Hall of Champions at KY Horse Park

[dogontired]

If you’re attending WEG, please make the extra effort to visit this spot. Among the current residents is Cigar, who is gorgeous, and also happened to belong to Madelaine Pickens, who is currently putting her money where her mouth is to rescue the mustangs and ensure a safe and comfortable future for them on a private facility/ranch.

Madelaine and her previous husband, Allen Paulson (who died in 2000), raced Cigar along with a number of other thoroughbreds, and they cared enough to donate Cigar to the Park to live out his days with visits from his many fans.

Stop by and say hi to these retired champions. There are also video replays of races, which is great fun to watch and REALLY fun if you remember watching them live, back in the day.

[dressagetraks]

I am really looking forward to meeting Cigar, right up there with seeing the events. Only wish I could have met Alysheba. His Derby was the first race (or first day of racing) I ever attended live; got tix to Churchill as a graduation present. I was in the lower grandstand, pretty near the track, head of the stretch right in front of where Alysheba was fouled by Bet Twice.

I did visit the KHP during the 1987 Derby trip and met John Henry, still have a picture of me with him. Returned for the Breeders’ Cup in 1994 and met Forego as well. Very much looking forward to adding “the incomparable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!” :yes:

[dogontired]

John Henry has a beautiful grave there, as does Alysheba. Take your picture of you and JH with you, the caretakers at the Hall love to share stories!

Also, the shed-row stalls next to the Hall pastures (the ones over by the Big Barn that face the Hall, not the ones over by the indoor that are perpendicular to the Hall) have nameplates on the stalls with dozens of past champion names, it’s fun to walk through and remember those races too.

Enjoy!!!

[findeight]

@dogontired;5107398

Also, the shed-row stalls next to the Hall pastures (the ones over by the Big Barn that face the Hall, not the ones over by the indoor that are perpendicular to the Hall) have nameplates on the stalls with dozens of past champion names, it’s fun to walk through and remember those races too.

Enjoy!!!

Credit where credit is due here…those names are in honor of the original sponsors/contributors/lobbyists who got the KHP concept rolling and made generous contributions to get it going in either their own name, farm names or the names of some of their great horses.

But not sure you will be able to go across Nina Bonnie Drive there and access the barns-many will be restricted access or blocked off-should have seen the piles of fence panels there stacked up last month waiting to be installed. Likewise watching the schooling rings is reportedly going to be off limits as will many of the nice areas for walks around the grounds.

Far as local support or interest that came up in another (contentious) post? Unfortunatly kind of lukewarm in the semi horse related community-the KHP is there most of the year at much less a chunk of change if you are bringing a family to see a horse show and the permanent exhibits. UK sports and the nearby pro baseball and NFL teams are after that same family.

I’m not going…there alot over the years (including 3 days at Pony Finals) and the cost plus 125 mile each way drive-seen many of the show jumpers at WEF and elsewhere. If I get the urge to watch Eventing, Rolex is alot more manageable.

Hope those that do go enjoy it and our wonderful Park.

[dogontired]

@findeight;5107827

Credit where credit is due here…those names are in honor of the original sponsors/contributors/lobbyists who got the KHP concept rolling and made generous contributions to get it going in either their own name, farm names or the names of some of their great horses.

I had absolutely no idea about this, thank you so much for posting this!!! I’ve wondered but had no idea who to ask.

[AM1]

I love visiting the long barn and remembering watching them show yearlings in the space in the middle while waiters passed trays of sandwiches among the onlookers. My mother forbid us children from taking any food since we weren’t buying. The Hall of Champions was the stallion barn back then.

[Robyn]

Is the Hall of Champions available during WEG? We were there on Wednesday and looked all over but couldn’t find it. Even asked but had no luck. Somebody said they may have “moved” the champions to make more room for incoming horses during WEG??? Somebody help - tomorrow is our last day!

[MimsEppi]

I doubt they’d move the horses.

Head to the all breeds barn, and up the hill. They should be there…

[OscarOscar]

Hall of Champions

It and they are all right there where they usually are. I’ve been in and out of there all week.

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=dogontired;5107004]
Madelaine and her previous husband, Allen Paulson (who died in 2000), raced Cigar along with a number of other thoroughbreds, and they cared enough to donate Cigar to the Park to live out his days with visits from his many fans.[/QUOTE]

Minor point, but he’s owned now by Assicurazioni Generali SpA and it was ultimately their decision to send him to the Horse Park - on loan To your point Madelaine undoubtedly, now married to famed oilman T. Boone Pickens, had a voice in making that happen.

(The Paulson estate received a $25-million fertility-insurance claim payout and the Italian underwriter Assicurazioni Generali SpA took ownership of the horse.)

Do say hello to Funny Cide and Da Hoss as well! Last we were there Funny was snoring quite loudly in his stall.

[Drvmb1ggl3]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;5131256]
Minor point, but he’s owned now by Assicurazioni Generali SpA and it was ultimately their decision to send him to the Horse Park - on loan To your point Madelaine undoubtedly, now married to famed oilman T. Boone Pickens, had a voice in making that happen.

(The Paulson estate received a $25-million fertility-insurance claim payout and the Italian underwriter Assicurazioni Generali SpA took ownership of the horse.)

Do say hello to Funny Cide and Da Hoss as well! Last we were there Funny was snoring quite loudly in his stall.[/QUOTE]

You guys are both half right/half wrong.

When Cigar finished racing, he was syndicated for $25m, with Coolmore owning 75% and Paulson retaining a 25% stake.
When he turned out to be infertile and they cashed in on the insurance policy, Coolmore got $18.5m and Paulson $6.5m and Cigar became the property of the Italian insurance company. The Italians loaned him to the KHP, though the still own him, and as far as I know they still test breed him every spring in the off chance his infertility has been reversed.

[Plumcreek]

The Hall of Champions is kinda out of the way past the trade show to the West on the long walk to the reining indoor arena. I got to sniff noses with Funny Cide, my favorite. He was quite personable and stood by his door.

[dogontired]

Cigar

[QUOTE=Drvmb1ggl3;5131290]
You guys are both half right/half wrong.

When Cigar finished racing, he was syndicated for $25m, with Coolmore owning 75% and Paulson retaining a 25% stake.
When he turned out to be infertile and they cashed in on the insurance policy, Coolmore got $18.5m and Paulson $6.5m and Cigar became the property of the Italian insurance company. The Italians loaned him to the KHP, though the still own him, and as far as I know they still test breed him every spring in the off chance his infertility has been reversed.[/QUOTE]

Good to know the extra information, thank you!!!

[retento]

Hall of Champions

We were stabled right behind the Hall of Champions this past week, even got a picture of my demo horse grazing along side the fence there!!

[buschkn]

I thought they had gelded Cigar? Maybe not, but I think most of the HoC horses are geldings.

[oldernewbie]

[QUOTE=buschkn;5135741]
I thought they had gelded Cigar? Maybe not, but I think most of the HoC horses are geldings.[/QUOTE]

Nope, he’s still got his boy parts. Saw them last week! I do think you are right tho - most of the horses are geldings.