LEXINGTON, KY – Flying into Bluegrass Field has always been emotionally intoxicating—even before you tour a distillery, once you disembark.  There is something especial about Kentucky’s “Horse Country,” which reminds you that this environment is as rare as a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

The commonplace staples certainly are not too shabby, such as 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 not in the traditional manner as seen in the rest of the Southeastern Conference. While Wildcat basketball is no longer as dominant as it once was, the passion for the game remains as great in Lexington as anywhere on the planet.

Your emotions are saturated with anticipation any time you interact with casual movement about Fayette County. You get a lift from riding through the countryside, and you are overwhelmed by the feasts 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 opportunities in the game.  History does not support that view, however.  Nevertheless, he never backed away from that stance.  Of course, the coach did enjoy the opportunity 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 the “Horse Capital of the Word,” and there is evidence of that wherever you go—from the bountiful rolling acres of blue grass pastures and classic barns and neat fences that punctuate unforgettable landscapes, which are without blemish: 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 champion “Man ‘o War” died in 1947 at the age of 30, 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 vignettes about Kentucky include the fact that more bourbon barrels are aging in the Bluegrass state than there are people; George Clooney, Johnny Depp, and Laura Belle Bundy were born in this region; 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 the 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 here 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 yourself from the depressing headlines of the world. Didn’t turn on the TV and didn’t read a newspaper for a short but uplifting stay in one of the prettiest places there is.