its state-of-the-art competition facilities, to the Smithsonian affiliate International Museum of the Horse, to more than 30 national equine organizations located on the grounds, the park exists as a special site dedicated and available to everyone who shares a love for the horse and an appreciation for the equestrian lifestyle of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region.

Maintaining and improving the attractions, venues and the serene grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park would not be possible without generous gifts from Kentucky Horse Park Foundation donors.

Who are the generous individuals who support the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation?

• Equestrians who compete at the Kentucky Horse Park and value the extraordinary world-

horses and want to ensure the park’s resident horses have a wonderful home.

• Investors in our youth and children who want to guarantee access for any child who wants to experience horses, nature and the magic of the Bluegrass lifestyle.

These are just a few examples of the generous individuals who have chosen to be part of a rewarding partnership that combines the strengths of the public and private sectors. The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing, expanding and improving the Kentucky Horse Park, helping to establish the park as the leading equestrian facility of its kind.

There are so many ways to support the growing family that loves the Kentucky Horse Park. We invite you to donate today and share your experience by visiting khpfoundation.org.

class facilities.

• Lovers of nature who want to ensure that

Best regards,

green space is preserved, maintained and available for all to enjoy.

• Educators and historians who value the incredible resources of the International Museum of the Horse.

• Animal enthusiasts who are passionate about

CLAY GREEN CHAIR KENTUCKY HORSE PARK FOUNDATION

For more information about supporting the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, please visit our website at khpfoundation.org or call our office at 859-255-5727.

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With your help we will protect and share our equestrian story.

Become a Part of the Man o’ War Society of Annual Giving

We are equestrians who compete at the Kentucky Horse Park and value the extraordinary world-class facilities.

We are lovers of nature who want to ensure that green space is preserved, maintained, and available for all to enjoy.

We are investors in our youth by giving access to any child who wants to experience horses, nature, and the Bluegrass lifestyle.

We are animal enthusiasts who are passionate about horses and want to ensure the Park’s resident horses have a wonderful home.

The Man o’ War Society. Donate Today. Share Your Story.

4075 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington K Y | 859 255 5727 | KHPFoundation.org

A KEN TUC KY C LA SS IC

THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK IS AN INVITATION TO THE WORLD OF HORSES

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rom the start, the Kentucky Horse Park has been built upon a strong foundation.

Its 1,224-acre site was carved from Walnut Hall Stud Farm, the oldest Standardbred farm in the country.

The land came with a lot of farm buildings, some quite phenomenal, like the 473-foot-long Big Barn, believed to be one of the largest, if not the largest, barns ever built. There were fences and paddocks, farm roads, a farmhouse, outbuildings, even a training track. All would be given new purposes as plans were drawn for the world’s first equine theme park.

The site of Kentucky’s most unique state park offered another advantage.

The park’s west side borders busy Interstate 75, the north-south route traveled by millions of people each year. The park’s plank fences, pastures, grazing horses and tidy barns surely catch travelers’ eyes. Just a few miles south, another busy highway, Interstate 64, takes travelers east and west.

In 1974, ground was broken for the park by a mule and a plow guided by the state’s governor. In 1978, after much renovation and new construction, including a visitor center, a restaurant and a museum, the $35 million park opened.

It was billed as a “working” horse

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farm, where visitors could meet and greet horses of many breeds. It was an original idea, and the park became a hit.

More than 500,000 people visit the park each year. In addition to being one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations, it is known for worldclass competition facilities that host prestigious equine shows and competitions. It is also a place for events that have nothing to do with horses, from corporate meetings and picnics to dog shows and tractor pulls.

The Kentucky Horse Park’s role as an events venue has magnified in the decade since it hosted the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which brought a half-million spectators from around the world over 16 days. It was the first time the event had ever been held outside Europe, and that time spent on the world stage brought the horse park even more international awareness. Within a year, 14 new equine events had chosen the park as their venue.

Even in its early days, the Kentucky Horse Park attracted international interest as the home of the Land Rover — then, the Rolex — Three-Day Event and the Egyptian Event. In 2000, it drew more than 200,000 to a blockbuster exhibit of 300 Chinese artifacts, and it later held a similar exhibition featuring British equine art.

The park has also attracted horse industry associations to its National Horse Center, including US Equestri-

an, the national governing body for equestrian sport, which moved to the park from New York 20 years ago and, in 2019, opened a new headquarters near the park entrance. The presence of US Equestrian and some 30 other equine associations has helped the park attract additional equine events and competitions.

Today, the Kentucky Horse Park is considered much more than a tourist attraction. By providing unparalleled exposure to horses and to the beauty of the Bluegrass Region, it has become a cultural and economic driver and an international calling card for the state of Kentucky.

More than 500,000 people visit the park each year. In addition to being one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations, it is known for world-class competition facilities that host prestigious equine shows and competitions.

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WATCH

US

WORK

THE HORSE PARK ILLUSTRATES HOW HELPFUL HORSES CAN BE

T

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

he life of a horse that lives at the Kentucky Horse Park is a good one: lots of pampering; good food; a beautiful, safe place to live. But it’s not necessarily a life of leisure. Horses here earn their keep, and each works some sort of “job” on the 1,200-acre “working” farm.

Take the teams of draft horses that pull a trolley around the heart of the park. It looks like back-breaking work until you learn that one of these giants can pull five tons, making a trolley full of people an easy assignment for a draft horse team. Plus, their work schedule is carefully monitored so they have plenty of days off to stand in the sun and nibble sweet grass.

Then there’s Oliver, a member of the Kentucky Horse Park mounted police unit. Part Shire, part Paint, his sweet disposition has made him a crowd favorite, and his good looks and personality inspired the 2019 Breyerfest commemorative model horse.

Oliver and his other horse pals in the mounted police unit have proven how professional they are during mounted police competitions, where fireworks, smoke and other disruptions failed to rattle them. They are cool under pressure, which is nice because even though the park is a peaceful place, officers are glad to know that Oliver and his peers are reliable, steady partners in their patrols.

In the Breeds barn, showy Arabians, golden Palominos and other breeds both common and exotic are like the Broadway actors of the park. Each day a number of them

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A PAIR OF DRAFT HORSES OFF DUTY Photos courtesy KHP

perform. Their stage is a show ring, where crowds gather for the Parade of Breeds show. After the show, the stars might stand near the rail to meet audience members and get a few pats on their velvety noses.

Even the park’s divas — the retired racehorses and other champions that live in the Hall of Champions — have a job to do as they are led out for scheduled shows in the Hall of Champions pavilion. Because they’ve spent years in the spotlight during their racing careers, they have no problem posing for photos and might even reward visitors with a toothy smile from time to time.

And let’s not forget the ponies and pleasure horses, stabled on the edge of the park, that wait eagerly to take visitors for a ride around the pony ring or on one of the park’s trails.

They all work hard to provide an up-close and personal experience for everyone who visits the Kentucky Horse Park.

A STAR HORSE MEETING FANS

OLIVER THE POLICE HORSE

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FACT ALLY SPEAKING

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

T

he Kentucky Horse Park’s museums are packed with interesting stories about horses and their impact on the world.

Go in with eyes wide open. Read, observe and learn. Here are a few things you’ll discover.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HORSE’S CLOSEST RELATIVES IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM? Well, not the pigs and cows that sometimes hang out on the farm with horses.

Biologically, horses are closer kin to tapirs and rhinoceros.

WHY DO WE DRIVE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD? Conestoga wagon drivers are credited with starting that American practice.

The wagon drivers sat on the left, and so they steered their teams and wagons to the right. By the way, the International Museum of the Horse has a fine Conestoga wagon with components dating back to Colonial times.

WHO WAS WALTER FARLEY? He was a prolific author who wrote 34 novels in the “Black Stallion” series.

These stories about an Arabian stallion have sent many children running to their parents begging for a horse. A bookshelf stocked with books from the series in the Al-Marah Arabian Galleries encourages kids to settle in and read for a few minutes while their parents visit the rest of the exhibit.

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WHY DO WE HANG HORSESHOES OVER OUR DOORWAYS? The custom is tied to a story from the Middle Ages. The devil paid a visit to a blacksmith named Dunstan, who recognized the evil spirit, beat it and drove the devil away. Dunstan made the devil promise to never enter a door where a horseshoe hung. One tip: The legend says horseshoes must be hung with the open end up to catch the goodness from heaven.

WHAT BREED OF HORSE SHARED THE SILVER SCREEN WITH RUDOLF VALENTINO AND MICKEY ROONEY? It’s the Arabian, the dashing steed treasured by Bedouin tribes and now beloved around the world. The glamorous breed has starred in movies such as the 1926 silent film “The Son of the Sheik” starring Valentino and “The Black Stallion” with Mickey Rooney.

WHO IS CONSIDERED THE GREATEST JOCKEY OF THE 19TH CENTURY? Isaac Burns Murphy, an African American who won three Kentucky Derbys and whose 44% win rate still tops jockey rankings. He died in 1896 and, in 1955, became the first horseman inducted into

the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. Murphy was one of over 400 black horsemen who influenced racing in the Bluegrass. They are honored in the International Museum of the Horse’s “Black Horsemen of the Kentucky Turf” exhibit.

WHERE WAS AMERICA’S FIRST RACE COURSE? It was on Long Island. Unlike today’s oval courses, it was a two-mile straightaway on one of the island’s flats.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN HORSE BREED? The Narragansett Pacer, which died out in the late 1800s. Of English and Dutch lineage, it was known for a smooth gait, surefootedness and endurance. It is believed that Paul Revere’s horse was a Narragansett Pacer; George Washington also owned one.

WHAT’S A CAPARISON? If you’ve ever seen knights jousting at a Renaissance Fair or in a movie, you’ve probably noticed the knight’s horse wears a large, ornate cloth. That’s a caparison.

The cloth’s design corresponds to the knight’s heraldic pattern. Like football players’ uniforms, it helped identify who was who on the competition grounds.

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK 13 magazine

COME

WITH A

GROUP

THE HORSE PARK PAMPERS TOUR GROUP GUESTS

I

t’s been a long day sitting in seminars or riding on a tour bus. So what a relief it is to head out to the Kentucky Horse Park and have a meet-and-greet with a living legend like Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide.

The Dusk at the Park program makes experiences like that possible for convention groups as well as motorcoach tours. It offers a menu of after-hours options: maybe a walk around the park’s grounds, time to peruse the International Museum of the Horse, a reception or dinner featuring Kentucky favorites, a parade of different horse breeds, or a Hall of Champions show with horse racing royalty. For groups of 150

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or more, the park will even reopen its gift shop for a bit so people can power shop.

Dusk at the Park is one example of how the Kentucky Horse Park has become a place for more than equine events.

Couples also get married here, sometimes beside the massive Man o’ War statue, with flowerbeds and fountains as a beautiful background. Families and old friends gather for reunions beneath a picnic pavilion in the park’s campground. Others put up tents to hold fundraising dinners or receptions.

The park’s fields, pastures and country lanes have long been favored for cross-country meets, soccer tournaments and 5K or 10K runs. The versatile Alltech Arena can

handle motocross racing and dog shows, or trade shows and concerts, as adeptly as it does horse shows and rodeos.

A staff that is dedicated to non-equine events helps clients understand all the possibilities and points out venue options they might not be aware of: a private dining room in the park’s public restaurant, patios, boardrooms and meeting rooms, nine VIP suites in its arena, the visitors center, even barns.

There’s always something new — recently, the park unveiled its renovated Ovation and Mane Theaters in the visitor center. With seating for 112, foldaway desks and stateof-the-art sound systems, the theaters can be used for lectures and awards ceremonies.

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LOOSEN THOSE REINS G I V E Y O U R S E L F L O T S O F T I M E T O E N J O Y T H E H O R S E PA R K

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

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KENTUCKY HORSE PARK ENTRANCE

W

hen you buy a ticket to visit the Kentucky Horse Park today, it’s also good for tomorrow.

That’s a good thing because there’s too much to see in one day at Kentucky’s most visited state park. Fashioned from a real horse farm, this horse theme park is an entertaining classroom for all things equine. And although its home in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region is known throughout the world for Thoroughbred racehorses, the Kentucky Horse Park is about all horses. There are few places in the world where you can see as many breeds as you will here.

Here are some experiences that will make your Horse Park visit memorable.

VISITOR CENTER EQUINE ENCOUNTERS

VISITORS CAN EXPLORE THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK ON A TROLLEY TOUR PULLED

BY A TEAM OF BEAUTIFUL HORSES. A PAIR OF CLYDESDALES All photos courtesy KHP

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Friendly staff behind a large horseshoe-shaped desk will greet you, provide maps and directions, answer questions and talk about special events or programs scheduled for the day.

Strike up a conversation with a greeter, and you might learn that there are nearly 400 active volunteers who dedicate time to the Kentucky Horse Park.

A large gift shop is stocked with T-shirts, hats, books, videos, jewelry, artwork, Kentucky Proud products and the largest collection of Breyer model horses in the region. Admission to the park isn’t required if you simply want to shop there.

The shop’s refrigerated cases are stocked with snacks, sandwiches and

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THE VISITORS CENTER

THE BIG BARN

The trolley makes a loop through the heart of the park, and the driver serves as a tour guide, pointing out highlights along the way to provide an overview of what to see and do during a visit.

cold drinks. Those who want more of a meal can opt for the full-service Iron Works Café with indoor and outdoor seating, located behind the visitor center.

In a newly refurbished theater, the introductory, 12-minute film “The Rein of Nobility” runs in a continuous loop. Narrated by actor and horse owner William Shatner, this film reminds visitors that the horse has been at man’s side every step of the way, entwined in human history.

WALK AND WANDER One tip visitors often offer is “Wear comfortable shoes.” Most of the park’s main attractions are within a fairly compact area, but walking its accessible pathways to outer reaches like the Big Barn or the Hall of Champions is a bit of an uphill stoll.

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As you walk, stop and read about the famous horses memorialized throughout the park. Their statues add artistic beauty beneath big trees in the rolling landscape. The largest monument is of Man o’ War. His bronze statue, larger than life, stands at the park entrance. Racing’s bestknown champion is surrounded by the graves of his most successful offspring and of Isaac Burns Murphy, an African American considered America’s most successful jockey.

Among the other statues scattered along the park’s paths are Sergeant Reckless, the heroic mare who carried wounded soldiers and ammunition during the Korean War; John Henry, a thoroughbred gelding who retired to the horse park after earning $6.5 million at the racetrack; and Secretariat, the chestnut 1973 Triple Crown winner that, like Man o’ War, was called Big Red and attracted legions of fans. The visitor center has a printed guide to its statues.

A CLYDESDALE IN ACTION

By Steve Faust

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TROLLEY A 10-minute ride aboard a trolley pulled by a team of draft horses is a leisurely way to soak in the park’s natural beauty and get your bearings. The trolley makes a loop through the heart of the park, and the driver serves as a tour guide, pointing out highlights along the way to provide an overview of what to see and do during a visit. The jingle of the horses’ harnesses and the clop of their heavy hooves on the paved path provide background music. Later, you might want to wander over to the Big Barn, where a groom will demonstrate how the horses get dressed for work in those heavy harnesses each day during a Draft Horse Meet and Greet.

A PEACEFUL PASTURE AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

PONY AND TRAIL RIDES For the most hands-on of handson experiences at the Kentucky Horse Park, book a ride on a pony or a horse.

Pony rides and trail rides are offered five times a day from April through October. Kids ages 2 to 12 and under 90 pounds climb aboard ponies for three spins around the paddock. At $5, it’s an affordable thrill.

Riders ages 7 and up can take a peaceful 35-minute trail ride through

AN EVENT AT ALLTECH ARENA

the park for $25. It’s an amazing way to get in touch with a horse and see more of the park’s 1,200 acres.

PARADE OF BREEDS Two longstanding staples at the Kentucky Horse Park are daily shows that put the spotlight on some of the many breeds and the retired racetrack champions who live at the park.

During the Parade of Breeds show, held twice each day in season, a selection of nearly two-dozen breeds are paraded out into a large open-air show ring, with riders up or under hand, so spectators seated in the stands can learned more about their history and their role in the equine world. The parade changes daily and is usually a mix of exotic and more commonly known horses.

There are the familiar breeds, like the American Quarter Horse, seen in rodeos and races; the Appaloosa, the splashy spotted-coat horse that arrived with Christopher Columbus and became prized possessions of the Nez Perce tribes; the Saddlebred, the flashy breed that stars in American horse show rings; and the Chincoteague pony, beloved by every child who has ever read the “Misty of Chincoteague” books by Marguerite Henry.

Then there are the exotic breeds, like the Marwari with its curved ears

DRAFT HORSE MEET-AND-GREET

ROLEX STADIUM

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champs Mr. Muscleman and Won the West.

Even in the off-season, visitors are welcome to visit the champions in their barn or watch them kick up their heels in the paddock. Dedicated grooms love to tell stories about the horses in their care and might even supply treats so that visitors can feed Derby winner Go for Gin or the handsome, huge chestnut Point Given that won two out of three legs of the Triple Crown.

AN UP-CLOSE INTERACTION

By Steve Faust

PARADE OF BREEDS

Courtesy Ark Encounter

MEETING BIG MIKE

By Steve Faust

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and sweet disposition, as intriguing as its homeland of India; the Andalusian, rooted in Spain and the product of the Moors invasion; and the Gypsy Vanner, the horse of the travelers, the nomadic Roma, who crisscrossed the European countryside in colorful wagons.

During the show, riders often wear costumes that reflect the culture and customs of a breed’s homeland.

After each show, visitors can talk to riders, pet the horses and take pictures.

Between shows, they can visit horses in the Breeds Barn, read placards that describe each breed and watch as the horses are fed, groomed or trained.

HALL OF CHAMPIONS At the Hall of Champions, retired racehorses are led into a circular pavilion. The horses circle and stop periodically to poke their noses across the low wall and greet their fans, seated in the stands. As they parade, an announcer talks about each champ’s racing successes as well as the horse’s life in retirement at the Kentucky Horse Park. The audience will learn about each horse’s personality; for example, that Funny Cide, the 2003 Kentucky Derby winner, is a bit of a grump who likes his naps but loves to travel, or that American Quarter Horse champ Be a Bono loves to hang out in a paddock with Standardbred

IMPROMPTU ENCOUNTERS Some of the experiences visitors enjoy most at the park are the casual, unscheduled encounters they have as they wander the grounds. They might walk into the Mounted Police Horse Barn and visit Dinero, a Percheron/ Thoroughbred cross, or Mackenzie, a Clydesdale/Dales pony, as they have a bath or get saddled up for work.

Check out activities in the Children’s Education Barn or watch the farrier at work in his shop, making horseshoes for park residents. When horse shows or competitions are being held, visitors can walk to the competition barns to see horses and talk to riders, trainers and owners, or even attend the show or competition — some will have an admission charge.

Other spots to hobnob with horse people are the Patio Café and Patio Bar, open during the summer horse show season in the competition barn area.

CAMPGROUND Each year, thousands of people not only visit the Kentucky Horse Park but also stay overnight, tucked into comfortable recreational vehicles or zipped into tents at the park’s popular campground.

Just east of the park’s main entrance, the campground is a convenient overnight stop for travelers, a weekend getaway or a family vacation, as well as a temporary home away W W W. K Y H O R S E PA R K . C O M

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MORNING AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

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from home for those who compete in equine competitions at the park. It is walking distance from the park or, in high season, a shuttle ride away. Those who bring bicycles can pedal over or hop on the Legacy Trail, a dedicated paved biking/walking path that passes around the perimeter of the park and takes cyclists through farmland on its way to the north edge of Lexington. The trail also goes north toward Georgetown.

The campground’s 260 RV campsites are shaded in the summer, with paved back-ins. Each site has electrical and water hookups, fire rings and a picnic table. Nearby, two newly renovated large bathhouses are well equipped, and a camp store offers necessities like firewood and ice, but also local beers, snacks, Kentucky Proud products, grilling supplies and pool toys. In addition to camping registration, the store sells discounted tickets for park admission to campers and their families.

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A playground, an outdoor junior Olympic pool and tennis, basketball and volleyball courts keep families active.

The open fields around the shaded RV campsites are available for tent camping and are particularly popular during major events like the Festival of the Bluegrass, as well as special weekends built around bourbon or Halloween.

HORSE COUNTRY TOURS Encounters with horses don’t have to end when visitors leave the Kentucky Horse Park. An organization called Visit Horse Country has 39 members — primarily horse farms, but also veterinary clinics, a feed mill and after-care facilities — that open their gates to public tours.

As a Visit Horse Country partner, the Kentucky Horse Park has set up a kiosk in its visitor center so its guests can purchase tickets for these equine tours. The Horse Country website describes the tours available, and each is as different as the farms that offer them. Each Horse Country tour is highly personal and is given by loyal staff and sometimes even farm or business owners.

Some of the experiences visitors enjoy most at the park are the casual, unscheduled encounters they have as they wander the grounds. They might walk into the Mounted Police Horse Barn and visit Dinero, a Percheron/Thoroughbred cross, or Mackenzie, a Clydesdale/Dales pony, as they have a bath or get saddled up for work.

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK CAMPGROUND ENTRANCE

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GLOBAL ESTEEM

M U S E U M S I L L U S T R AT E H O W C U LT U R E S R E V E R E T H E I R H O R S E S

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

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T AL-MARAH ARABIAN HORSE GALLERIES Courtesy KHP

he Kentucky Horse Park’s museums help visitors understand the international importance and value of the beautiful animals they see at the park. Through impressive and often colorful collections, these storehouses of equine artifacts, art and memorabilia entertain as they educate.

Make sure to include stops at these world-class museums when you visit the Kentucky Horse Park.

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE HORSE

AMERICAN SADDLEBRED MUSEUM Courtesy American Saddlebred Museum

TRIPLE CROWN TROPHIES

THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK HAS FOUR MUSEUMS, INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE HORSE.

Courtesy American Saddlebred Museum

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Courtesy KHP

Since prehistoric times, the horse has left its imprint on the human world, and the International Museum of the Horse opens eyes to the many roles horses have played in our history. It is the largest and most comprehensive museum about the horse, and it tells the story, from prehistory to present day, using rare and unusual artifacts, colorful art and photographs.

The museum’s international scope is clear from the start. A large, ornate terra-cotta horse, a replica of one used in southern India to deliver offerings to local gods, stands at the entrance to the introductory exhibit “The Legacy of the Horse.” It is a striking and playful way to begin the journey from 3500 B.C., when villagers raised horses the way we raise beef cattle today.

There are many reminders of how the horse has carried us, through the ages: displays of chariots used by Chinese and Roman soldiers, photographs

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of Western cowboys and Civil War soldiers astride trustworthy mounts, a colorful American stagecoach and a doctor’s sleigh. There is a replica of a packhorse like the one Daniel Boone might have entrusted to carry his life’s possessions across the mountains.

And visitors hear stories about patriots, like Paul Revere, who rode the first true American breed, the now extinct Narragansett Pacer, to warn the British were on the way.

The collection is so impressive and important that the Smithsonian Institution chose the museum to be among its affiliates.

True to its location in Kentucky’s Thoroughbred racing heartland, the museum explores the horse as an athlete — from the ancient game of polo to the long tendency of men to race their horses, initially in impromptu dashes down village streets or straight dirt paths and, later, in the more formal ovals patterned after those in England and Ireland.

Among the museum’s other 10 galleries are the following: Al-Marah Arabian Galleries: This extensive gallery is a world unto itself, with palm trees, a full-scale model of an Arabian stallion and a stoneflanked archway to mark its entrance.

Middle Eastern melodies further set the mood as visitors follow the breed from its early days as the companion and fast mount of Bedouin tribes to its spread through Europe and, eventually, the United States.

A replica of a Bedouin tent is outfitted with the various urns and grinders needed for coffee, as well as the blankets and pillows required for comfort.

Also at the desert dwellers’ elbows were the camels that packed food and belongings and supplied milk to nourish the horses. The horses themselves were so valued that they became like pets, sometimes sleeping inside the tents with their owners.

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So prized were Arabians that world leaders sometimes gave them to their peers as a gift, one of the ways the breed spread throughout the world.

Visitors learn how the Arabian’s physiology — its spacious lungs, fleet hooves and wide nostrils — not only fit with desert life but also made the breed important in improving other breeds, like the Thoroughbred, the Morgan, the Saddlebred, the Quarter Horse and the Percheron.

Ultimately, it was a group of Bedouins who triggered the Arabian’s popularity in the U.S., with a fascinating exhibition at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair shows.

More than 27 million people visited the fair, and many became entranced by the 40 elegant Arabian horses that represented the Ottoman Empire.

Black Horsemen of the Kentucky Turf: In 2018, the museum opened an exhibit dedicated to history that had been largely untold in the Bluegrass of the many contributions of Black Americans to the horse industry, particularly Thoroughbred racing.

Placards that detail the impact of slavery, the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation and Jim Crow put the plight of black horsemen in the context of American history.

The story is told through the lives of individuals, some prominent, like Isaac Murphy, the great jockey whose phenomenal win percentage has yet to be matched, and many less known, like Ansel Williamson, who trained two sons of the famous stallion Lexington and continued to work at Woodburn Farm even after emancipation.

THE SKELETON OF THOUROUGHBRED STALLION LEXINGTON

AL-MARAH ARABIAN HORSE GALLERIES

Courtesy KHP

NATIONAL HORSE SHOW EXHIBIT Courtesy KHP

Visitors hear stories about patriots, like Paul Revere, who rode the first true American breed, the now extinct Narragansett Pacer, to warn the British were on the way.

W W W. K Y H O R S E PA R K . C O M

Courtesy KHP

The story begins with enslaved people who were integral to the care and development of Thoroughbreds. They performed the vital chores like daily grooming, feeding, training and riding. It shows, through the example of Murphy and successful trainers, owners and breeders like Dudley Allen, the first black owner of a Kentucky Derby winner, how the influence and involvement of black Americans became more pronounced after the Civil War. The exhibit points to the inaugural Kentucky Derby in 1875 as a prime example of how prominent black horsemen were during reconstruction.

Thirteen of 15 jockeys were African Americans, and the winning horse, Aristides, was ridden by Oliver Lewis, a 19-year-old black man, and trained

by Ansel Williamson.

The exhibit also explores how ties to the horses affected the development of Lexington’s East End neigh-

borhood, which grew up around the Kentucky Association racetrack in the late 1800s. The area became a popular place for trainers and jockeys and those who worked at the track to buy homes, which created a thriving community.

Sadly, by the early 20th century, Jim Crow laws and other societal tensions forced blacks out of prominence in the industry, and in 1902, Jimmy Winkfield became the last African American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.

“Lexington”: The skeleton of the Thoroughbred stallion Lexington stands in its glass display, his importance to the breed underscored when he was buried in a coffin on his owners’ Woodburn farm and his bones later donated to the Smithsonian, which put them on display for several years before returning them to Kentucky for exhibit in the museum.

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE HORSE Courtesy KHP

ARTIFACTS ON DISPLAY AT THE WHEELER MUSEUM Courtesy USHJA

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Calumet — Five Decades of Champions: A glittering collection of 560 Thoroughbred racing trophies reflects the victorious tradition of this historic farm, whose iconic white fences and red-trimmed barns still welcome visitors who arrive in Lexington by air or

by Versailles Road. Not only do the trophies tell of Calumet’s amazing wins during its heyday — more than 2,400, including eight Kentucky Derbys — but they are a testament to the world’s dedication to preserving this piece of Bluegrass heritage.

Draft Horse: An exhibit on draft horses reminds visitors of how the rapid advances of agriculture in the 1800s were in part the result of horsepower. Many of the popular draft horse breeds highlighted in the exhibit live and work at the Kentucky Horse Park.

AMERICAN SADDLEBRED MUSEUM AND GIFT SHOP It’s hard not to be starstruck by the American Saddlebred. America’s oldest breed is mainly known today as a show horse, competing in gaited championships, but it is found throughout the horse world.

Saddlebreds get dressed up in rhinestone-encrusted bridles and saddles to lead parades. They star in films: Roy Rogers’ golden palomino Trigger was a Saddlebred. So were National Velvet, Fury and My Friend Flicka.

Families set young riders atop Saddlebreds. They pull carriages, leap fences and traverse backcountry trails.

It’s not surprising that such a beautiful breed has a dedicated museum whose attractiveness matches the Saddlebred’s beauty. The American Saddlebred Museum is on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park, and this year, it will finish a complete renovation, the second since it

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opened in 1986. This reworking will make the museum’s already engaging collections more interactive as it tells the story of the popular, versatile breed that through the years has carried leaders like Ulysses S. Grant, William Sherman and Harry Truman.

More contemporary Saddlebred fans include Carson Kressley and William Shatner.

Through its extensive collections, the museum will continue to show off the color and pageantry tied to this versatile breed, from bejeweled tack and a collection of rider’s fedoras to the extravagant ribbons awarded in gaited competitions, some as long and flowing as the show horses’ tails.

In addition to an expanded gift shop packed with quality items that range from horse-themed socks and logoed fleece jackets to silver and gold jewelry, leather goods and warm woolen blankets, the renovation has added a catering kitchen and a large deck area that overlooks a small lake for outdoor events. An art gallery features rotating exhibits of Saddlebred art and photography; the museum also partners with the International Musem of the Horse to offer monthly talks by equine veterinarians, artists, trainers, authors and other experts.

With luck, a visit to the park might coincide with one of the competitions that feature Saddlebreds, like the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show in July or the Kentucky Fall Classic. Until the renovation is com-

plete, only the museum’s gift shop and art gallery are open.

WHEELER MUSEUM The smallest museum at the Kentucky Horse Park is packed with memorabilia and artifacts dedicated to a superathlete of the equine world, the hunter/jumper. Show ring jumps in the exhibit help visitors grasp just how high these horses can jump; the current record is 7 feet, 10 inches. The Wheeler Museum benefits from the enthusiasm of hunter/jumper competitors and owners, who heap upon it trophies, winning ribbons, saddles, bridles and stirrups, as well as the regal red jackets and enduring leather boots riders wear.

It is also blessed with the collection of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, previously located in Florida.

The Wheeler is in the downstairs lobby of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association headquarters behind the Kentucky Horse Park's visitor center. Open yearround, it is open weekdays, when the association's office is open.

Its permanent collection is augmented by regular rotating exhibits such as a recent one that displayed work by hunter/jumper photographers who have captured the elegance and rigor over six decades of the sport. Other exhibits have explored important horse shows, the history of course design, and fun facts about the sport and its traditions.

AMERICAN SADDLEBRED MUSEUM Courtesy American Saddlebred Museum

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®

Gift Shop Apparel, Jewelry and Gifts Equine Home Décor and Collectibles Breyer Horses, Books, and Toys Kentucky Proud Products Bourbon Souvenirs Shop our store inside the Visitor’s Center or

SHOPKYHORSEPARK.COM

International Museum of the Horse

Kentucky Horse Park • imh.org

Smithsonian Affiliate

The INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE HORSE is dedicated to the history of the horse and its unique relationship with humans through time. With over 60,000 square feet to enjoy, the Museum’s permanent exhibitions highlight the history of the horse from ancient time to the many popular sporting events we participate in today.

JUST DOWN

THE

ROAD

G R E AT K E N T U C K Y T O W N S A R E O N LY M I N U T E S A W AY

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

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W LEXINGTON’S HORSE COUNTRY

ithin a short drive of the Kentucky Horse Park are four small towns and one large city, each with its own vibe. From the supersmall Midway to the more urbane Lexington, each can easily entertain day-trippers.

Make sure to plan time to explore these destinations after your visit to the Kentucky Horse Park.

Courtesy VisitLex

HARRODSBURG

HISTORIC BOONE TAVERN IN BEREA Courtesy Berea Tourism

GEORGETOWN’S COUNTRY BOY BREWING

TRAVELERS CAN INTERACT WITH RETIRED RACEHORSES AT OLD FRIENDS FARM IN GEORGETOWN. Courtesy Georgetown Tourism

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Courtesy Georgetown Tourism

History is impossible to miss in Kentucky’s oldest permanent settlement.

On the edge of downtown stands a replica of Fort Harrod, where frontiersman James Harrod and plucky pioneers made their home in 1775. The fort is sheltered by shade trees in a spacious state park, where interpreters demonstrate how the early Kentuckians would have lived and worked. A few blocks from downtown on a hilltop, a redbrick mansion, built as a girls’ school, has been the popular Beaumont Inn for the past 100 years, home to a James Beard-recognized restaurant.

Some seven miles east of town, the nation’s largest preserved Shaker settlement welcomes guests to its 3,000 acres. They can stay overnight in well-outfitted Shaker buildings, dine at a farm-to-table restaurant, hike 40 miles of trails, or travel the Kentucky River on a stern-wheeler or by canoe.

Tours showcase restored buildings and a working farm to teach visitors more about the innovative and talented people who created the beautiful place and made it their home.

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DOWNTOWN HARRODSBURG

OLD FORT HARROD

Midway is a tiny spot on the map that always seems to draw an outsized crowd. People make a point to drive 30 minutes from Lexington to sightsee, shop and dine there, with good reason.

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED I-64 at Exit 110 between Lexington & West Virginia

GROUP TOUR BUSES ARE WELCOME Easy access for tours of the Ruth Hunt Candy Factory, The Arts Center and Downtown Shopping and Dining. Hotels and Restaurants that can accommodate large groups.

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Boone Creek Outdoors Adventure in the Bluegrass for all ages! (must weight 70lbs+) 2.5 hour fully guided tour 25 minutes South of Downtown Lexington

Book your tour at: iziplex.com Booking Code: HP20

As it has preserved its past, Harrodsburg has also figured out how to make itself appealing to 21st-century travelers. In its tidy downtown, churches bump up against offices and antique stores. A longtime pharmacy has been turned into a candy, ice cream and sandwich shop, its original counter and glass-fronted cabinets still in place. A former bus station has become another popular restaurant.

The area’s landscape no doubt appealed to pioneers, and today’s travelers are equally charmed by the rolling farmlands that bound the town, about a 45-minute drive from Lexington. One way to enjoy the area is by following the county’s Quilt Barn Driving Tour, which passes 20 barns adorned with gaily painted quilt squares as it winds along a series of country roads. Those roadways are also popular with bicyclists, who take breaks at artists’ studios or an alpaca farm that’s open to the public.

HARRODSBURGKY.COM W W W. K Y H O R S E PA R K . C O M

MIDWAY

DEDMAN’S DRUGSTORE IN HARRODSBURG Photos courtesy Harrodsburg/Mercer Co. Tourist Comm.

Midway is a tiny spot on the map that always seems to draw an outsized crowd. People make a point to drive 30 minutes from Lexington to sightsee, shop and dine there, with good reason.

To start, a popular pathway to Midway from Lexington, Old Frankfort Pike, is one of the most scenic byways in the region. It passes one prominent horse farm after another, including Three Chimneys Farm, where a number of Derby winners, including Smarty Jones, have lived out their retirement as breeding stallions.

In downtown Midway, a railroad track runs right through the middle of the one-block town, where some 20 shops and a half-dozen restaurants face one another on Railroad Street. Those tracks are emblematic

of Midway’s beginnings in 1833: It was founded as a railroad town, halfway between Lexington and the state capital, Frankfort. Its locally owned shops, which include multiple art galleries, men’s and women’s clothing stores, several antiques shops, an old-fashioned drugstore, a leather goods store and several gift boutiques, can absorb most of an afternoon as visitors shop and stop to chat with shopkeepers.

Outings might begin or end with a meal at one of Midway’s restaurants, also locally owned, most with bars, and with varying menus and price points.

Among the best known are two owned

by Ouita Michel, a chef who has made a name for herself with seven restaurants in the area, all with different menus and themes. Her first, Holly Hill Inn, is in a handsome brick house where every large room has been turned into a dining room and a wide porch welcomes cocktail sipping. For a more casual but

Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm

- TOURS DAILY -

Little Mike with Game On Dude photo courtesy of Laura Battles

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Horse Racing’s Living History Museum 1841 Paynes Depot Rd., Georgetown, KY 40324 502-863-1775 | www.oldfriendsequine.org

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK 33 magazine

A BEREA GLASSBLOWER

Courtesy Berea Tourism

A WEAVING DEMONSTRATION IN BEREA

OLD FRIENDS FARM FOUNDER MICHAEL BLOWEN Courtesy Georgetown Tourism

Courtesy Berea Tourism

equally delicious meal, there’s Wallace Station on Old Frankfort Pike, on the other edge of Midway, with a shady deck, generous sandwiches and weekly specials like fried chicken.

MEETMEINMIDWAY.COM

BEREA

From Ale-8 to beer cheese to natural hemp products…

Winchester is the place to be for local, original experiences that ALL started here. From great local dining and handcrafted brews to history and outdoor venues, we have something for everyone.

Enjoy all that Winchester has to offer.

visitwinchesterky.com

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Kentucky has become known for its artists and craftspeople, and there’s no better place for an overview of the state’s artistically inclined citizens than Berea, one of the most celebrated arts communities in the state, about an hour’s drive south of the Kentucky Horse Park.

Crafts have long been a part of the culture, with students at the liberal arts school Berea College learning not only academic skills but also basket weaving, broom-making and other crafts. Those student-made crafts

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have long been sold to shoppers eager for handmade, quality pieces.

Berea’s status as a crafts mecca has been further elevated by the opening of the Kentucky Artisans Center. Located at Berea’s north exit off Interstate 75, several miles from downtown, the center is packed with art and crafts from across the state, and on many days, visitors can watch a craftsperson at work during demonstrations while they are shopping.

In downtown Berea, where the college campus is almost always in sight,

one can find a block of storefronts anchored by the well-known and environmentally green Boone Tavern hotel with coffee and fudge shops, craft stores, art galleries and restaurants ranging from casual sandwich shops and a pizzeria to the hotel’s sit-down dining room. A mile from the downtown core is Broadway, an arrow-straight street that dips from Main Street and is lined with art galleries and locally owned food outlets, among them a bagel bakery and a noodle shop.

To enjoy expansive views and work off calories, the Pinnacle, a small

Kentucky has become known for its artists and craftspeople, and there’s no better place for an overview of the state’s artistically inclined citizens than Berea, one of the most celebrated arts communities in the state.

mountain crisscrossed by hiking trails, is a couple of miles south of town. The peak is a reminder that Berea is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, a quality that contributes to its appreciation for the environment and nature.

VISITBEREA.COM

GEORGETOWN Only seven miles from the Kentucky Horse Park is Kentucky’s seventh-largest city. Still by most measures a small town, Georgetown, a bedroom community for Lexington, 15 minutes away, experienced a growth surge when Toyota Motor Manufacturing arrived 32 years ago, and its expansion hasn’t stopped.

Lately, much new development has been tied to tourism. A handsome downtown, bordered by the campus

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Kentucky River Lemons Mill Brewery & Taproom McAfee Jamboree Ragged Edge Community Theatre Rock Haven Cigar Tap Pour House AND MORE!

HarrodsburgKY.com 800-355-9192 W W W. K Y H O R S E PA R K . C O M

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of small Georgetown College, has become even more appealing with a flurry of new restaurants, bars and coffeehouses. A good number of them serve bourbon, the state drink — appropriate, as many say Georgetown was the birthplace of bourbon. When Lexington’s Country Boy Brewing decided to expand, it chose a spot on the outskirts of Georgetown for its roomy brewery and restaurant, where housemade beers are enhanced by local music, yoga classes and trivia nights.

Thoroughbred racing fans can meet racetrack retirees like Derby winner Silver Charm and War Emblem, often nose to nose, at Old Friends, a farm where retired Thoroughbreds live out their golden years in green pastures tended by loving staff and volunteers.

What began in 2003 with one horse in a single rented paddock is now a 135acre nonprofit caring for 170 horses.

A TASTING AT LEXINGTON’S PEPPER DISTILLERY

COUNTRY BOY BREWING IN LEXINGTON Photos courtesy VisitLex

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The Toyota plant, the largest in the world and Toyota’s first wholly owned U.S. plant, turns out the Toyota Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES 350. Free tram tours of the massive plant can be booked weekdays at its visitors center.

Downtown, visitors can take a twomile, self-guided walking tour through the business district and its neighboring residential areas. Along the way, they can see an old jail that’s now the Be sure to click PREVIEW arts and cultural welcome center, stocked with items made by area talent, or visit the local history museum, housed in a former post office.

GEORGETOWNKY.COM

Lexington has long been the Horse Capital of the World, and when visitors drive past the horse farms that ring this city of more than 300,000, they quickly understand why.

Many of the mares, foals and stallions they see grazing in fields are Thoroughbreds, a breed spotlighted at the Kentucky Horse Park and, even more prominently, at Keeneland Race Course, five miles west of downtown.

The racetrack looks like a park, with large oak trees shading the park-

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to ch

ing lots and a stone clubhouse and grandstand that opened in 1936 and survived the challenges wrought by both the Great Depression and World War II in its early years. Although race meets are held two months of the year, in April and October, the racetrack is open year-round to those who want to rise early and watch horses stabled there gallop in their morning workouts. The gift shop is also open to shoppers who want to pick up souvenirs and even ties, hats, dresses and jackets to wear to the races.

Downtown Lexington is experiencing a boom: Two new hotels and several fine-dining establishments have risen to fill a vacant city block and join the neighboring boutique 21c Museum Hotel across the street. Other new restaurants have opened and more are on the way, including several that will turn the tops of historic buildings into rooftop bars.

The bourbon industry is in full view here, with the Town Branch Distillery marking Lexington’s west border and the Distillery District, a hip area housed in rehabbed distillery buildings that is home to several distillers, a local brewery, a pizza parlor and a purveyor of local ice creams. Established local breweries like West Sixth, Blue Stallion and Country Boy also have become gathering places for locals and visitors.

There’s history to be seen and learned in the city that was once called the Athens of the West. Downtown highlights include the campus of Transylvania University — the first liberal arts college west of the Allegheny Mountains — and the brick townhome where Mary Todd Lincoln spent her early years, now in the shadow of Rupp Arena and the Lexington Convention Center. On the east side of town, Ashland, the estate of statesman Henry Clay, offers docent-led tours of the home and a chance to explore a formal garden and the expansive grounds.

VISITLEX.COM

W W W. K Y H O R S E PA R K . C O M

Your next outdoor adventure starts in

Grant County, KY GET UP & GET OUTSIDE

Grant County is just a short drive north from the Kentucky Horse Park on I-75. Visit us and spend some time at Lake Williamstown on a boat ride or for some fishing at Boltz Lake in Dry Ridge. Grant County is also home to Grant County Park, Webb & Piddle Parks, family-friendly hiking trails and good-natured folks.

visitgrantky.com 800-382-7117

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK 37 magazine

A NATIVE SPIRIT

K E N T U C K Y B O U R B O N H A S B U I LT A W O R L D W I D E F O L L O W I N G

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

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I

BARRELS OF BOURBON AGING AT BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY Courtesy Buffalo Trace

DISTILLING EQUIPMENT AT FOUR ROSES Courtesy Four Roses

AN ELIJAH CRAIG EXHIBIT AT HEAVEN HILL’S BOURBON HERITAGE CENTER

n Kentucky, bourbon is more than a drink. The bourbon-makers who invite visitors to taste their products and tour their distilleries consider bourbon a form of personal expression, a way to share culture and history.

Every bourbon distillery follows its own techniques and traditions and has its own look and feel, from the design of its label and the shape of its bottles to the style of its buildings and grounds.

Some have revived old brick warehouses and bottling plants abandoned for decades; others have built new bourbon-making palaces of glass, steel and stone. Some have been in business for more than a century; others, just a few years.

Altogether, there are more than 40 major distillers and craft distilleries in Kentucky; 38 are members of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trails, whose website is kybourbontrails. com. The list of distillers continues to grow as bourbon and bourbon tourism booms. Here are five places to start, each with its own approach, attitude, atmosphere and, ultimately, flavor.

NEW RIFF DISTILLING NEWPORT KENTUCKY HORSE PARK VISITORS CAN LEARN ABOUT THE STATE’S BOOMING BOURBON INDUSTRY — AND SAMPLE SOME OF ITS PRODUCTS — AT DISTILLERIES SUCH AS NEW RIFF IN NEWPORT. Courtesy New Riff Distilling

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Courtesy Heaven Hill

Across the Ohio River from Cincinnati and about 90 minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park, New Riff is the first stop for bourbon tours for those headed south on Interstate 75 and the

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A DISTILLERY TOUR AT BOURBON 30

A NEW DINING SPACE AT HEAVEN HILL’S BOURBON HERITAGE CENTER Courtesy Heaven Hill

last stop for those headed north. The modern steel, glass and stone distillery one block from the riverfront has often been in the news since it began offering its own bourbon in 2018.

Since it opened its first bottles, it’s also been winning awards, including the No. 17 spot on Whiskey Advocate’s Top 20 Best Whiskeys list for its Kentucky straight rye whiskey.

New Riff is family-owned, and family members say their goal is to turn New Riff into one of the leading small distillers in the world. For inspiration, they have looked as much to the makers of European spirits like grappa as to the longtime bourbon distillers in other parts of Kentucky.

Visitors can take $10 hour-long tours to learn about the processes and ingredients that make New Riff’s bourbons unique, including the natural aquifer that serves as its water source and its all-copper production line. Afterward, they can settle in at New Riff’s Aquifer Bar, where the drink menu changes with the season and incorporates the distillery’s bourbon, rye and gin. The cocktails are not only tasty but colorfully named, like the Half Labowski, a combo of rye, Kahlua and cold brew coffee, or the You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out Kid, a mix of bourbon, lemon and cran-apple juices, cinnamon sugar, simple syrup, black strap bitters and ginger beer.

NEWRIFFDISTILLING.COM

Courtesy Georgetown Tourism

NEW RIFF PRODUCTS

Courtesy New Riff Distilling

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A DISTILLERY TOUR AT BUFFALO TRACE

Courtesy Courtesy Buffalo Trace Courtesy KHP

BOURBON 30 IN GEORGETOWN

Courtesy Georgetown Tourism

Although Bourbon 30 doesn’t have the swank and polish of some of the larger distilleries, visitors say its bubbly personality and passion more than make up for its modest digs.

It sits in a nondescript street-front building in downtown Georgetown, a few steps from the spring that supplied water for what many believe is Kentucky’s first bourbon-maker.

Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister who came up with the idea to age bourbon in oak barrels, made that first batch.

BOURBON 30 GEORGETOWN Although Bourbon 30 doesn’t have the swank and polish of some of the larger distilleries, visitors say its bubbly personality and passion more than make up for its modest digs.

The small craft distillery sits in a nondescript street-front building in downtown Georgetown, a few steps from the spring that supplied water for what many believe is Kentucky’s first bourbon-maker. Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister who came up with the idea to age bourbon in oak barrels, made that first batch.

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It’s an interesting point, especially when visitors learn that at Bourbon 30, those barrels get a great deal of attention.

Owner and master crafter Jeff Mattingly took up bourbon-making after he retired from auto-making. Because his is a small craft distillery, he can afford to spend the time carefully monitoring his barrels. He takes tastes from each and contemplates how different factors, from where and how the barrel is positioned to how much the inside of the barrel was charred, is affecting flavor.

His hands-on approach has led to experiences that evoke enthusiastic comments. Visitors talk about the friendly, laid-back atmosphere and the

time they get to spend chatting in small groups with the bourbon-maker.

Bourbon 30 also takes a different approach to tastings. Instead of the typical bottle-poured samples, Bourbon 30 does barrel tastings, where visitors sample straight from white oak barrels. For an added price, they can also custom blend their own bottle. As one visitor said, “This is a place for those who want to be able to talk to the distiller and owner and taste some unique and outstanding whiskeys.”

ITSBOURBON30.COM

BUFFALO TRACE FRANKFORT Need evidence that bourbon-making is booming? Look to Frankfort, the state’s capital, where Buffalo Trace Distillery is well into a $1.2 billion expansion, aimed at giving it more warehouses to store its bourbon and a bigger plant to bottle its spirits.

A quarter-million visitors come to this bustling distillery each year for complimentary tours that leave from a visitors center that’s also on the todo list for an expansion.

Buffalo Trace’s bourbons are popular. Its best known, perhaps, are the legendary and pricey Pappy Van Winkle and Blanton’s, the first single-barrel bourbon made in the world.

But even as it is challenged to keep up with demand for its products, Buffalo Trace has kept its visitors’ experiences in mind. It has gone far beyond the typical in terms of tours, with five options: its basic Trace tour, or the Trace tour plus a ghost tour, a hardhat tour, a national landmark tour or an archaeological-style tour.

The Trace tour, unlike the rest, requires no reservations. It begins with a video about the distillery’s long history and then takes visitors on a walk

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along the path that bourbon barrels follow. Like most distillery tours, Buffalo Trace’s ends with a free tasting, although the distillery does warn that it doesn’t offer everything it makes, as high demand limits availability.

On any tour, visitors soak in the history of a site where bourbon has been distilled in some fashion for 246 years and appreciate the distillery’s more recent accomplishments. The more than 300 awards it has received make it the most award-winning distillery in the world, it says.

BUFFALOTRACEDISTILLERY.COM

THE ELEGANT EXTERIOR OF FOUR ROSES DISTILLERY Courtesy Heaven Hill

Courtesy Four Roses

The setting and architecture give the distillery a

FOUR ROSES LAWRENCEBURG A short trip down a winding country road leads to Four Roses Distillery. Its Spanish revival-influenced headquarters next to the Salt River seems small, but don’t be deceived.

The bourbon brand is a mighty presence worldwide; it is the most popular bourbon in Europe and Japan and has been since the 1930s.

The setting and architecture give the distillery a romantic feel, appropriate since its name sprung from its founder’s love for a Southern belle. As the story goes, Paul Jones Jr. asked the belle to marry him, and she delivered her answer — yes — by wearing four bright red roses on her ballgown at a dance.

On a tour, visitors learn about Four Roses’ approach as they traverse catwalks above the production floor and stick fingers in the mash that bubbles in enormous cypress-lined vats. Four Roses’ process involves mingling 10 bourbon recipes that each have their own character, spice and fruit flavors to create bourbons that are mellow — one reason, perhaps, that women are among the brand’s biggest fans.

Those with limited time might opt for the $7 Taste of History instead of the full $10 tour. In addition to the tasting

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romantic feel, appropriate since its name sprung from its founder’s love for a Southern belle. As the story goes, Paul Jones Jr. asked the belle to marry him, and she delivered her answer — yes — by wearing four bright red roses on her ballgown at a dance.

and an explanation of each bourbon’s distinctive flavor profile, there’s time for questions and answers and a complimentary tasting glass to take home.

Like some other distilleries, Four Roses has multiple properties. Its warehouse and bottling facility, about an hour west of its production facility in Lawrenceburg, also welcomes tours and tastings.

FOURROSESBOURBON.COM

HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY BARDSTOWN The Shapira family, longtime owners of Heaven Hill Distillery, have always been forward thinking. Five Shapira brothers realized that the future of bourbon was bright when they opened a distillery on Prohibition’s

heels in 1935. With no experience, they managed to make a bourbon — Kentucky Old Heaven Hill bottled-inbond — that quickly became the most popular bourbon in Kentucky.

Today, Heaven Hill is the sixth-largest supplier of distilled spirits in America and one of the most popular stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

It has won multiple awards from industry publications like Whisky Advocate magazine and in major spirits competitions. It has earned Whisky magazine’s Visitor Attraction of the Year award multiple times.

Visitors are immersed in the bourbon-making process at Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Heritage Center, first opened in 1984 and now in the midst of a major expansion. Already, three new tasting rooms have opened, and the center’s retail space has expanded.

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A BOURBON TASTING AT FOUR ROSES

Courtesy Four Roses

Taste straight from the barrel!

Bourbon 30 Spirits bottles each barrel one at a time, encapsulating the uniqueness and integrity of each barrel.

At Bourbon 30 Spirits, we hope to teach you how to enjoy your bourbon and whiskey as we shar e the "ex p er ience" with y ou.

Next, the center will triple in size as rooms are added so that classes can be offered to teach visitors how to use tools and recipes to make and bottle their own bourbon; and they’ll learn why oak barrels are so essential to the process and how they are made.

The expansion will also add a restaurant, the Five Brothers Bar and Kitchen, where craft cocktails will hold court alongside Kentucky culinary traditions.

For now, visitors can enjoy stepping back in time in new tasting rooms that pay homage to bourbon legends like Craig, the Father of Bourbon, who likely would have enjoyed a drink in the library-style tasting room that bears his name. Another space, the Founders Room, is an homage to the founding Shapira brothers, where an industrial vibe reflects the production line, and walls are lined with vintage photos of the brothers and the early distillery.

HEAVENHILLDISTILLERY.COM

Welcome to the Family A family-owned, family-run bourbon distillery in the heart of downtown Georgetown, Kentucky, Bourbon 30 Spirits' story dates back to 1845 with the start of one of the first distilleries in Kentucky! Come see and experience the rich crafting tradition at Bourbon 30 Spirits Craft Distillery.

Tours & Tastings

We invite you to be our guest and Blend your own bottle!

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The Bottle Experience Try a sample from Bourbon 30 labels and J. Mattingly 1845 Private Reserves.

The Barrel Experience Taste uncut, unfiltered bourbon & whiskey straight from the barrel.

Premium Bourbon Experience Bottle your own bourbon or whiskey straight from the barrel, or create a blend!

J. Mattingly 1845

www.jmattingly1845.com 130 S. Water Street Georgetown, KY 40324 43 magazine 502.219.2551

KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

WHERE

CHAMPIONS GATHER P L A N T O AT T E N D O N E O F O U R W O R L D - C L A S S E V E N T S

BY VICKIE MITCHELL

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S KENTUCKY HORSE PARK MOUNTED POLICE

ince it opened 42 years ago, the Kentucky Horse Park has been home to world-class events, and each year, the list grows longer. In 2020, the park will host the first-ever Equitana USA, an equine trade show and exhibition that’s an offshoot of the biennial Equitana Germany. For additional information about it and other events, visit kyhorsepark.com to see the events calendar or check out the park’s Facebook page.

LAND ROVER KENTUCKY THREE-DAY EVENT APRIL 23-26

YOUNG FANS AT AN EQUESTRIAN EVENT

EQUESTRIANS PERFORM IMPRESSIVE FEATS DURING NUMEROUS WORLD-CLASS COMPETITIONS AND EVENTS AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK. JUNIOR LEAGUE HORSE SHOW All photos courtesy KHP

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The Kentucky Horse Park was brandnew when, in 1978, competitors poured into Kentucky from a dozen countries to compete in the quadrennial ThreeDay World Championships, which was being held in the U.S. for the first time.

The equine triathlon, a qualifier for the Olympic Games and the World Equestrian Games, has become an annual tradition since then, attracting more than 80,000 spectators from every state and more than a dozen countries.

Each day of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event offers a different experience for spectators: the precision of dressage in the show ring on Thursday and Friday, the demanding cross-country course on Saturday and the rigors of stadium jumping on Sunday. In addition to watching the equine athletes, spectators can shop for art, jewelry, clothing and gifts at vendor tents; enjoy dining, from tailgating to

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SHOPPING COLLECTIBLES AT BREYERFEST

JUNIOR LEAGUE HORSE SHOW

The Festival of the Bluegrass has introduced fans to future stars like Ricky Skaggs, Bela Fleck and Alison Krauss and has been proclaimed the top Bluegrass festival in central Kentucky.

upscale options for those who purchase upgraded tickets; and, of course, test drive a Land Rover.

KENTUCKYTHREEDAYEVENT.COM

FESTIVAL OF THE BLUEGRASS JUNE 11-14 Since 1974, this family-run threeday Festival of the Bluegrass has brought well-known Bluegrass stars and up-and-comers to its stages. At the inaugural festival, Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley were among the musicians who serenaded the crowd from a farm wagon that had been turned into a stage. The original site was a field of Walnut Hall Farm, which soon became the Horse Park.

Since then, the Festival of the Bluegrass has introduced fans to future stars like Ricky Skaggs, Bela Fleck

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AN AWARD PRESENTATION AT THE JUNIOR LEAGUE HORSE SHOW

and Alison Krauss and has been proclaimed the top Bluegrass festival in central Kentucky. For the past 20 years, the Kentucky Horse Park’s campground has been the festival’s home, offering fans the chance to set up camp — tents are popular and recreational vehicle sites sell out fast — and create a temporary community of Bluegrass enthusiasts. After performances end for the night on the festival’s multiple stages, the music continues to course through the night as Bluegrass fans gather around in the campground to pluck and sing.

Now under the direction of grandchildren of the late Roy and Jean Cornett, who founded it, the Festival of the Bluegrass continues to evolve. New events emphasize health and gardening, which, like Bluegrass music, were among the Cornetts’ passions.

FESTIVALOFTHEBLUEGRASS.COM

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF LEXINGTON CHARITY HORSE SHOW JULY 6-11 Midsummer welcomes high-stepping, naturally gaited, American Saddlebreds to the Rolex Arena for one of Lexington’s oldest equine traditions: the Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. Founded in 1937, this all-volunteer event is the first leg of the Saddlebred Triple Crown. And as it brings more than 1,000 competitors to Lexington, it also raises money for worthy causes, donating some $4 million since its inception.

Over its weeklong run, the show offers a little something for everyone for a reasonable admission fee of $5 weekdays and $10 weekends. One evening might feature face painting, pony rides and a stick horse race for

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“horse girls.� Each year, they gather at this three-day festival to show and sell their horses and learn about the real horses that inspired their model ones.

They'll take classes in mane and tail sculpting, painting techniques, stall decoration and Christmas ornament design. They'll wander through a trade show, buying accessories and other items for their stables.

Held at the Kentucky Horse Park since its inception in 1990, Breyerfest has grown from about 1,000 attendees to more than 30,000 today. The first Breyer model horse, No. 57 Western Horse, was made in 1950.

Each year, the horse that inspired the commemorative model made for Breyerfest makes an appearance.

The 2020 horse is Ballynoe Castle RM, known as Reggie around his barn, a show jumping warmblood. In celebration of his Irish roots, the 2020 festival Celtic Fling will have an Irish flavor through music, performances by the

Bluegrass Ceili Academy dancers and other themed events.

BREYERFEST.COM

EQUITANA SEPTEMBER 25-27 The tech industry has its annual Consumer Electronics Show, the auto industry has its Detroit Car Show and now, the equine industry will have Equitana USA at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The U.S. event is modeled on the famed Equitana Germany, which has grown to a nine-day international conference that attracts some 200,000 people and 750 exhibitors. It has been the leading international exhibition for the equestrian industry for over 35 years.

Equitana USA will be a chance for horse lovers to explore and learn by visiting 200 exhibitors at a trade show, attending seminars and trainings, and then, ending the day with evening

children. Other special events include equine-related demonstrations, a military and first-responder appreciation day, a college night and a just-for-fun charity dog show with classes like trick dog, senior dog and lap dog. For meals and snacks, local restaurants set up food booths, and a shopping area offers art, clothing gifts and souvenirs.

LEXJRLEAGUE.COM

BREYERFEST JULY 10-12 Breyerfest is a celebration of horse ownership of a different sort. Owned by children and collectors alike, Breyer toy horses are 1:9 scaled miniatures molded from plastic and, like their large, live counterparts, beautiful.

These collectors of Breyer model horses are mostly young girls, dubbed

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entertainment with horses in starring roles. Attendees will have the chance to hear well-known equine personalities, authors, veterinarians and other equine experts.

EQUITANAUSA.COM

NATIONAL HORSE SHOW OCTOBER 24-NOVEMBER 1 Since the National Horse Show moved to the Kentucky Horse Park in 2011, America’s oldest horse show has continued to grow. Competitors now vie for some $800,000 in prizes and championship titles across multiple competitions. Competition highlights include the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Lexington, the 3'3" Equitation Championships, the Hunter Classic and the ASPCA Maclay Finals.

Equine writer Nancy Jaffer has called the National Horse Show “far more than a sporting event — it’s a treasured tradition.” It began in 1883 in New York’s first Madison Square Garden and was held there for more than a century. In its new home at the Kentucky Horse Park, the show’s prestige has been preserved.

Even riders too young to have ever competed in New York realize, Jaffer wrote, that “winning a National ribbon has a special meaning in the Alltech Arena, just as it did in Manhattan.”

The public is welcome to the event.

NHS.ORG

SOUTHERN LIGHTS NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 31 Each year, families pile into their cars and head for the Kentucky Horse Park’s campground entrance, the start of a four-mile-long driving route through myriad colorful holiday light displays.

This tradition has spanned almost two decades, long enough that those who first came to Southern Lights as children are now bringing their own

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LAND ROVER THREE-DAY EVENT

kids to experience it.

Southern Lights begins the Sunday before Thanksgiving and ends on New Year’s Eve. On weekends, the line of cars can stretch for miles; weeknights are not as busy.

Visitors are rewarded at the end of their drive through the lights with plenty of Christmas-themed activities at the park’s visitor center, many of them free, including visits with Santa, mini train rides, a petting zoo and a model train display. There are small charges for extras like Santa photos, pony and camel rides, and food and drink from local vendors. But thanks to its “by the carload” pricing, Southern Lights remains reasonably priced and a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit each year and help the Kentucky Horse Park. Proceeds from the event, run by the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, benefit the park.

KHPFOUNDATION.ORG

OTHER EVENTS AT THE ALLTECH ARENA In the decade since it opened, the Alltech Arena has proved to be far

more than a show ring for equine competitions, each year hosting horse sales, rodeos and varied equine competitions.

It is also a fantastic venue for high school sports competitions from wrestling to cheerleading, as well as high school graduations, with plenty of room for parents and other loved ones in its 5,517 permanent seats.

The arena’s 50,000 square feet of concourse makes a wonderful winding path for the annual Bluegrass Trust Antiques and Garden Show; the Kentucky Book Fair, which has brought 200 regional and national authors to sign books and meet their readers; and Kentucky Crafted, the annual marketplace where Kentucky artists of all descriptions sell their works to retailers and the public. The arena floor is versatile. One day, it might seat people for a concert or a speech, and the next, filled with dirt, it can welcome a tractor pull or a horse sale. Features like nine VIP suites, six concession stands, an 1,200-space parking lot and two box offices make it an appealing and versatile venue.

KYHORSEPARK.COM W W W. K Y H O R S E PA R K . C O M

HATS OFF DAY JULY 25

SPECTATORS ARRIVING AT BREYERFEST

How do you say thank you to an industry that means a total economic impact of $6.5 billion and creates some 60,000 jobs in your state? Kentucky does it in a meaningful way, with the annual Hats Off Day at the Kentucky Horse Park, a free family event that celebrates horses and the Kentuckians connected to them.

Hats Off Day is the only day of the year that admission to the Horse Park is free. Sponsored by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, this year’s event is Saturday, July 25, 4-10 p.m.

There’s plenty to do: horse and pony rides, face painting, inflatables and educational booths. Families are welcome to bring along picnics. In the evening, everyone pours into the outdoor Rolex Stadium to see top international riders and hunters/ jumpers compete in the Rood and Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix, a show jumping championship.

Oh, and there are hats to put on and take off. Area horse farms and businesses donate piles of hats, which are given away while supplies last.

Vineyards, Victory & Venture Welcome to Nicholasville and Wilmore!

Located within Jessamine County, Nicholasville and Wilmore are full of natural beauty and outdoor adventures. Visit and discover a place that’s Taylor Made for Fun!

102 South First Street, Nicholasville | 859.305.6040 | visitjessamine.com

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KENTUCKY HORSE PARK 2020

EVENTS CALENDAR LAND ROVER KENTUCKY THREE-DAY EVENT

BREYERFEST

EQUITANA USA

JULY 10-12

SEPTEMBER 25-27

USPC PONY CLUB FESTIVAL

KHP FOUNDATION BATTLE IN THE SADDLE

APRIL 23-26

KENTUCKY SPRING HORSE SHOW

JULY 13-20

MAY 6-10

OCTOBER 2

KENTUCKY SPRING CLASSIC

AMERICAN EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS

BOURBON COUNTRY BURN

AUGUST 26-30

OCTOBER 2-4

FESTIVAL OF THE BLUEGRASS

BLUEGRASS CLASSIC DOG SHOW

THOROUGHBRED MAKEOVER

JUNE 11-14

AUGUST 27-31

OCTOBER 7-10

VINTAGE MARKET DAYS

NEW VOCATIONS CHARITY THOROUGHBRED SHOW

NATIONAL HORSE SHOW

MAY 13-17

JUNE 12-14

OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 1

SEPTEMBER 3-6

SILVERAMA REGION 14 ARABIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS JUNE 24-28

SOUTHERN LIGHTS STROLL KENTUCKY NATIONAL HUNTER/JUMPER SHOW

NOVEMBER 21

SEPTEMBER 16-20

SOUTHERN LIGHTS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL

JUNIOR LEAGUE HORSE SHOW JULY 6-11

NOV. 22-DEC. 31

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND A FULL LIST OF EVENTS, VISIT: WWW.KYHORSEPARK.COM

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Kentucky Horse Park

Horseback Trail Riding Explore Kentucky’s beautiful countryside on horseback!

Schedule your trail ride at the Visitors Center on the day of your visit.

Find all of your horse loving needs at the Kentucky Horse Park Gift Shop!

Equine Home Decor Eye Catching Apparel Jewelry & Gifts Breyer Horses & Toys Kentucky Proud Products NEW!

Bourbon Souvenirs

ALSO AVAILABLE – PONY RIDES FOR YOUR YOUNGEST HORSE-LOVING RIDERS! LEARN MORE KYHORSEPARK.COM | 859-233-4303

EXPERIENCE EQUITANA USA The world’s largest equestrian trade fair and exhibition brand is coming to the USA with shopping, education, and entertainment for all ages & disciplines.

SEPTEMBER 25-27, 2020 KENTUCKY HORSE PARK EQUITANA EVENING SHOW EQUUS EVOLUTION ALLTECH ARENA

EQUITANA USA KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

@EQUITANAUSA

EQUITANAUSA.COM

KENTUCKY

Horse Headquarters SCOTT COUNTY • Get up close and personal with

stars of the turf at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm.

• Share Kentucky’s love of horses at

nearby Kentucky Horse Park and Keeneland Race Course.

• See an automobile constructed from the ground up at the largest Toyota Manufacturing plant in the world.

• Experience Kentucky’s beauty in the most natural way… by horseback at Whispering Woods Riding Stables.

• Uncover the history of a Historic Downtown,

the Greek Revival mansion, Ward Hall, plus so much more!

15 hotels + over 80 Restaurants

Right Off

INTERSTATE

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Just 30 miles south of the Ark Encounter!

COUNTRY BOY BREWING WALMART CONNECTOR RD

CATTLEMAN’S ROADHOUSE

EXIT 126

(4.8 miles)

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DOWNTOWN THAI GARDEN BROADWAY

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DESSERTS BY REBECCA BROUSSARD’S DELTA KITCHEN MY OLD KENTUCKY FOAM FAVA’S E MAIN ST

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(I-75 at EXIT 120 - 5 miles)

(2 miles)

www.GeorgetownKy.com • 888.863.8600

LITTLE SILVER CHARM