Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/510262
up out west where his father was a rodeo rider when he was younger. "Different horses and a lot cheaper," he tells us as we walk along the black fence on the 930- hectare spread. There are a handful of thoroughbred race horses on the farm with about three stal- lions and the rest are mares. When I finally spot one far off in the back corner and ask my wife to take a picture, Chance tells us that it is not possible unless we have per- mission from the owner, although he would be glad to mail us one. "After all," he explains, "that horse could be worth between 10 and 15 million dollars." Touring one of the thoroughbred horse farms will soon be possible through the local tourism office. For now, a visit to the general area is still highly recommended and, while Kentucky's scenery is diverse, ranging from farmlands to dense forests, visiting the horse country with miles of white fences and the rolling green hills is an experience of tranquility and beauty. Com- bined with a visit to Churchill Downs or Keeneland, it will become truly memorable. THE BOURBON TRAIL Lexington and its surrounding counties, indeed all of Kentucky, show little effect of the recent recession, which impacted so many other areas of the USA. A renewing of urban areas with convention centres, breweries, restaurants and playgrounds is unequalled in most towns and cities and one would be hard-pressed to find a major town that does not have at least one bridge, museum or major entertainment complex under construction. Although the breeding of the finest race horses may be an attraction that is unequalled anywhere, it is the bourbon that fills the coffers. With a population of 4.4 million inhabitants, Kentucky has presently 5.4 million barrels of bourbon aging in the warehouses of the many BELOW CENTRE: A cemetery at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, honours some of the legendary race horses. BELOW BOTTOM: Enjoy a flight of bourbon at the Kentucky Bourbon House in Bardstown. Judy Eberspaecher