Flying into Bluegrass Field has always been emotionally intoxicating — even before you tour a distillery upon disembarking. There is something special about Kentucky “Horse Country,” which reminds you this environment is as rare as a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle.
The commonplace staples certainly are not too shabby, with rolling pastures of bluegrass, stately fences cloaked in white at Calumet Farms, sleek racehorses, little hoss colts prancing about, bourbon, and burgoo.
They play football at the University of Kentucky, but it is not as rare as it is in the rest of the Southeastern Conference. While Wildcat basketball is not as dominant as it once was, the passion for the game remains as great in Lexington as anywhere on the planet.
Your emotions get saturated with anticipation any time you interact with casual movement in Fayette County. You get a lift from riding through the countryside, overwhelmed by the sights available for your eyes. You can’t get enough from a focus on any direction.
Erk Russell, Georgia’s legendary defensive coordinator, always thought the Kentucky football job had to be one of the best in the game.
History does not support that view, however. Nevertheless, he never backed away from that stance. Of course, the coach did enjoy opportunities to watch the ponies run counterclockwise, as is the American custom — unlike in Europe. I wouldn’t have bet against Erk, who won three national championships in eight years at Georgia Southern.
The thoroughbred industry has a $6.5 billion impact on the annual economy of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which gives you some insight into the value of horse racing in the land of bluegrass.
Lexington is known as “Horse Capital of the World,” and there is evidence of that wherever you go, from bountiful rolling acres of bluegrass pastures, classic barns, and neat fences without blemish that punctuate unforgettable landscapes. No roadside trash, no billboards; everything is kempt and borders on pristine.
The appreciation and affection for the thoroughbred industry is, perhaps, best defined by this vignette. When the great equine champion “Man ‘o War” died at the age of 30 in 1947, his funeral was broadcast on the radio, and more than 2,000 people showed up for his final service. Fans still visit his memorial at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Other interesting tidbits about Kentucky include there being more bourbon barrels aging in the Bluegrass state than there are people; George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and Laura Belle Bundy were each born in these parts, and one of the most prominent advocates of Kentucky basketball is Ashley Judd, a well-known actress and activist.
I never come here without recalling times in the past when I would call Kentucky’s late basketball coach, Joe B. Hall, and he would take me to Wheeler’s Pharmacy for one of its classic cheeseburgers.
Those were the best of times.
A long-time friend who spent many years working with Claude Felton of the UGA sports information staff is living in Lexington these days, owing to the residency of grandchildren.
Tim Hix and his wife, Robin, moved here after retirement and enjoy keeping stats for the sports teams of Kentucky and Transylvania College. Tim is an excellent editor and a very knowledgeable and well-read sports enthusiast. If I were starting a publishing house, the first person I would hire would be Tim Hix.
After a tour of Godolphin Farms with Dan Pride — his story is quite compelling, from walk-on linebacker at UGA to preeminence as a manager of the biggest thoroughbred operation in Lexington — you can appreciate how addictive the horse business can be.
It is akin, he says, to the passion that encompasses Georgia football.
Taking a break in late summer at Bluegrass Country, highlighted by interaction with old friends and embracing a few new ones, was the best tonic to escape the heat and insulate myself from the depressing headlines of the world.
Didn’t turn on the TV and didn’t read a newspaper throughout a short but uplifting stay in one of the prettiest places on Earth.