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2008 BOURBON COUNTY SECRETARIAT FESTIVAL
 It was a success by any measure. Over one thousand people attended the Bourbon County Fairgrounds on a picture-perfect Saturday to partake in the activities, demonstrations and shared memories during the inaugural Bourbon County Secretariat Festival on September 20, 2008.
Conceived as a way to honor Central Kentucky's most famous celebrity resident, the Secretariat Festival not only showcased the 1973 Triple Crown winner's career on the track but also his stallion days as the premier attraction at Claiborne Farm, the nearby historic horse farm where Big Red spent the majority of his life.
The Festival was constantly buzzing with activity throughout the day. One location became the Fairground's version of the local Bijou, running a 25 minute retrospective of Secretariat's races on a continuous loop. Another housed a wide variety of artists, vendors and retailers dealing in all things Secretariat as well as other equine themed merchandise. Three arenas allowed for festival goers to enjoy equestrian demonstrations and disciplines from mounted pony competition to open dressage and jumping demonstrations showcasing retired thoroughbred race horses available for adoption from ReRun, one of the nation's most successful horse retirement agencies.
Claiborne Farm, in addition to serving as a featured
sponsor of the event, graciously opened its doors to tour groups from the Festival,
providing a true behind-the-scenes look at the farm's successful stallion roster,
including top tier sire Pulpit and several others that descend from Secretariat
through his sons and daughters. The Hancock family's Claiborne Farm was well represented throughout the day by Clay Hancock and her sister Dell who displayed her acclaimed equine photographys. Also enjoying the Festival sights were 1977 Triple Crown winning jockey Jean Cruguet of Seattle Slew fame and Bobby Ussery, the 1967 Kentucky Derby winning Hall of Fame rider.
But the two high points of the day were without
doubt the appearance of original Meadow Stable team members : owner Penny
Chenery and exercise riders James Gaffney and Charlie Davis, who split their
day between a jam packed autograph session and the judging of the day's other
anticipated event - the Secretariat Look Alike contest.
$5,000 in prize money was up for grabs as a full field of 19 horses entertained
the crowd when paraded before Team Secretariat as well as longtime
Claiborne manager John Sosby. When the dust settled, a four- year-old stallion
named Trolley Boy owned by Angela Walker of Kentucky won the day.
Nicknamed "Charlie," the chestnut had the three white stockings and the look to
get the job done, though Penny Chenery noted that "I saw an element of
Secretariat in every horse but no horse that had it all."
But the Bourbon County Secretariat Festival did have it all - and will continue to build on this very promising beginning. Plans are already underway for next year's Festival, as well as 2010 with potential tie-ins to the World Equestrian Games which will simultaneously be taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
As Jim Friess, Festival coordinator stated, "We plan for the Bourbon County Secretariat Festival to be an annual fixture on Kentucky's event calendar. It celebrates the greatest race horse who ever lived, and we are so fortunate that he lived so many years right here in Bourbon County. It's an honor to host this festival in his memory. He gave us a lot while he was here."
For event photos and more Festival information, please visit www.secretariat.com.
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