Horses: A wonder in our world

Sunday, April 8, 2007 Last modified: Tuesday, April 3, 2007 9:56 AM EDT Horses: A wonder in our world By BYRON BREWER 4/3/07 Horses. They are what make Kentucky great. Even states that boast of having horse tracks and equine estates cannot compare to the sheer beauty of the Bluegrass hills and our horse havens. It saddens me when I know that our state is losing its breeding business to other states and, for a long time, was doing nothing about it. But lately, the various factions of Kentucky's Horse World have banded together and are trying to keep our horse industry strong, making Frankfort politicians aware of its economic and social impact. I am glad to say I had a minute part to play in this movement as a staff member of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, because - although a city-born boy who has seldom ridden and probably could not answer a pop quiz on tack - I have always had a deep love of and respect for horses. I guess it started with my Uncle Gilbert, my father's brother. He was always interested in horses and started me collecting model horses when I was young. I do not know what type of horses he was involved with most of his life, but Gilbert was always coming to Kentucky from his home in Atlanta, Ga., to purchase them and then transporting them back to the Peach State. In his last few years with the animal, he was working with Tennessee Walking Horses, showing them around the south. I think he still has one or two horses of non-descript breed on his land, old friends living out the last of their days. I did not fully appreciate the beauty of horses until I began going to Keeneland with my buddy, Wendell Butler, when I was in college. There is nothing like going to Keeneland for the first time. The experience is amazing to the uninitiated, especially if you already love horses. "What? You mean I can enjoy all this beauty, see these horses close up and personal and possibly make some money too?" I asked him. "Yep, or possibly lose some money," said the track veteran. "Oh." But I kept going, and have never stopped. Years and years later, it was my pleasure to introduce both George-town Graphic reporter Jim Rector and News-Graphic managing editor Me-lissa Nipper and her husband Brent to the beauties of Keeneland. They loved it too. Jim, in turn, introduced me to Churchill Downs. We started going there on a regular basis in the late 1980s. While Keeneland is beautiful, the old Downs was kind of, well, dirty. It was a fun experience, don't get me wrong, and the Twin Spires were awesome, but it was a dirty track. I had good luck there, though. And in 1988, Wendell took me to see fellow Scott countian Winning Colors as the filly broke records and won the Kentucky Derby. I was in a box seat with a cool fan blowing sweat off my suited-up self, the only way to see the Derby. The mint juleps they made were disgusting; my neighbor, veterinarian Robert Geyer makes better ones. But I won quite a bundle that day. That was because I had two people bet on the filly besides me because I went at the last minute. I had three claim tickets for the Derby winner! I actually knew Winning Colors' mother, All Rainbows, quite well. I did a few stories on her and, when she died, I did a front page obituary on this great mother of a champion. Another great horse in Scott County was April Love, a friendly Morgan horse housed at the Burr Oak Farm of my good friends, Fred and Bonnie Neuville on Cincinnati Pike. Fred and Bonnie are like family to me. They have been so supportive of me since I have had my illness. Bonnie was the last person I did a story on before I succumbed to these headaches in 2004. April Love was born during the great tornado that destroyed Stamping Ground on April 3, 1974. She was very special to Bonnie, who rode her in a million 4-H contests and received a wall full of trophies and ribbons with her. Bonnie and April Love always led off the Festival of the Horse Parade and were the only constants at the event's annual horse show. Sadly, April died right before I left Scott County. I wrote a column for her, too. Horses are things of wonder in our world. You don't have to put wings on their backs or horns on their heads to make them fantasies. They are fantastic just the way they are. Byron Brewer, the former managing editor of the News-Graphic, is a Frankfort resident. He can be reached at b-rbrewer@hotmail.com.