With one boy spending a week at Stony Lake with one set of grandparents, and the other boy spending a weekend in Columbus with the other set of grandparents, we had a weekend with just the girl and Ryan didn’t have to work on Saturday. What to do?
Lexington, KY, the capital of Thoroughbred racing and breeding and home of the Kentucky Horse Park is only 5 hours away! And who doesn’t want a second visit to a beautiful state? (Recall our cave visit.)
For the overnight, we stayed at a working Thoroughbred farm, the Rosecrest Farm & Guesthouse. Located in Paris, KY, a short drive from the Horse Park, we passed massive farms and breeding operations, drove down very narrow, tree-lined roads, and enjoyed rolling pastures dotted with grazing horses.
Rosecrest is a working Thoroughbred farm, caring for broodmares and raising foals. They’re preparing to house stallions in the near future. The Millers started with ~150 acres, then added another 200 with a client/investor, and it’s simply a first-class operation.
From back to my childhood, I’ve had a good bit of experience with horses, and then in veterinary school both Ryan and I worked with horses in the hospital and on farm calls. The Thoroughbreds were always a little tricky: high energy, low socialization… this is a breed that could hurt you. Not the Miller’s Thoroughbreds. These were unbelievably friendly and well-socialized. Particularly My Unbridled Gem, which became a favorite of ours with her curious expression and pleasant demeanor.
Even the foals (14 from this past spring) were interested in interacting with us, while the retired racers enjoyed their mints.
And the barn cats were a hit with Lydia. (Who would’ve known a golf cart and some cats could satisfy a 6-year-old for a weekend?)
Ryan enjoyed the landscape for photography, just a different setting than we see in northeast Ohio.
#Gates50States 
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