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In and around Lexington is where the majority of the horse breeders and their respective farms are. While there is a horse track in Lexington (Keeneland), the Kentucky Derby is ran at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
Kentucky may get all the ink about certain breeds and certain races, but it's not the be all, end all, in the region of course. The state of TN is historic in this culture and business, ditto Virginia, ditto Ocala FL.
Ocala is losing farms to developers though.....Wellington, FL is huge for polo and dressage riding.
I believe WEG was held at the KY Horse Park in 2010 --- no small matter as The World Equestrian Games are just that --- from all over the world and hosting sites are carefully chosen to hold the events.
2. Kentucky Equine Research (KER) in Versailles, which is near Lexington. https://ker.com
There are other research venues nearby that are associated with KER.
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There was a point in time when Tennessee Walking Horses were considered a major contributing industry to the state of Tennessee. I don't know what the status is these days but it's likely a safe bet that is no longer the case.
The only big equine hospital I am aware of is UT Knoxville, TN
In addition to Keeneland, the Red Mile Trotting Track is located in Lexington, for trotters and pacers. Keeneland offers both a spring and fall meet, for thoroughbred racing, and the annual Bluegrass Stakes is considered a stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby.
In addition, Lexington is considered the Heart of the Bluegrass, the fabled rolling green pastureland whose tree and drystone-lined fields are filled with hundreds of manicured and prestigious thoroughbred horse farms, many dating back a century or two. A good many of these farms are foreign-owned, as the thoroughbred industry is very international in scope. Queen Elizabeth II has made four private visits to the Bluegrass to see her mares and their offspring, in fact.
Historically, horse racing occurred on Main Street in pioneer Lexington back in the late eighteenth century, and Kentucky stateman Henry Clay was a celebrated breeder of thoroughbred horses, as were his son John and daughter-in-law Josephine Russell Erwin Clay. Many of today's finest thoroughbreds descend from Clay horses.
So yes, indeed, Lexington is not only the Horse Capitol of Kentucky, but also the Horse Capitol of the World!
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