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If
you want to get up close and personal with some of the finest racing
horses any jockey ever saw, you need to put a visit to the Featuring
as many as 53 different breeds of horses at work and play, horses are
showcased with equine exhibits, carriage rides, horseback riding,
special presentations throughout the day, and dozens of horse shows and
special events thorough the year. Covering
more that 1,200 acres, the park is a combination working horse farm,
educational theme park, museum, and 260 site RV park, all in one. Here
you can tour museums
dedicated to horses and their impact on man’s history, see the grave
of one of the most famous racing horses of all time, meet some of the
most famous living racehorses in the Hall of Champions Show, enjoy a
tour on a horse drawn trolley, take a self-guided walking tour, and meet
some of the newest members of the park family in the Mare and Foal Show,
where newborn colts are introduced to the public. There is so much to
see and do at One
of the first stops for visitors to the Foaled
in March of 1917, Man O’ War’s incredible 28 foot stride, combined
with his winner’s heart, made him a formidable opponent on any
racetrack where he competed. His stud career following his glory days on
the racetrack were just as impressive. Retiring to Man
O’ Wars’ groom, Will Harbut, probably did more than all the history
books to nurture the horse’s legend. It was love at first sight when
Harbut and Man O’ War met in the fall of 1930, and they became
inseparable friends for the rest of their lives.
A genial man with a flair for promoting, Harbut loved showing Man
O’ War off to the many visitors who came to Faraway Farm to see the
great horse, and Man O’ War seemed to be a natural ham who loved to
get applause. Between the two of them, they built up an act that
delighted everybody who came to visit. Will Harbut swore that Man O’
War, or Big Red, as he affectionately called the big roan, could
understand every word he spoke. Seeing the two in action, it wasn’t
hard to believe.
Harbut
enjoyed showing visitors around the farm, introducing them to the other
distinguished horses who lived there. Then he would show them the big
brass bell that was rung every time one of Man O’ War’s offspring
won a stakes race, and open the champion’s stall. “This y’ere hoss
is Man O’ War,” he would say in his soft southern drawl, “He is
the mostest hoss what ever drew breath.” Big Red would pose
outrageously while Harbut was talking lifting his noble profile and
obviously enjoying the attention. It was a wonderful show that thrilled
all who saw the two together. Their
friendship lasted for seventeen years, until Will Harbut died suddenly
in the fall of 1947. Man O’ War, heartbroken over the loss of his
friend, died of colic less than a month later. The first horse in
American history to be embalmed, he lay in state in the center of his
stud barn in a casket lined with black and gold silks. Hundreds of
prominent people from the horse world attended his funeral.
Near
Man O’ War’s grave is the grave of Isaac Murphy, the top jockey of
the 1800s. The son of a black freeman who died in a Confederate prison
south of Lexington, born in Fayette County, Kentucky on January 1, 1859,
Murphy rode his first race when he was a teenager and went on to win
over 628 races, for a lifetime winning average of an amazing 44%, a
record that still stands today. He won the Latonia Derby five times, the
American Derby four times, and the Kentucky Derby three times.
Murphy’s style was exceptional in that he seldom used a whip or spurs
on his horses. Instead, he talked to them and was seemingly able to
persuade the horses to win for him with his words. Murphy’s reputation
and personal integrity were admired by all who knew him. He never took a
bet, never gambled, and never broke a contract, even when more lucrative
offers were made to him. Retiring from the track at age 36, Murphy would
only live one more year before he died of pneumonia, probably due to the
rigid dieting required during his racing career. For years his gravesite
was a mystery, before being discovered in an abandoned cemetery. His
remains were exhumed and interred with honors at the A
visit to One
of the most popular attractions at the park is the Hall of Champions
Show, presented March 15 through October 31. Here the excitement of the
racetrack is brought to life as some of the most famous racing champions
in the world are presented. Now permanent residents of the parks Hall of
Champions, this elite groups includes living equine legends Cigar, John
Henry, CH Gypsy Supreme, Staying Together and Western Dreamer. These
horses have won millions of dollars on the racetrack and are true
celebrities in the racing world. Another
extremely popular event is the daily Parade of Breeds Presentation, in
which the color, sound, and excitement of the show ring is brought to
life as costumed riders put different top breeds of horses through their
paces. This is also a seasonal program, held March 15 to October 31. The
Mare and Foal Show, (Memorial Day through July 31) introduces the newest
members of the park family. These babies welcome your friendly pats, and
staff members are on hand to answer questions about the breeding and
foaling process. If
you want to do more than just watch horses, guided trail rides through
the park’s beautiful rolling hills are offered daily, as well as pony
rides for the younger set. Carriage rides along the park’s back roads
show off the beautiful vistas that make the Bluegrass region so famous. The
largest equine museum in the world, the park’s The
Racing
and show champions are not the only horses honored at the park. Horses
have also been television and movie stars, and you can learn about some
of your favorites at the park. Have you ever heard of Bamboo Harvester,
the Talking Horse? Probably not, but we all knew him under his screen
name of Mr. Ed. Delighting television audiences from coast to coast, Mr.
Ed really gave it to you “right from the horse’s mouth!” Mr. Ed
was an unregistered golden palomino saddlebred horse who was trained by
Les Hilton. Like too many stars, Ed eventually let fame go to his head
and developed a star’s temperament. If he was too tired or just having
a bad day, he would refuse to work. But when he did work, he worked very
hard – he learned to perform hundreds of tricks, from answering the
telephone to writing notes, opening and closing his stable door, waving
flags, and untying knots. Not to mention talking, of course. The tricks
were all real, but whoever heard of a talking horse…..? Another
popular Hollywood horse was a big black Missouri saddle horse named
Highland Dale, who went on to fame under the name Beauty, starring in
many movies including Black Beauty,
Gypsy Colt, Giant,
Outlaw Stallion, and Wild Is
The Wind to name just a few. Moving to the small screen, Beauty
became known as Fury in the long running TV series Fury.
The horse learned a stable full of tricks during his career – he could
twist doorknobs with his mouth to open doors, poke his head through
windows, limp, whinny, and rear on cue, and perform hundreds of other
tricks on demand. Visitors
can spend hours walking the park’s paths, viewing the animals in their
barns, and watching grooms take care of their charges. At the blacksmith
shop, you can watch horseshoes being made by hand and learn about the
care of the horses’ feet from working farriers. The
American Academy of Equine Art features some of the finest horse-related
artwork in the world, and presents workshops and exhibitions at
different times during the
year. Throughout
the year, Kentucky Horse Park holds many different horse shows and
events, which are open to the public. The park’s impressive Southern
Lights Christmas light display is very popular, with visitors coming
from all over the region to enjoy the show.
The
Kentucky Horse Park Campground offers 260 paved sites, with water and
30/50 amp electric, two dump stations, camp store with modem hookup,
swimming pool, lighted tennis and game courts, laundry, and bathhouses.
Each RV site includes a fire ring and picnic table. The campground also
has a primitive area for tent campers. Located just off Interstate 75 at Exit 120 on the north side of Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park is a convenient stop when traveling through the Bluegrass state and an attraction well worth taking the time to visit. For more information on Kentucky Horse Park, call 800-678-8813 or visit their web site at www.kyhorsepark.com
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