Park Memorials

A strapping bay son of Spencer Scott-Earl’s Princess Martha, Rodney was a champion racehorse and sire. Capturing 47 of 67 races, he won a Hambletonian heat at 3 and stood undefeated at 4. He began stallion duties at Walnut Hall Stud in 1950, dying in 1963 after breaking his left radius bone. His influence on the Standardbred trotter will be everlasting.

Winning the first heat of the 1934 Hambletonian, Princess Peg was beaten by two colts from the same stable. She later took revenge, winning the prestigious Kentucky Futurity in Lexington. Her daughter, Princess Rodney, became the fastest 2-year-old trotting filly in history, with a mile time of 2:01 in 1953.

Half-sister to King’s Counsel and the constant nemesis of the great pacer Adios, Primrose Helen produced 16 foals, but never raced. Her descendents include the champion 2-year-old pacers, Hillsota and Meadow Wilma, along with world-champion aged pacing mares, Handle With Care and Tender Loving Care.

A brown daughter of Dean Hanover and the mare, Mignon Hanover, Marilee Hanover was a half-sister to the granddam of multi-millionaire, Mack Lobell, once the world’s fastest trotter. Producing five foals, Marilee Hanover’s descendents include the outstanding trotting stallion, Master Willie, and the pacing stallion, Crouch, who won a heat of the Little Brown Jug.

If you followed the trotters in the 1950s, chances are you followed two of Protectarine’s sons, Lord Stewart and Darn Safe. Both sons of Darnley, they were among the best trotters of the decade and raced long and well. Together, they earned over $800,000 and each one at some point ranked as the richest trotter in the world.

Postponed in 1927 due to rain, the second Hambletonian Stake race was held a month later. During that month, Iosola’s Worth came into top form and swept the greatest race for trotters in two heats. Later becoming a broodmare, her offspring were always in great demand at the yearling sales.

Irma Hanover, a daughter of Mr. McElwyn, was a busy broodmare. Her 12 foals were among the many Walnut Hall Stud yearlings auctioned off inside the “Big Barn” across the sidewalk from the cemetery. Irma Hanover’s best foal was the Rodney trotter, Something Special, was her best foal, who was special enough to return to his Walnut Hall Stud birthplace as a stud himself.

As a broodmare, Dutchess Hanover produced a pair of royal sons in Duke of Lullwater, who won a heat of the Kentucky Futurity, and the outstanding Free-For-All trotter, Merrie Ducke. Duke’s Dutchess, a daughter of Dutchess Hanover, continued the tradition when her son, Duke Rodney, not only won two legs of the Trotting Triple Crown, including the Kentucky Futurity; but also went on to be named the 1963 Trotter of the Year.

A black Oldenburg stallion, Volturno was a member of the German Silver Medal Team at the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Eventing for 10 years at the highest levels and competing in 27 international three-day events, he was also a member of the German Silver Medal Teams at the 1976 Olympics in Canada, and the Alternate Olympics in Fontainebleau, France in 1980. Retiring sound, he was Europe’s leading warmblood, three-day event sire. Having just been imported to the United States to stand at Hamilton Farm in Massachusetts for the 1988 season, Volturno was tragically and brutally attacked by unknown human assailants while in quarantine in Virginia. Valiant efforts to save him failed, and he died at the age of 20. In tribute to this great Three-Day Event horse and his place in the history of the Kentucky Horse Park, he is buried on a knoll overlooking the water jump known as the Head of the Lake, one of the original obstacles on the 1978 World Three-Day Championship Cross-Country Course.

A Thoroughbred/Irish Sport Horse gelding, bred in County Claire, Ireland, The Gray Goose was owned by American eventer Kim Walnes. Known as the equine star ‘Sylvester Stallone’ in the movie Sylvester, he and Walnes doubled in the movie for the eventing shots. Cremated when he died on June 7th, 2000 at the age of thirty, his ashes were spread around the cross-country course.

An Oldenburg gelding and former resident of the Kentucky Horse Park Breeds Barn. General Trelane was euthanized on September 27, 1999 due to cardiac problems.

A Lippizan stallion and 15-year resident of the Kentucky Horse Park’s Breeds Barn, Pluto III Erga was euthanized on January 8, 2002 due to infirmities. Pluto arrived at the park in December 1987 as a 9-year old.

A 21-year old English Shire and fifteen-year resident of the Kentucky Horse Park. Shyster worked as part of the Horse-Drawn Tour, a Mounted Police horse, and in the Breeds Barn.

Bud came to the Kentucky Horse Park in 1991 at the age of foud. The Percheron gelding served in various areas throughout his 13 years at the park. Bud was euthanized due to infirmities in 2005 at the age of 17.

An English Shire and former resident of the Kentucky Horse Park Draft Horse Barn.

Icy Hot was a yearling Saddlebred colt, and former Education Department horse owned by Margi Stickney. A diagnosed wobbler, Icy Hot was euthanized December 17, 1999.

A Percheron gelding and former resident of the Kentucky Horse Park’s Draft Horse Barn, Chet was euthanized on October 9, 1999 due to complications from colic. Arriving at the park in July 1989 as a 5-year old, Chet helped pull the Horse-Drawn Tours, and was the “off” leader in the 4, 6, and 8 horse hitches during his ten years at the park.

Genesis was a 21-year old Hackney mare donated to the park in 1992 by Mr. Bob Wright of Pee Wee Valley, Kentucky. A former resident of the Carriage Horse Barn, Genesis was euthanized on December 4, 2004 due to infirmities and then buried in the Draft Horse Field cemetery.

A Lipizzan stallion and former resident of the Kentucky Horse Park Breeds Barn.

An eleven-year-old Thoroughbred who became known as “Seabiscuit” after starring in the movie with ten other horses, I Two Step Too was cast as the “blow by” Seasbiscuit because he could turn on speed and blow by the other horses pulling into the lead. Since his arrival at the park in May of 2003, I Two Step Too had been in the daily Parade of Breeds presentation held in the park’s Breeds Barn. Featured in the Seabiscuit festivities at the Louisville premiere of the movie on July 19, 2003, he was auctioned off at the charity fundraiser event that evening. In December 2004, surgery was performed on I Two Step Too at Hagyard-Davidson McGee to remove a rare type of tumor from his nasal cavity. Not responding to treatment, the tumor regenerated and the decision was reluctantly made to euthanize the horse. He was humanely euthanized on March 7, 2005 and is buried in the Draft Horse Field cemetery.

Born on April 30, 1968, Chief was a Pony of the America’s champion, whose career in the show ring was exemplary. Donated to the park by owners Don and Jan McMillian at the age of 18, Chief was a resident of the Breeds Barn until his retirement in 1994. After retiring from the Parade of Breeds, Chief was loaned to the Central Kentucky Riding for the Handicapped and served them well until his passing on August 14, 2003 at the age of 35.

A registered bay Quarter Horse gelding, Nugget was foaled in 1982 and used for western pleasure riding before coming to CKRH in 1997. Used in the therapeutic riding program, Nugget also participated in various demonstrations and competed in Special Olympics. Dying in 2004 at the age of 22, Nugget’s ashes are interned next to Chief in the Georgetown Field.

A champion American Saddlebred stallion, Rex Peavine was foaled on May 3, 1899. Sired by Rex McDonald and dam Daisy 2s (BHF) by Peavine, he was owned and bred by Dr. W. L. Hockaday, Silver Creek, KY and trained by C. T. Sandidge. After Hockaday’s death, his son James inherited Rex Peavine and the Hockaday family owned the stallion his entire life. Rex Peavine was the World’s Grand Champion Five-Gaited Horse in 1903, and would be recognized as one of the breed’s greatest sires, siring over 400 gets. Dying in 1925 at the age of 26, he was buried on the farm of his owner James Hockaday in Richmond, KY. After the farm had been sold and prepared for development in 1999, his remains were exhumed and he was reinterred at the Kentucky Horse Park near the American Saddlebred Museum.

Originally buried at Robert A. McCray’s farm in North Middletown, KY; the property has since been developed and the stone was moved to the museum.

An American Saddlebred foaled on March 12, 1966 at Alvin Ruxer’s Ruxer Farms in Jasper, Indiana, Supreme Sultan was sired by Valley View Supreme, the only stallion to ever win the World’s Grand Championship Three-Gaited class, out of Broodmare Hall of Fame-mare, Melody O’Lee. As a weanling, Supreme Sultan was sold to Barlite Farms in Texas. However, within two hours of the death of his sire, Valley View Supreme, on November 28, 1967, Mr. Ruxer bought Sultan back, putting him in his sire’s former stall. At age 11, Supreme Sultan became the youngest horse to lead the sire ratings, which he led for six years. Having a serious bout of colic, he was taken to Dr. Scott Bennett’s veterinary clinic in Simpsonville, KY where, after two surgeries, the decision was made to have him humanely euthanized on December 6, 1983. Buried at the American Saddlebred Museum at the Kentucky Horse Park, a beautiful life-size bronze statue by renowned artist Patricia Crane was later added to his grave on September 25, 1985.