tops december 2013

DECEMBER 2013 | TOPS MAGAZINE 21

LEXINGTONin

Volume 7, No. 12

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Contributing WritersHallie Bandy, Cynthia Ellinger, John Engelhardt,

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Rauch, Lisa Sheehy, Katie Shoultz, Mary Ellen Slone, Kathie Stamps, Deanna Talwalkar, Sue Ann Truitt

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by Kathie StanpsPhoto by Keni Parks

Fillies in the Workplace:Meg Jewett

Horse Breeder, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist

A love of horses, particularly the Standard-bred, has been in Meg Jewe� ’s family tree for 122 years. Her great-grandfather, Lamon Vanderburg Harkness, was born in Ohio, and a� er living in New York and California, he came to Lexington, Ky., in 1892. He bought 400 acres of land for his carriage horses on a horse farm named Walnut Hall, and soon got into racing and breeding Stan-dardbred horses. He continued to buy land and wound up with 5,000 acres in Faye� e County before he died in 1915. � e Ken-tucky Horse Park sits on 1,200 of those acres, while Jewe� owns the original 400 acres her great-grandfather purchased.

“When he died, my grandmother continued; when she died, my mother continued; when she died, I continued,” Jewe� said. As the owner of Walnut Hall she is still raising, breeding and racing Standardbred horses. “Our popu-lation is about 100 horses,” she said. “It depends on the time of year.” � ere are more, of course, when foals and yearlings are on the farm.

Jewe� ’s husband, Alan Leavi� , is president and general manager of the farm. “We met in the horse business,” she said.

By the way, Jewe� ’s great-great-grandfather (and L.V. Harkness’

father) was Stephen V. Harkness, who co-founded Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller, Sr. in 1870.

Fast-forward to the new millennium. In 2000 Jewe� started a high-end gi� enterprise in down-town Lexington. She named it L.V. Harkness, in honor of her great-grandfather. “I thought it was something fun to do,” she said. “It was going to be small. And it grew and grew and grew.”

In the beginning, she and her team topped the tables of the Green-tree Tearoom with porcelain and silver pieces. � e tearoom, which also opened in 2000, is known for its prix � xe luncheon menu that changes each month. “It’s fun to go over for tea,” Jewe� said.

� e Greentree Tearoom is lo-cated on a property known as Greentree Close on West Short Street. When another building in the Close became available, Jewe� and her sta� of four moved into a former machine shop to open the retail store. L.V. Hark-ness now has 20 employees.

“We just went in, like doing a set on a play,” Jewe� said. “We put walls up and turned it into our

store.”

Upstairs there is a board room that becomes a space for parties from time to time. It opens onto a roo� op garden, designed by Jon Carlo� is.

Meg Jewett


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“Two summers ago, Jon and Dale put all vegetables out there,” Jewe� said. � e roo� op garden was then photographed for Southern Living magazine. � is year, instead of veggies there are seasonal � owers and plants, in a lovely space for cocktail receptions.

L.V. Harkness has a worldwide clientele. “We do a lot of gi� s for corporations and businesses, sending things all over the world,” she said. While merchandise is shipped out, at the same time there are plenty of global visitors who stop by the store in person.

“When you think about Lexington, you think about tour-ism,” Jewe� said. “� at’s where we make our business, when people come in for horse events, whether it’s for the sales or the races. � at’s our biggest market.”

People come to Lexington from all over the world for events at the Kentucky Horse Park too. “We’ve seen that grow, the sporting horses, which is becoming bigger and bigger in Lex-ington,” Jewe� said.

� e store’s inventory has evolved and grown over the years. “It’s eclectic and it’s just what I like,” she said. “I try to have everything here so I don’t have to go anywhere else.”

To keep the merchandise current unique, Jewe� and her sta� travel to markets in New York four times a year and to shows in Atlanta twice a year. � ey purchase crystal, glass, porcelain and silver products for L.V. Harkness from Europe, particu-larly places like Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy and Poland.

“At the Paris show, we will visit the crystal factory or porce-lain factories,” she said. “� ey pick us up and take us on tours. It’s lovely.”

Some of the purses, baby clothes and diaper bags are pro-vided by Kentucky designers. Other exquisite items at L.V. Harkness include jewelry, formal and casual dinnerware, barware, equestrian statuary and other objets d’art, home ac-cessories and personalized stationery, bed linens and custom slip covers. � e store even has its own fabric workroom.

In the early 2000s, Jewe� started o� carrying high-end por-celain, silver and crystal. L.V. Harkness then expanded to in-clude a bridal registry, then interior design, and then corpo-rate gi� s and trophies. � ere are thousands and thousands of SKUs at the store. In 2005 the company was commissioned to design a trophy for the Red Mile, in the form of a beautiful porcelain bowl. � e trophy is presented annually to the win-ner of the Kentucky Futurity.

L.V. Harkness also provided trophies and medals for each of

the eight disciplines at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington. Jewe� and her team worked with two companies, including Moser Crystal of the Czech Republic, for almost a year and a half. “We did the team trophies with people from Russia, who had a machine that lasers into the glass block so it looks three-dimensional,” Jewe� said.

While she � nds that most trophies these days are crystal, Jewe� is working more with porcelain for trophies. “It used to be way back, in the beginning, trophies were sterling sil-ver, then silver-plated,” she said. “� en they went to pewter, then copper, and now manufacturers are making all metals—stainless steel, alloy, combinations. Now we do everything.”

For trophies and other pieces that are bought at L.V. Hark-ness, engraving is done on the premises.

While owning a retail store and a horse farm are equally full-time jobs, Jewe� manages to squeeze even more out of life by donating her time and resources to charities close to her heart. She has served on the board of directors for the Head-ley-Whitney Museum, chaired the Lexington Public Library Foundation, and currently sits on boards for the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and the Kentucky Horse Park Com-mission.

Jewe� is deeply passionate about saving horses from neglect and slaughter. In 2006 she got together with Nick and Kim Zito and other horse lovers to plan a shelter. On April 16, 2007, the Kentucky Equine Humane Center opened its barn doors in Jessamine County. Of the 21 founding members of the nonpro� t organization, more than half remain on the ad-visory board.

“What makes us di� erent from other horse rescue organiza-tions is that we take any horse, all breeds, in any shape,” Jew-e� said. “We’ve had mules, donkeys, miniature horses, Arabi-ans and paints, but the majority are � oroughbreds.”

� e barns at the Kentucky Equine Humane Center have the capacity to hold 45 horses at any given time, but some of the rescue horses do make their way to Walnut Hall. “We have lots of throwaway horses on our farm,” Jewe� admi� ed.

At � rst the mission of KyEHC was to stop the slaughter of horses, which was taking place in Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylva-nia, Texas and other states. “We managed to close down all the slaughter houses in America,” Jewe� said. Yet she cringes to think they still exist in Mexico and Canada. “It’s sicken-ing,” she said. “Your heart breaks.”

� e Kentucky Equine Humane Center invests hundreds of dollars on each horse that comes in, for farrier and veterinar-


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ian bills, and feed. More than 700 horses have gone through the doors in the past six years. As a nonpro� t, KyEHC relies solely on grants and private donations, not government fund-ing. � e center is able to stay open through the generous do-nations of individual and corporate horse lovers. Contribu-tions are also appreciated in the form of straw and hay, grain and sweet feed, and o� ce supplies. And volunteers are welcome with open arms. � ere are opportu-nities to man the center’s booth at trade show and events, and to perform farm chores like cleaning water buckets and hauling feed. One-on-one volun-teer training can be sched-uled year-round.

� e Kentucky Equine Humane Center’s board of directors meets every month at L.V. Harkness and they are always com-ing up with new ideas for fundraisers, so there is no telling what kinds of par-ties and events will take place in 2014.

For all her ties to the horse world and the Bluegrass, Jewe� actually grew up in Cincinnati. “We would come down on weekends and in the summer,” she said of Walnut Hall in Lexington.

She spent her high school years at a boarding school outside of New York City, and then went to Vassar College in Pough-keepsie, N.Y., where she studied political science and history. It is indeed a small world: her political science teacher at Vas-sar came from Georgetown College.

“� en I came back home, and my parents had an island in the West Indies, in the Caribbean,” she said. “� ey were turning it into a resort, so I was helping do that for a year.”

� en she was o� to the University of Cincinnati College of Law. “My senior year in law school was when the girl was killed at Kent State,” she said. What with the antiwar protests,

the rebellion and kids up in arms, all of the exams were can-celed. “We didn’t have to take � nals,” she said. “We never went to class.”

She did graduate, however, with a Juris Doctor, and practiced law in New York for � ve years before ge� ing married and moving to Las Vegas. Although she took boards in Ohio and

New York, she is no longer a practicing a� orney, cit-ing the Abraham Lincoln quote: “He who repre-sents himself has a fool for a client.” Jewe� calls herself a retailer and horse breeder now. But let’s add “educator” to her list of ac-complishments.

In the early 1980s Jew-e� co-founded a private school in Las Vegas, the Meadows School. It is a coeducational nonpro� t day school, similar to Lex-ington’s Sayre School. � e Meadows School began with � rst through � � h grades, and then added preschool, kindergarten and every year up through 12th grade. � e school now has an enrollment of 900 students. One of the athletic facilities is called the L.V. Harkness Jewe�

Field House.

Jewe� ’s son, Lamon “Harky” Jewe� , is a writer. He is in the � lm business in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife, whom he met at the Meadows School in Las Vegas. In Decem-ber 2013, they are going to make Meg Jewe� a grandmother.

“Let me just say the baby section of the store has really grown by leaps and bounds,” she said.

� roughout the year Jewe� is hopping on and o� airplanes for business trips abroad and to her other home in Las Vegas. But for all her jet-se� ing, she calls Lexington a great place to live.

“It’s good for the soul,” she said. “It has such depth and cul-ture. It’s beautiful.”

Meg’s Farm, Walnut Hall


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style and overall horsemanship), juniors from around the country, if quali� ed, are eligible to compete in the class. A day high in emotion, adrenaline and focused determination, N.Y. resident Lillie Keenen won the prestigious class with her nearly perfect execution of the tests, besting a � eld of 148 riders. A class with its roots in providing an opportunity for the future generation of professional horseman to show-case their skill, plenty of tears were wiped away as awards were handed out; a recognition of the passing of the torch. For Keenan, this was her fourth year competing in the Maclay Finals and the 17-year-old � nished her competition year with the coveted title.

Lexington native and renowned course design-er, Bobby Murphy in a collaborative e� ort pro-duced a brilliant test of control, skill and � nesse for the up-and-coming riders. Growing up in the industry, Murphy has quickly risen to fame in the hunter/jumper realm with his creative course designs that blend the old and the new. Showing great respect for the traditions of the sport, Murphy also has a keen eye for modern elements, and his � rst “go” at the Maclay Finals proved masterful. “My experience as course de-signer for the Maclays was, well, the � rst word the comes to mind is amazing. I keep going back to the moment when they announced the win-ner and standing there with co-designers U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland and Susie Humes, a well-known horsewoman on many levels, and being so proud,” he re-called. “And at the same time so relieved that the famous ASPCA Maclay Finals had been a pure success.”

In re� ecting on the ingenuity of the course, Murphy o� ered in-sight into the strategy behind its design. “We had to build a course that was the proving ground of champions; a course that let the future riders of our sport show o� their horsemanship skills, and I feel that we achieved that goal. A champion shined that day.” As Murphy’s � rst year in co-designing for the prestigious class, he has added another great demonstration to his resume and is a true Lexington asset.

“What I like about the National being moved to Lexington is the 130 years of tradition it brings to the Horse Capital of the World, and also the relationships that the Alltech National Horse Show is building in the community. Alltech certainly has been a big part in building the future tradition of the National at the Horse Park.

� is event will make Lexington proud for many years to come,” Murphy said.

New this year at the National was the unveiling of the Kentucky Gathering events that ran concurrently though the show. � e fes-tival catered to horse lovers and non-horsey folk alike with the Biggest Loser 5K RunWalk and the Savor Kentucky showcase – a collection of Kentucky microbrews, restaurants and distillers showcasing their creations. With bourbon, beer and good food along with plenty of family-friendly activities, Kentucky hospital-ity was on display at its � nest.

A Successful First: U.S. Dressage Finals

As the National wrapped up and ribbons were packed away, the Alltech Arena transformed into a stage for the inaugural U.S. Dressage Finals presented by Adequan at the Kentucky Horse

Bobby Murphy (© Liz Soroka)


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Park on November 7-10. While riders from all over the country competed in the adult amateur and open divisions from Training Level through Grand Prix, it was local rider, James Koford, that took home top honors in the open Grand Prix class. “� e Ken-tucky Horse Park is my favorite venue for competition. Having access to a world class competition venue is one of the reasons I moved to Lexington,” Koford said. Feeling more grounded from a good night’s rest in his own bed, this world-class dressage rider also feels another hometown advantage. “� e stands are � lled with friends, students and family so you de� nitely have the crowd on your side.” Moving to the area this past April, Koford has seen � rst-hand the area’s draw for the horse crowd.

Winning with his long-time show partner “Rhe� ”, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Shirley McQuillan, the top honors proved especially sweet. “Rhe� is my buddy. We have been working together for 7 years and have a terri� c partnership. Rhe� loves adventure, and we both love to compete in the big ring,” said Koford.

Koford and Rhe� will be travelling south to Wellington, Florida for the three month circuit beginning in January to compete in

the selection trials for the World Cup and the World Equestrian Games to be held in 2014 in Normandy, France. (A formal bid was submi� ed by Lexington to host the World Equestrian Games in 2018, joining U.S. city Wellington as well as the Canadian bid from Bromont, Quebec).

The Young Horse Show Series

And while it may not have been exactly on Horse Park grounds, neighbor and fellow supporter of many of the events held at the Park, Spy Coast Farm hosted the Young Horse Show Series Qual-i� er and Finals on November 8-9. Designed for young dressage, eventing and hunter/jumper prospects – this show series is gain-ing traction across the country and is spearheaded by top indus-try players including two Lexington farm owners – Lisa Lourie of Spy Coast Farm and Jean-Yves Tola of Jump Start Farm.

� e series provides a showcase for American breeders and young horse development in the States. � e two-day show also includ-ed a special Stallion Preview Party and Open House at the new Young Horse Development Center addition to Spy Coast Farm.

James Koford and Rhett Final Salute at the National Dressage Finals (© Shirley McQuillian)


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MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW...

EVENTS AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK

Although the competition schedule may quiet down at the Park, cozy up inside at the United States Hunter Jumper Association’s (USHJA “Wheeler Museum. Their latest exhibit, Elegance,

Power, Heart - The Thoroughbred Show Horse, runs until December 15 and highlights the versatility of the Thoroughbred. A state treasure, the breed is gaining popularity once again

in the show ring, and this exhibit shows the tremendous in� uence of the Thoroughbred in the evolution of the sport. See it before it’s gone!

The Winter Season of the Horse Park (November 4, 2013 - March 13, 2014, 9am to 5pm). Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

Adult $10.00 Child (7-12) $5.00 Children 6 & under FreePrices listed above includes admission to the International Museum of the Horse, The Parade

of Breeds Show, Horse Drawn Trolley Tour, along with other sightseeing opportunities.

Road to the Horse (March 13-16): Returning to the Horse Park this year, this exciting colt-starting event showcases expert horse trainers as they build a relationship with a previously

unbroken horse and have a � nal test of skill.

For more information visit kyhorsepark.com and khpfoundation.org

See TopsinLex.com for photo coverage of these and other events.


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A vast collection of � ne art mixed with a hint of curiosity brought enthusiastic spectators and buyers to the Inaugural Sporting Art Auction at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion on November 20th. � e collaboration between the world’s largest � oroughbred auction house, Keeneland and the country’s premier gallery of � ne sporting art and contemporary British � gurative painting, Cross Gate Gallery, o� ered 174 museum quality “sporting” paintings and sculpture by British and American artists and works by important American realist and impressionist painters to Lexington. It seemed only � � ing that the Horse Capitol of the World should be the location of the � rst Sporting Art Auction.

“We are delighted with the great support we received from the Central Kentucky community, the horse industry, and sporting art collectors, who turned out in force to participate in the auction,” said Cross Gate Gallery owner Greg Ladd. “� eir enthusiasm translated into spirited bidding throughout the evening.”

� e auction raised more than $3.11 million and will bene� t the Keeneland Foundation.

Among the auction’s most important pieces included several oil paintings by British artist Sir Alfred J. Munnings, regarded as one of the world’s � nest equine painters. Solely hanging in the center of the sales pavilion stage throughout the auction, a se� ing typically reserved for the � nest � oroughbreds as they are bought and sold, was Munnings’ Blue Prince II. � is 26 ½” x 39 ¼” oil, is a traditional English style piece commissioned by � oroughbred owner, breeder, and sporting art enthusiast Walter Je� ords.

“We couldn’t have asked for a be� er sporting art auction, especially for year one,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Walt Robertson. “Eighty-one percent of the pieces sold, which is tremendous, and 48 percent of those sold for more than the high estimate value listed in the catalog.”

Topping the sale was LeRoy Neiman’s Flat Racing, a massive 17’ x 7’ mural using 119 glazed 12” x 12” ceramic tiles as the surface, brought $291,000 and depicts horses galloping down the stretch. � is truly unique, colorful mural was commissioned by Mr. Charles Bidwill, Jr. in 1976 to be installed in Sportman’s Park in Chicago.

� ree generations of Wyeth’s were represented; grandfather N.C., father Andrew, and son Jamie. Andrew Wyeth’s 1964 tempera on Masonite piece, Marsh Hawk, earned the top bid of the evening at $4.8 million, yet did not make its reserve.

Important American artist Mary Cassa� ’s large Children Playing with a Cat received a bid of $4.7 million.

Other important artists with pieces up for auction included Sir John Frederick Herring, Edward Troye, Franklin Voss, Andre Pater, John Ferneley, Sr., Peter Curling and Charles Church.

Lexington-based artist Andre Pater had a very successful evening. Two of his works, which were some of the last to sell in the catalogue, exceeded their stated values. One of his early paintings of an Arabian horse and rider, Sandstorm, went for $80,000, exceeding its stated value by $20,000. Pater’s � nished oil, � e Gi� of Scent, of six hounds on a chase, went for $160,000 with the charcoal Study for the Gi� of Scentbrought $30,000–well over the catalogue estimate.

Picture Perfect Auction

Sir Alfred J. Munning, Blue Prince IIby Cyndi Goyer Greathouse


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Richard Stone Reeves, Nijinsky II, Liam Ward UpAndre Pater, Sandstorm

Jeaneen Barnhart, Full ChargeAndre Pater, The Gift of Scent


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� e sport of yachting was represented by two signed oil paintings by British born artist Richard Firth – Shamrock V and Enterprise, America’s Cup 1930 and Lulworth and Westward, Racing O� Norris Castle.

N.Y. Jets – Denver, Shea Stadium, Oct. 13 ‘68 by LeRoy Neiman, a colorful 19 ½” x 24 ¼” watercolor, depicts a play during this football match, and was the sole piece of art from the sport of American football.

American Richard Stone Reeves’ horse and rider oil portraits sold quite well. Two of his works, Hyperion and Nijinsky II, Liam Ward Up more than doubled catalogue estimations.

Two of the more interesting paintings were horse and jockey portraits in oil on canvas en grisailles, a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, by American Henry Stull were produced for the purpose to be reproduced as a lithograph. � ese unique paintings will remain with the same buyer, and brought $29,900 together.

Louisville-based artist Jeaneen Barnhart’s charcoal on paper was purchased for $7,500, � ve times the catalogue estimate. It is rumored that fashion icon Ralph Lauren purchased Full Charge through a phone bid.

French sculpture Isidore Jules Bonheur’s bronze Le Grand Jockey was o� ered. � is, the most famous of Bonheur’s mounted equestrian sculptures, depicts a winning jockey giving his mount a congratulatory neck pat.

Other bronze artists represented included Kentuckian Alexa King, American George Claxton, German Hans Müller, French Henri Alfred Jacquemart, Britian Philip Blacker and African Dylan Lewis.

� e Sporting Art Auction is planned to be an annual event. Ladd said they would look through the catalog, assess what sold well and re� ne next year’s lots. � e hope is that the Sporting Art Auction will become the world’s most important of its kind, and if the lively and spirited bidding is any indication, it appears the hope may just become a reality.

For more information visitwww.thesportingartauction.com

Greg Ladd


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On Saturday, November 2 Santa Anita Park was jammed with race fans that came out to watch racing’s elite horses and horse-men compete in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. As the fastest � llies and mares in the land made their way to post for the $1,000,000 Sprint, Bluegrass-based trainer William “Bu� ” Brad-ley wove through the crowd to watch the race along the railing at his “lucky spot”, as he called it.

� e gates sprung, both human and equine adrenaline rushed and the voice of announcer Larry Collmus raised to a crescendo, “and they are into the stretch and it is Groupie Doll and she’s made the lead as they come to the eighth pole, competition com-ing from Judy the Beau-ty and Dance Card. Groupie Doll digs in for all she has and she has enough to win it! Groupie Doll does it again, Groupie Doll is a champion again!”

� e a� ernoon’s victory trophy presentations in-cluded a former cham-pion jockey-turned owner doing a danger-ous balancing act on the railing and nationally-known sportscaster Jim Rome hoisting the trophy over his head saying, “� is does not suck.” Bu� Bradley’s acceptance speech was eloquent and seven words long. His 82-year-old father and co-breeder of the 5-year-old � lly did not make the trip and was watching from his home in Frankfort, Kentucky. Host Jay Privman asked Bu� ,

“Do you have a message for your father?” Taking a deep breath he replied, “Yeah, this is for him – it is.” � ere were no more words as he

obviously fought back tears believing he had seen Groupie Doll’s last track triumph in a race she had won the previous year. � e sen-sitivity to the moment was made even more heartfelt for Bu� as he knew his champion mare was to be sold at auction only three days later.

Unlike many of the ma-jor breeding operations that are thoroughbred showcases in Central Kentucky, the Bradley’s Indian Ridge Farm in Frankfort is a modest working farm and a family a� air. “My fa-ther bought the farm in ’67 and we moved out there in ’72. I’ve been working probably since ’73 and we’ve done most of all the work ourselves. Cu� ing the posts and pu� ing the fences up, you know from the very start do-ing everything it took to make it a horse farm. It was a ca� le farm and we eventually turned it into a thoroughbred horse farm - my dad al-ways loved the horses.”

While not big in numbers, their farm has experienced phenomenal success. “We’ve always kept between 10 and 20 mares and probably averaged about 10 foals a year. So having a horse like this and Brass Hat it really is something special.” Brass Hat is the horse they always thought they would hang their hat

Groupie DollTakes a Family on a Roller Coaster Ride... That May Not Be Over Yet.

From Humble Kentucky Roots to Championship Seasons

The Final Bid on Groupie Doll


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Bu� Bradley with Groupie Doll

Bu� Bradley and Fred Bradley


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on. Under the care of Bu� , his father’s homebred gelding raced from 3 to 9 amassing $2,167,921. � e fan favorite Grade 1 winner recorded nine stakes victories and set track records at Gulfstream Park and Churchill Downs. Hard to believe such a modest farm would catch lightning in a bo� le twice.

“We’ve been very lucky for the mares we bred to the stallions we bred to,” stated Bu� . “We just take hard-racing mares and breed them to hard-running stal-lions that could run a li� le bit. We are hoping for a decent allowance horse most of the time. We have had sheer joy with Group-ie Doll and Brass Hat, but any homebred you raise when you see them win it is just something special.”

In a time when we see so many nice horses make a big splash and be retired a� er their 3-year-old sea-son, Bu� Bradley is con-sidered “old school” and his horses thrive through soundness and consis-tency, lessons he learned from a legendary Cajun horseman. “I came up un-der Suzie Oldham-Picou’s dad Clarence Picou. He trained for us back in the ‘70’s and a� er I graduated from Kentucky State Uni-versity with a Business Management degree I told Dad ‘I want to go work for Clarence.’ I told him I’d stay on through his No-vember State Senate re-election and then I’m going to go on and work for Clarence. I went with him for � ve years and the he said ‘Your ready’ and he pushed me out in ’93. He was a great friend and a great mentor, I really learned a lot through him.”

It was the morning of the November Keeneland Sale, only three days a� er Groupie Doll’s hard-fought win in the Breeders’ Cup. Bu� was pu� ing on a pre� y good game face, but there was no hiding his mixed emotions as he stood outside of her stall. She looked regal and showed no signs of jet lag. As she was led to parade for prospective buyers she had a sprite step in her stride and was happy to strike a

pose displaying the muscular body she had developed through her 21-race career.

Bu� eyed her performance before her admirers and proudly re� ected on his � rst moments with her. “She was a beautiful baby, she was

still soaking wet when she came out her mom and we said ‘� is baby is beautiful.’ When she stood up I said ‘we’ve got the one we’ve been looking for now.’ I didn’t know she was go-ing to be a stakes horse, a graded stakes horse much less a champion.” When you run a family farm, everyone pitches in. “My son Drew, who was nine at the time, looked at her and said, ‘You never know Dad, this could be another Brass Hat.’ And in this sport that is what you live for and you don’t know what you have – it’s the un-known, but knowing you could have another Brass Hat has always been our thing. We’ve been so for-tunate and so blessed and we know that, we know we have been very lucky.”

Among many touching moment leading up to he sale was the visit from Fred Bradley. Ma� Herbert led her over to him and the former Brigadier General and Kentucky State Sena-tor gave her a few pats on the head and said, “Be a good girl, show them how

good you are.” He then looked Ma� in the eyes and nodded stating, “You’re going to lose a friend aren’t you? So am I.”

Lifelong friends and well wishers continued to stop by the barn and give their support to Bu� , all of them knowing how the separation from his stable star had to be weighing on him. � ere was no 800 lb. gorilla in the corner, just a beautiful shining 1,100 lb mare in her stall and the question had to be asked “How hard is this sale on you?” Bu� paused, glanced over at her and said, “I can’t even tell you. It’s going to be very tough. It was very tough when we made the decision, but it was a decision that my partners, my family, my help, my employees

Bu� Bradley and Mandy Pope After the Sale of Groupie Doll


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– everybody backed me 100% and said I was doing the right thing so that made it easier.”

“� ey understand that the sale of Groupie Doll is going to be good for everyone in the long run. I’m going to be at work tomorrow morn-ing at 5:30 a.m. at Churchill Downs. It’s not going to change our life in that sense. We’re not going to go buy $100,000 horses we are going to stick to what we’ve been doing, it has worked.

“We’ll budget our money a li� le bit too and makes some improvements at the farm, some fencing and some � xing up some barns and buy some equipment that is much needed. We’re not go-ing overboard, I won’t be driving a Lexus tomorrow, I’ve got my pick up truck. My oldest daughter is starting college this year and I’m glad to be able to help her out. Most people don’t even understand the cost of running a farm and trying to run a breeding operation it takes quite a bit of money, but has been very rewarding for us but that doesn’t always hap-pen and we know we have just been very fortunate.”

And let me tell you – those two have been with her for years and they are going to be balling.” As his eyes began to redden he looked at exercise rider Jada Schlenk and assistant trainer and Groupie Doll’s groom Ma� Herbert who were standing guard on either side of her. � ere was a shared feeling of separation, anticipation and loss.

Jada had spent her whole life on track with her father who trained and was a blacksmith, she galloped and trained herself. She started galloping for Bu� and fell in love with Groupie Doll. “She’s great, she’s lovely, she’s perfect she’s amazing. Bu� is great to work for he listens to us very well. Some people don’t want to listen to you, but Bu� does. It’s really nice and it’s a once in a lifetime – what’s the chance of us ge� ing another one? It’s been great working for him,

it’s like family, they are amazing to work for they are all really good people.”

Keeneland sales sta� then gave the call to get ready to go to the ring. “It’s going to be devastating. It’s going to be hard, very hard. I hope who ever gets her is going to be good to her because she is spoiled and

she is very happy with us. Ma� does a great job rub-bing her and spends a lot of quality time with her.”

Ma� Herbert is the son of Ackel Herbert who worked with Clarance Picou he decided to join Bu� Bradley’s team. “I’ve known Bu� since we were kids in Louisiana so I’ve known him forever. It’s a close relationship with Groupie Doll. I know that selling her is what has to be done, but it sucks though. Waking up at 3:30 a.m. is di� cult enough, but then I think ‘Oh my God I’ve got to take care of Groupie Doll, I’ve got to get up. Tomor-row that’s not there and that will make it a li� le more di� cult.”

Jada and Ma� nervously cracked jokes outside of her stall while waiting for the � nal call for the walk to the sales ring. You could sense the passionate love they all had for this mare that knew exactly where the � nish line was and proved it in 11 of her 21 lifetime starts.

Perhaps Groupie Doll herself sensed the separation as she reared up a few times while being walked outside of the sales ring. As she stepped into the Keeeneland auction arena it was as if Groupie Doll instinctively knew she had taken center stage and she shed any display of nervousness. With a brilliant copper penny shine her astute handlers put on her, she struck pose a� er pose and her as her bidding price rose.

� ere were several bidders interested in the spirited sprinter. � e gavel dropped at $3.1 million. � at will � x a lot of fences and buy some new tractors at the Bradley’s farm, but it will never bring her

Groupie Doll Eyes the Bidders


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John C. Engelhardt has been an equine photographer and turf writer for 30 years and served as the President of the Turf Publicists of America. He hosts a weekly radio show on winningponies.com. For reprints of his images or future assignments you may contact him at [email protected]

back to her stall...or will it?

Groupie Doll was purchased by Mandy Pope who has an elite broodmare band in Kentucky that now includes the recent Fasig-Tipton sales topper Be� erbe� erbe� er (Ire) a regally bred daughter of Galileo in foal to War Front that brought a � nal bid of $5.2 million. Last year she signed her world-record $10 million receipt for 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace.

A� er being surrounded by the press for post-sale quotes, Bu� Bradley approached her in the sales ring and crouched down to thank her for her purchase. � e conversation continued...”and there

is the rub.” While she fully intended to retire her as a broodmare, she has returned Groupie Doll to the care of Bu� , Jada and Ma� to prepare her for the $400,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct - a race she lost by a nose vs. males last year to Stay � irsty. Mandy Pope has had no previous connection to Bradley, but trusts him implicitly with her care and while she plans to breed her in 2014 has hinted the Cigar M ile may not be her last race.

� ere is a $600,000 bonus this year to any Breeders’ Cup winner that takes the race on Saturday, November 30. We need to go to press with is edition, so as broadcaster Paul Harvey would say “Stay Tuned for � e Rest of the Story.”

Jada Schlenk and Matt Hebert with Groupie Doll


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NickersHorse Talk Around Town

by Lisa Sheehy

Matching ManesEvery rider has a special connection to their horse and sometimes they even start to look alike. Dry Art owner Sharla Hill and equine veterinarian – photographer Joe Lyman joined talents to prove this point. Sharla has always had a love a� air with horses as she and her barrel horse, Andy, worked the circuit in her native state of Mis-sissippi. But her vision to create imagery that expresses her pas-sion for horses came to fruition when she moved to Kentucky and opened her hair salon, Dry Art, Blow Dry Bar. “My love of horses is also linked to my creative side and my love of hair. � e concept

of the shoot is fairly simple, but extremely impactful! Coloring hair the color of horses, how much more true and beautiful could that be?” said Hill. � e talented stylist team at Dry Art came together to create the looks using only L’Oreal Professional products. Sharla hopes everyone will realize that she has a deep-rooted passion for both hair and horses. Sharla says, “� e two together in this creation is just beautiful to me. I hope you can share in the excitement and beauty of what we tried to do here.”

To have the your mane look like your favorite horse contact Sharla Hill, 832.544.8334, DryArtLex.com

Sharla Hill with Retired Champion Barrel Horse Olena

Chigger (Andy) owned by Marion

Walgreen at Point of View Farm • Sharla’s

mane: Color high-lights with Dia Light

8.34 Styling In� nitum 4, Perfect Shimmer


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Renee’ Brewer with Reserve World Champion Blue Dragon. Owned by Dancing Dragon Farm, Norfolk, VA. • Renee’s mane: Dry

Art signature look “Bourbon Curls”. Color - L’Oreal Dia Richessa 3.N. Styling - In� nium 3,

True Grip.

Lindsey Bramle� with Modern Love. Owned by Barberry Lane LLC, Louisville, KY • Lind-sey’s mane: Dry Art exclusive look “Place Your

Bet”. Color - L’Oreal Professional Dia Light. Styling - Mythic Oil, Texture Lift -Extreme,

Smooth Velours, True Grip, In� nium 2, and Perfect Shimmer.

Caption: Emily Bramlett with Modern Love, a beautiful sorrel � lly. Owned by Barberry Lane LLC, Louisville, KY • Emily’s mane: Dry Art’s

signature style “ Big Blue Waves” soft loose, waves. Color - L’Oreal Hilight 8.01 and 8.34. Styling - Lift Extreme, Perfect Shimmer and

In� nium 3.

Catherine Jaubert and Voodoo Magic A� “Louie”, owned by the Kerr Family of Greenfi eld Farm • Catherine’s mane: color - L’Oreal Dia Richesse 9 BB Clear. Styling - Densite’,

Mythic Oil Colour Formula, Freezing Spray

Quinn Micheal Hill with his wife Sharla’s best friend “Andy”• Styling- Lumi Controle


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Bailey Morken with HS First Day, a beautiful chestnut, owned by Flint Farms, Fairmont WV. • Bailey’s mane: Dry Art’s signature look “Pony Club”. Color - L’oreal 8.34 Dia Light. Styling -

Gelee Cashmere and Freezing Hairspray

Renee’ Brewer with Reserve World Champion Blue Dragon. Owned by Dancing Dragon Farm, Norfolk, VA. • Renee’s mane: Dry Art signature look “Bourbon Curls”.

Color - L’Oreal Dia Richessa 3.N. Styling - Infi nium 3, True Grip.

Grace Lyman with strong and wise horse “Paiute”. Owned by Diana and Jaclyn Norberg. • Grace’s mane: On-Point Curls. Styling - Tex-

ture Freezing Spray and Perfect Shimmer.


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Joe Lyman is an equine veterinarian who came to Lexington in 2003. He lives with his wife and two girls, Grace and Faith, whose love of ballet inspired him to begin his photographic business, LymanDVM Photography.

Clothing and accessories provided by Bella Rose

Faith Lyman with “Pauite” at Marion Walgreen’s Point

of View Farm • Faith’s mane: Natural beauty! Styling -

In� nium 4 Hairspray and Perfect Shimmer

Jemma Smally is with show horse Midnight Annie, owned by Bonus Time Farm, Jacksonville, FL. • Jemma’s mane: Dry Art’s signa-ture look “� e Furlong” - long, sleek and straight. Color is L’Oreal Dia Light 4.0, Styling - Infi nium 2 Hairspray and Perfect Shimmer

tops december 2013

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