AAE recently visited Kentucky for some exciting tours of horse farms. The area is well known for raising thoroughbred horses, so if you have a love for the equestrian set and/or you just enjoy seeing the natural beauty of acres of green grass, rolling hills and wooden fences, this might be a great trip for you.
Our first stop was Keeneland, a farm and track that is a national historic landmark. The outside walking tour provides a guide who will take you through the Keeneland paddock and grandstand, grounds, and when available, to the world-renowned Keeneland Sales Pavilion. You can learn more about this pillar of the equine industry in Kentucky, and will likely see horses training on the track.
Located in the heart of Kentucky horse country, Keeneland is an internationally renowned racecourse and the thoroughbred industry’s leading auction house. It was founded in 1936, with a mission to continually invest in the industry and preserve the tradition of thoroughbred racing.
Keeneland's founders intended it to be a special place that could symbolize the best in thoroughbred racing in the region. This founding vision continues more than eight
decades later as Keeneland continues to provide racing and sales at the highest level.
Another farm we visited, the Gainsborough Farm in Versailles, Ky., is now open to visitors for the first time. Gainsborough is a nursery division of Godolphin, the international thoroughbred breeding and racing operation founded by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai.
At the start of the tour, you will learn about the history of Gainsborough Farm as well as the global scope of HH Sheikh Mohammed’s international thoroughbred operations. From there you will climb aboard an electric shuttle for a scenic drive through the farm with several stops along the way to get up close to broodmares and babies. These mares and foals love to pose for photos and meet new people.
Godolphin and Darley were born out of Sheikh Mohammed’s love for horses that began as a young man, when he and his friend rode bareback races on the sands of Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach. Today, Team Godolphin is one of the leading breeding and racing stables in the world, and has won some of the most prestigious races including the Dubai World Cup, a dozen individual Breeders’ Cup races, the Belmont Stakes, Epsom Derby and more.
Every modern Thoroughbred traces its beginnings to Arabia and the three foundation Arabian stallions that came from East to West - the Godolphin Arabian, Darley Arabian and Byerly Turk.
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