Kentucky Horse Park + more bourbon

We spent a few weeks back in Kentucky since we had really enjoyed the area and the RV parks.  Plus we had refrigerator problems, which proved to be quite a hassle to resolve, so on our off time while we were waiting for two (yes, two!) new refrigerators, we made a visit to a couple of interesting places.

Close by our park near Lexington, Kentucky was the Kentucky Horse Farm.  We'd seen the signs on the highway but hadn't taken the time to check it out before.  So here we were.

The Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm, international equestrian competition venue, and an educational theme park which opened in 1978.  The park is dedicated to "man's relationship with the horse."  There are twice daily Horses of the World Show, showcasing both common and rare horses from around the world and each year the park is host to a number of special events and horse shows.  Additionally, the park contains the International Museum of the Horse, a Smithsonian Affiliate, which has a permanent collection of horse history and memorabilia, along with a rotating historical collection focused on a particular theme.

It was late in the day so decided to just visit the sites in the park without participating in any tour or special event.  It seems like we gravitate to cemeteries but we had no idea we would see the burial site of one of the most famous horses in history, Man o'War. 

Man o'War, 1917-1947

Man o'War is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time.  During his racing career, just after World War I, Man o'War won 20 of 21 races and $249,465 (equivalent to $3,644,000 in 2022) in purses.  He was the unofficial American horse of the year and was honored with Babe Ruth as the outstanding athlete of the year by the New York Times.  He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957.  In 2027, the museum opened a special exhibit in his honor, "Man o'War at 100".

Along with Man o'War, two of the colts he sired are interred with him.

War Admiral, 1934-1959, was the 1937 Triple Crown Winner.  War Relic, 1938-1963, was the leading sire of two year olds in 1950.

Isaac Burns Murphy was an American Hall of Fame jockey who is considered to be one of the greatest riders in American Thoroughbred horse racing history.  He was the first jockey to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame at its creation in 1955.  

He was born into slavery in 1861 in Clark County, Kentucky where his mother America worked as a house slave on the Pleasant Green farm.  Isaac's father, Jerry, had escaped from bondage and enlisted in the 114th US Colored Troops at Camp Nelson in the summer of 1864 and would fight in some of the most decisive battles of 1865.

Murphy began his racing career in 1875 at the age of 14.  What followed was one of the most illustrious careers in the history of the sport during which Murphy became one of the highest paid athletes and among the most famous black men in America.  He rode in eleven Kentucky Derbies, winning three times: on Buchanan in 1884, Riley in 1890, and Kingman in 1891.

Murphy died of heart failure in 1896 in Lexington.  While his funeral was attended by over 500 members of the community, over time his unmarked grave in African Cemetery No. 2 was forgotten.  During the 1960s, Frank B. Borries, Jr., a University of Kentucky press specialist, spent three years searching for the grave site and in 1967, Murphy was reinterred at the old Man o'War burial site but when the Kentucky Horse Park was built, his remains were moved to be buried again next to Man o'War.

Another statue memorializing the life of Secretariat.

Secretariat, 1970-1989, was also known as Big Red and was the ninth winner of the Triple Crown, setting and still holding the fastest time record in all three of its races.  He became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and his record-breaking victory in the Belmont Stakes, which he won by 31 lengths.  During his racing career, he won five Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the Year honors at ages two and three.  He was nominated to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1974.  In the Blood-Horse magazine list of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th century, Secretariat was second to Man o'War.

In the fall of 1989, Secretariat became afflicted with laminitis - a painful and debilitating hoof condition.  When his condition failed to improve after a month of treatment, he was euthanized on October 4 at the age of 19.  He was buried at Claiborne Farm, in nearby Paris, and as given the rare honor of being buried whole - traditionally only the head, heart, and hooves of a winning race horse are buried.  We would have loved to make a visit to the farm but our time had run out in this part of Kentucky.

We've enjoyed visiting distilleries on the Bourbon Trail so spent some time during our stay to hit up a few we hadn't seen before.

Buffalo Trace Distillery has historically been known by several names, including George T. Stagg Distillery and the Old Fashioned Copper (O.F.C.) Distillery.  The company claims the distillery is the oldest continuously-operating distillery in the United States.  The name Buffalo Trace refers to the ancient buffalo trackway that crosses the Kentucky River.  Under its old name George T. Stagg Distillery, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013.  No tasting while we were there but we have a bottle or two stashed for a rainy day.

In 1887, Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. built a new kind of distillery destination.  Inspired by European architecture, the site featured a Castle, a Springhouse, and a Sunken Garden.  What he built became the birthplace of bourbon hospitality and tourism.  Prohibition forced the closing of the distillery in 1920 and over the next century, the property changed owners and occupants several times, eventually falling into ruin.

In 2014, the Castle & Key purchased the distillery which was in ruins.  As they were restoring the distillery, they pondered a name that fit with both the distillery's history and modern ideals.  After much debate, Castle & Key was a perfect fit as it highlighted both the historic distillery in the Castle and the importance of the grounds and water source, the keyhole-shaped Springhouse.

And finally, our new favorite distillery.

Owned and operated by mother-and-daughter duo Joyce and Autumn Nethery, Jeptha Creed sits on 64 acres of farmland where they grow Bloody Butcher corn which is used in all of the products.

Bloody Butcher Corn

As stated on their website: Jeptha Creed is committed to the ground to glass concept - whenever possible, they grow the ingredients that are used in their spirits.  What they don't produce themselves, they get from other farms in the area so they can do their part to support local agriculture.  They also state that these are things that have been ingrained into the family's way of doing things for centuries, and will continue to be as they grow and expand.  Since its inception, Jeptha Creed has been proud to serve its customers unmatched spirits and unforgettable experiences.  "With an unwavering commitment to honoring our heritage, we make old fashion new by giving it just a little kick."

The word "Jeptha" refers to the Jeptha Knob, the highest point in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky.  Though their ancestors hailed from Scotland, the family has farmed in Shelby County, Kentucky for five generations.

Unlike most of the other distilleries, Jeptha Creed offers a free spirit tasting which allows visitors to learn about the family and includes four quarter ounce pours.

One of the only items that isn't sourced locally is the beautiful bottles, which have been imported from Italy.  The central theme of the design is a bold, sprawling tree.  Though its meaning is multifaceted, it is a reference to Jeptha Creed's commitment to sourcing the highest-quality, home-grown ingredients from their home state of Kentucky.

Of course we had to do a little shopping.

And meet a new friend.

Debi and Bobbi Jo

We have quite a supply of bourbon but don't worry, Kentucky, we'll be back!