By TIM THORNBERRY

Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For anyone who has ever made the trip to Fayette County either by land or air, one of the most recognizable sites is that of Calumet Farm.

Even in winter, it is an awe-inspiring site with its white fences and red-trimmed barns crisscrossing and dotting 800 acres right at the edge of Kentucky’s second largest city.

The horse farm represents a vibrant history of the horseracing industry in the state. At the nearby Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse, a collection of some of the trophies won by horses bred and trained at Calumet adorns an exhibit viewed by visitors from all over the world as a testament to its notoriety.

To say Calumet is perhaps the best known horse farm in the world may be a huge understatement and for those who don’t know the name, a picture will be instantly recognized by horse lovers everywhere. 

Bill Witman serves as the farm manager and speaks passionately about the farm and what it means to the community and beyond. 

“This is an iconic property for a lot of reasons,’ said Witman. “Historically, nobody has achieved what Calumet has in the Thoroughbred industry. Geographically, we have an obligation to put out the welcome mat welcoming people to Kentucky and the Bluegrass and to the Thoroughbred world and we take it very seriously.” 

The farm, a next door neighbor of Keeneland Race Course, lies in one of the flight paths of nearby Bluegrass Field, Lexington’s airport and is quite visible for those flying in.

Witman said when he first arrived at the farm, it was the fall of the year and the famed white fences that line the road frontage of the farm which had been painted the previous fall were beginning to peal. One of the first things he did was learn about paint and what would work best for their fences and then of course paint them. 

“The day the paint started going on, the phone started ringing and people in this community called and thanked us for painting that fence,” he said. 

Witman also related a story about cutting down dead trees the first winter after coming to the farm. One tree in particular caught the eye of a resident who called and remarked that he had driven by that tree for 15 years and he loved that tree and loved the farm.

He said those stories demonstrate the love the community has for the farm. “This farm belongs to a Trust, but it belongs to the people of Lexington, to the people of Kentucky and the Thoroughbred industry,” Witman said. “We feel that responsibility and we feel that sense of community and we want to be here to try and fulfill that.”

The trust he spoke of was formed after the death in 2003 of Calumet owner Henryk de Kwiatkowski who bought the farm in 1992 after it had fallen on hard times and was facing bankruptcy. Many credit de Kwiatkowski for saving the farm from possible real estate development. 

Calumet was established in 1924 and flourished for decades. In the 40s and 50s with such horse legends as Tim Tam, Whirlaway and the great Citation excited the horse racing world. Later would come horses like Forward Pass and Alydar. All told, Calumet can lay claim to eight Kentucky Derby winners and two Triple Crown winners along with countless stakes winners.

Witman arrived more than seven years ago not knowing de Kwiatkowski personally, but knowing his passion for the farm. He shares that same passion. He said the first day he was absolutely overwhelmed with where he was. The second day he was overwhelmed with the daunting task he had before him and on the third day, he said he fell in love with the farm. 

“It’s absolutely a magical place,” Witman said. “What’s it like to be at Calumet? Well it’s a little slice of heaven.”

As magical as it is, Calumet, which offers a full range of services covering all aspects of the industry, is still a working farm in a business that has suffered along with many others during an historic recession. The industry as a whole has lost approximately $400 million over the last few years.

But with that said, the bottom may have been found if recent signs in the equine market are any indication, according to Witman and it can’t get better until that point is reached. Horses are still a $700 million business and part of an agricultural sector that has faired well when other industry sectors have not.

Recently, Calumet welcomed back a portion of their business not seen at least on any scale to speak of in nearly eight years. Stallions Cactus Ridge and Ice Box are new residents at the farm bringing back a breeding presence, something indicative of a possible turn in the horse industry.

Recent horse sales have brought better horses and better prices, another sign of better times for the equine sector.

Witman said the two new stallions offer a tremendous amount of value to breeding public, to the mare owner who needs value, needs the opportunity get return on investment or needs the opportunity to take a young horse to the race track and not be so severely encumbered with a huge stud fee that it’s going to take a super horse to get the investment back.

“It’s good for the industry for Calumet to be back participating,” he added. And like the community members who were excited to see the fences painted, the public, especially those in the business are happy that Calumet is back in the breeding business. “It’s been very well received,” he said.  

If Witman has a sore spot it could be the state lawmakers he feels have not done enough to help an ailing horse business and arguably the most recognized brand Kentucky has to offer.

One thing he is referring to is the fact that legislation which would give horse owners the same tax benefits that other livestock owners enjoy, though introduced in past sessions has never made it into law.