Fayette Alliance Blog

Brookfield Farm

BROOKFIELD FARM, LOCATED ON TODDS ROAD AND CLEVELAND ROAD at the edge of eastern Fayette County and western Clark County is one of the most storied general agricultural operations in Kentucky. In 2000, much of the legendary Brookview Farms became Brookfield Farm, and the Gay family has been raising prized cattle and crops on Brookfield land since 1790. Simply stated, Brookfield exemplifies the renowned heritage of the Bluegrass.

The original parcels of Brookfield were received from the British Monarchy in the late 1700s. Over time, the operation grew and is now over 2,000 acres of prime bluegrass farmland. Throughout the mid 20th century, Brookfield was the largest cattle operation in the state of Kentucky. Brookfield has an unparalleled breeding history of purebred horned Herefords. From 1935 to 1987, J. Douglas Gay, Jr. bred and sold grand champion bulls and heifers of the famed Bacas and Domino bloodlines. These prized Herefords won top honors at state fairs and competitions throughout the United States.

Mr. Gay was not only an expert cattle breeder, but also a successful mechanical engineer, inventor, and businessman. In 1935, Mr. Gay developed the “Bluegrass Seed Stripper” that was an innovative, nine-foot bluegrass harvester. The stripper sacked 40 acres of bluegrass a day. Providing cleaner, quicker, and more complete stripping operations –– the Bluegrass Seed Stripper has been widely recognized as a key development in 20th century farm technology.

Although Brookfield is rich in history and tradition, it has a keen eye focused on the future. In the 1990s, the cattle market changed and buyers wanted a leaner type of beef. To remain at the top of the game, Brookfield changed its purebred Hereford operation to a “Black-Baldie” herd.

Generally 70% Angus and 30% Hereford, Black Baldies produce lean beef at high growth and maturation rates. Like the Herefords before them, Black Baldies thrive at Brookfield. Its rolling green pastures and fertile soils give rise to top quality corn, hay, and grasses that feed its cattle. As such, Brookfield Black Baldies can gain up to 3 pounds per day.

Under the ownership of Jack and Elizabeth Gay van Nagell, and expert management of Ben Roberts, Brookfield continues its pursuit of perfection. Today, the very best Hereford and Angus bloodlines are introduced into the herd using artificial insemination. Only the finest heifers are kept for breeding quality, while the steers are sold for beef via Internet auctions. After calving, Brookfield’s herd numbers nearly 1000 and is skillfully worked on horseback.

While Brookfield’s primary agricultural activity has been the breeding and raising of beef cattle, it has a substantial row-crop operation that includes the cultivation of soybeans, corn, and tobacco. Though Brookfield is grounded in 200 years of history, it looks forward to what the future holds- promises of simple excellence, and innovation.

*Bluegrass Conservancy Protected Farm

*PDR protected farm.

Juddmonte Farms

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THOROUGHBRED RACING IN THE U.S. and is informally known as the “Horse Capital of the World”.

Many of the world’s leading owners and breeders have established farms in this “bluegrass region” of Kentucky. Keeneland Racecourse and Sales Company are located in Lexington.

Juddmonte Farms’ Lexington operation is located just south of the city, with yearling operations on Lemon’s Mill Road, and is approximately 10 miles from Blue Grass Airport. The farm consists of almost 2500 acres of land. The manager is Garrett O’Rourke.

We stand three stallions in Lexington: APTITUDE, EMPIRE MAKER –– both second in the Kentucky Derby –– and MIZZEN MAST.

Moreover, Newmarket in Suffolk England is the headquarters of British Racing. There are around 2000 racehorses in Newmarket spread between 66 racehorse trainers. The two racecourses and training facilities extend over 4500 acres and include 40 miles of turf gallops and 17 miles of all-weather tracks.

Juddmonte’s Newmarket operation is Banstead Manor Stud, which is situated on the outskirts of the village of Cheveley, some 4 miles south of Newmarket.

The stud comprises 373 acres of land, of which 50 are set aside for the stallion unit at Banstead. The Stud operates on the successful ‘walking-in’ system for visiting mares.

Juddmonte bred 30 individual Group/Stakes winners worldwide in 2006, including the Group/Grade One winners CACIQUE,LATENT HEAT, PASSAGE OF TIME, PRICE TAG and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner RAIL LINK. The last three mentioned are all by Juddmonte’s successful young stallion DANSILI, who was Champion sire in France in 2006. He is being joined at Banstead Manor in 2007 by his full brother CACIQUE.

HASILI, the dam of DANSILI, CACIQUE and of course BANKS HILL, INTERCONTINENTAL and HEAT HAZE, was named Broodmare of the Year by the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association. HASILI becomes the second Juddmonte Broodmare to win this award, following on from SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS –– the dam of COMMANDER IN CHIEF, WARNING and YASHMAK. Juddmonte has also been awarded the TBA Silver Rose Bowl for the second time, which is a discretionary award presented to Breeder of The Year.

Juddmonte has received 10 Eclipse Awards to date, including Top Breeder Award in 1995, 2001, 2002, and 2003 and Top Owner Award in 1992 and 2003.

Juddmonte has now bred 68 individual Group/Grade One winners of 121 races.

Darley Farm

HH SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM, RULER OF DUBAI, purchased Jonabell Farm in 2001 from the Bell Family. Jonabell, now Darley, is a little over 800 acres and home to Sheikh Mohammed’s US stallion operation.

Sixteen stallions are standing the 2008 breeding season with such headliners as BERNARDINI, ELUSIVE QUALITY, STREET CRY and his son 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, plus HOLY BULL and CHEROKEE RUN, who stood at Jonabell at the time of purchase.

Sheikh Mohammed has several other properties in the surrounding area: Raceland Farm, in Paris, KY serves as a yearling division; Gainsborough Farm which he inherited from his late brother Sheikh Maktoum in 2006, serves as a broodmare division; and the newest Kentucky Darley division located on James Lane. Collectively his properties total nearly 4,000 acres in the central Kentucky area.

With the focus of being a leader in the Thoroughbred world, Darley also has farms in England, Ireland, Japan, Australia and Dubai. Each operation strives to preserve the history of the land, the sport, and the breed while looking to the future of this industry.

Walnut Lawn Farm

IN 1842, BOB JAMES’S GREAT-GREAT GRANDFATHER, JOHN GRAVES JAMES, purchased Walnut Lawn Farm, which lies along Military Pike in the southwest corner of Fayette County and has acreage in a portion of Jessamine County. Since then, Walnut Lawn Farm has been continuously farmed by the James Family. Bob is the fifth generation to live there and farm the land, with two sons coming on as the sixth generation. Bob, his wife Leslie, and his sons Robert and John, live in the old family residence that was built in 1893. An 18th century house was torn down to build the “modern” Victorian house, but many of the old 18th century outbuildings still stand, including a weaving house, an old kitchen, a dairy, an ice-house, and barns built in the early to mid 19th century. The original old sunken pioneer road passes close by the house, and has now become a farm lane. Another residence on the farm, a Palladian style house, was built by Bob’s father in the 1960’s and was designed by the famous architect, McMeekin. Below this house lie the cattle feeding operation buildings, no longer used for what they were intended, but for storage of equipment. Bob’s father, Robert C. James, fed about 500 head of cattle and that operation continued for about 20 years. In 1980 they ceased that operation to concentrate on grain crops.

In the beginning Walnut Lawn’s crops and livestock included about everything, such as cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry, wheat, and corn. Shorthorn cattle were raised in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s to send out West to replace the Longhorn cattle. Hemp was grown until about 1940 when it was made illegal and area farmers were encouraged to grow more Burley tobacco. Bluegrass seed was also grown and marketed by Bob’s grandfather, Robert Lee James. Currently, about 400 acres are farmed. Crops are tobacco, corn, wheat, rye, soybeans, and a small cow/calf herd. Both Bob’s father and grandfather were innovators in their day for better farming practices. Bob follows in their footsteps by using the no-till method on all of his crops, including tobacco. This protects fields from compaction and soil erosion, and promotes wildlife protection during nesting and wintering.

The James Family strongly believes in the preservation of Bluegrass farmland. All of Walnut Lawn’s Fayette County acreage has been put into the Purchase of Development Rights Program. Family members have lobbied for farm causes at many City Council meetings and at the state and national level with the hope of saving America’s family farms, and preserving all of the Bluegrass land that is a non-replaceable treasure in the landscape of America.

*PDR protected farm.

Winter Quarter Farm

WINTER QUARTER FARM purchased and established in 1948, is a 276 acre Thoroughbred operation moving into the 4th generation of same family management.

The seed enterprise was old Duntreath Farm owned by Mrs. Silas B. Mason on land now occupied by Gardenside subdivision. One of the first broodmares moved here by grandmother Mason was MAID OF DUNTREATH, the grandam of the great champion KELSO.

Over the years Winter Quarter, now owned by Don M. Robinson and managed by son Ferran, has transitioned from tobacco and cattle production to an exclusively equine operation –– breeding and raising foals, breaking and training yearlings. In addition Winter Quarter consigns its produce to the Kentucky sales.

In recent years the farm has raised Grade I winners GOLDEN PHEASANT, STAR OF COZZENE, MATTY G, VICAR, BALANCE, and OVERARCHING in our name or on behalf of an international clientele. This land has allowed us to achieve the goal of raising some of the best racehorses in the world.

*PDR protected farm