Spoiler alert: I like horses. I started riding horses when I was not quite 13 years old and continued until I shattered my ankle when I was 28 (Pro tip: always use the handrails on staircases). I’ve even ridden a few times since my ankle was rebuilt, but only in Western saddles on trail rides. What can I say? I love being around horses.
I grew up watching showjumping competitions on CBC and horse racing on whatever channel I could find it on. I read every book I could find that was even tangentially related to horses. And I created a bucket list of events that I want to attend. One of the biggest events on that list has been the Kentucky Derby, which I have been watching every year for as long as I can remember. This year, I got to scratch this one off the list!
I went with three friends, and we made an event out of this trip. After three straight days at Churchill Downs (Thurby, Oaks Day, and Derby Day) we went to Lexington for a few days, visiting a couple bourbon distilleries and the Old Friends retirement farm for racehorses.
Thursday: after a loooooong drive down from Michigan on Wednesday night, we dressed up and went to Thurby, where we got to Derby like the locals. It was a chill day at the races, complete with sitting on the infield grass and watching the horses gallop past us.
Friday: Kentucky Oaks day! Our hats got bigger and our outfits dressier. Drinking, betting, and laughing – we had fun.
Saturday: DERBY DAY! We got to the track early and we stayed late. We didn’t leave until the final race was run, despite the rain. We started the day with our hats on, looking the best we had all week. Then the rain started. Hats eventually came off and ponchos went on, but the party and fun continued. Also – still kicking myself for not putting any money on Country House. That would have been the greatest throwaway bet ever, if only I hadn’t picked the OTHER long shot (Bodexpress). Oh well. We had fun anyway!
Sunday and Monday were spent exploring bourbon distilleries (Four Roses and Buffalo Trace) and visiting retired racehorses at Old Friends. We even got to meet and chat with Michael Blowen, the man who created the farm. It was fun to see these old horses getting to be happy and muddy and relaxed. Some of them were larger than I expected, some were smaller, and Touch Gold still looked like he could win races.
I had a wonderful time in Kentucky. The people are friendly, the horses are fast, and the grass is green. I can’t wait to do it again in five years. 150th Kentucky Derby, here I come!