Category: Kentucky

Three Chimneys Farm Tour Kentucky

Ange BowmanLeave a comment

We arrived back in Lexington on the 3rd August (happy birthday Charlie). The main reason for returning to Kentucky was that we were fortunate to be able to book a tour of Three Chimneys Stud Farm at Midway KY.

 

  Three Chimneys Farm is one of the premier breeding farms in Kentucky. They provide shuttle stallions to Australia, in fact, two of their stallions had left for Australia a few days before we arrived. Big Brown is standing at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley NSW and War Chant is standing at Yarradale Stud in Western Australia for the 2011 breeding season.

 

We found a covered bridge about 30 miles from the farm so decided to drive over and take a look. The bridge had been damaged during flooding in 1997 so it is not in use but maintained for visitors to the area.

Our tour time was 1pm and as we arrived in the area 45 minutes early decided to find a bite to eat before heading to the farm.

What better than sharing one Darlin’ Jeans Granny’s grilled sandwich. It was yum and we both really enjoyed it. This place was really old world but very popular with visitors and locals.


The tour was fantastic, we only toured the stallion area but were really impressed with the barns and the whole set up. The stallions we saw were; Flower Alley, Sky Mesa, Dynaformer, Lewis Michael by Rahy who is retired and is living out his days in luxury at Three Chimneys Farm.  The stallions each have their own box on the farm, four to a barn.

Previous occupants brass nameplates remain on the box along the name of the current occupant. Each stallion has their own day paddock and is turned out everyday weather permitting. Also found it interesting that all stallions with the exception of one or two are exercised on the track or hot walker every day to maintain their fitness


Seattle Slew won the Triple Crown (1977) and stood at the farm for all but the last month of his life. The farm has a statue of Seattle Slew which is popular with visitors.

So that’s it all the things we wanted to do have been checked off for the road trip now we just have the drive back to Dallas to begin the next phase of our trip. Visiting family in Abilene and a trip to Aspen with Scott and Leonie.

We are heading home (Dallas) via Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and will cover as many miles as we can each day.

Louisville, Lexington Kentucky and Churchill Downs

Ange BowmanLeave a comment
Shared a plate BBQ from Logans

 

We decided that our first day in Kentucky would be a rest day. We had a lie in then went to Best Buy to replace our trusty TomTom who started to freeze up on startup occasionally.
We decided it was time to upgrade and we purchase the new an improved model for under $150. After our short shopping trip, we had a light lunch (as light as you can get here anyway) before heading back to the room to relax.
Barbaro won 2006 Derby broke down in Preakness
put down in 2007 after a year of trying to save him
Day 2 Louisville we set off to find Churchill Downs home of the Kentucky Derby. We did the behind the scenes tour of the course and it was very informative.

Take the virtual tour 

Seating prices on track skyrockets
on Derby Day

 

Dad had Green with White? Colours
The track, they run
Melbourne way of going

 

The saddling paddock. The horses are saddled in the stalls
after they are walked over from barn before the race
Walking through the betting area

 

Grindstone’s saddle 1996 winner

Such history they have never missed holding the race since 1875. Through two world wars, the civil war and the battle of Little Big Horn the race has been run.

After Churchill Downs, we headed downtown to check out the Steamboat Belle of St Louisville on the river.

It was another hot day so we headed back to the hotel around three to rest up and cool off.

Day three we headed to Lexington via Versailles to explore the Keeneland track and drive past some of the many stud farms in the area.

 

Some pictures from our morning spent at Keeneland race track

Keeneland is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and sales complex in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Operated by the Keeneland Association, Inc., it is also known for its reference library on the sport, which contains more than 10,000 volumes, an extensive videocassette collection, and a substantial assemblage of photo negatives and newspaper clippings.

In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Keeneland was ranked #1 of the top ten tracks. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Keeneland was founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing–auction entity on 147 acres (0.59 km2) of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack Keene, a driving force behind the building of the facility.

It has used proceeds from races and its auctions to further the thoroughbred industry as well as to contribute to the surrounding community. The racing side of Keeneland, Keeneland Race Course, has conducted live race meets in April and October since 1936.

It added a grass course in 1985. The spring meet contains several preps for the Kentucky Derby (held the first Saturday in May), the most notable of which is the Blue Grass Stakes. The fall meet features several Breeders’ Cup preps.

All the stud farms are well fences often with two lines of fencing forming lanes around the property.

Downtown Lexington

 

Downtown Lexington

 

Haven’t heard from Three Chimneys Farm about the tour will try and take it in on the way back to Texas.

Yes, Kentucky is the home of KFC and no we didn’t eat any while we were here. KFC was founded and is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States.

The Colonel was born and raised in Henryville, Indiana, Sanders passed through several professions in his lifetime. Sanders first served his fried chicken in 1930 in the midst of the Great Depression at a gas station he owned in North Corbin, Kentucky. The dining area was named Sanders Court & Café and was so successful that in 1935 Kentucky Governor Ruby Laffoon granted Sanders the title of honorary Kentucky Colonel in recognition of his contribution to the state’s cuisine.