jonabell farm tour

Jonabell Farm

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Michael Banahan

Kate Galvin

Suzanne Watkins

Elizabeth Masi

Mary Beth Moore

3333 Bowman Mill Road Lexington Kentucky 40513 USA

Tel: +1 859 255 8537 Fax: +1 859 259 0040 Email:   [email protected]

Click or tap on the blue pointer on the map for directions

From downtown Lexington

From the Hyatt Regency, go west on West High Street (US 60) which becomes Versailles Road. Travel 5.1 miles until you come to a stoplight at Man o’War Boulevard which will be on your left at the airport (Keeneland’s entrance will be on your right). Turn left onto Man o’War and then travel 1.3 miles to Parkers Mill Road (this is your second stoplight after turning onto Man o’War Boulevard). Turn right onto Parkers Mill Road and travel 0.4 miles to Bowman Mill Road where you will then turn left. Travel 1.3 miles and turn right into the main entrance where you will see the guard house. The first entrance is the breeding shed entrance and for horse vans only.

From New Circle Road (Circle 4) at Versailles Road

Travel 1.5 miles west (going out of town) on Versailles Road until you come to the first stoplight at Man o’War Boulevard which will be on your left at the airport (Keeneland’s entrance will be on your right). Turn left onto Man o’War and then travel 1.3 miles to Parkers Mill Road (this is your second stoplight after turning onto Man o’War Boulevard). Turn right onto Parkers Mill Road and travel 0.4 miles to Bowman Mill Road where you will then turn left. Travel 1.3 miles and turn right into the main entrance where you will see the guard house. The first entrance is the breeding shed entrance and for horse vans only.

From Airport

Turn right out of airport onto Man o’War Boulevard and travel one mile to Parkers Mill Road (this is your first stoplight after turning onto Man o’War). Turn right onto Parkers Mill Road and travel 0.4 miles to Bowman Mill Road where you will then turn left. Travel 1.3 miles and turn right into the main entrance where you will see the guard house. The first entrance is the breeding shed entrance and for horse vans only.

From Keeneland

Exit Keeneland at the Man o’War intersection and cross over Versailles Road towards the airport. Travel 1.3 miles to Parkers Mill Road (this is your second stoplight after crossing Versailles Road onto Man o’War Boulevard). Turn right onto Parkers Mill Road and travel 0.4 miles to Bowman Mill Road where you will then turn left. Travel 1.3 miles and turn right into the main entrance where you will see the guard house. The first entrance is the breeding shed entrance and for horse vans only.

Click here for information about tours at Jonabell Farm.

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Top 13 things to do, plant-friendly, diversity, equity & inclusion, new restaurants, convention center, request for proposal, godolphin's jonabell farm.

Located on historic Bowman Mill Road, Jonabell Farm is home to Darley's Stallions, including Kentucky Derby winners Street Sense and Nyquist. One of the stallion farms of Sheikh Mohammed, Jonabell Farm has produced more than 200 Stakes winners and 14 champions. Visit the 800-acre farm to learn more about Jonabell's history, tour the stallion complex, and visit the gravesite of 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed.

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The 6 Best Horse Farm Tours in Lexington, Kentucky

TripSavvy / Taylor McIntyre

Lexington, Kentucky, is known for two things: whiskey and horses. Often referred to as the Horse Capital of the World, the city is home to more than 400 horse farms and the famous Keeneland Race Course (featured in several movies). It has bred more Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winners than anywhere else in the world. Race fans and equestrians alike flock to Lexington to see how these horses live and train. With so many venues to interact with these horses, it can be hard to decide where to start. Here is your go-to roundup of Lexington, Kentucky's best horse farm tours.

Jonabell Farm

Courtesy of Jonabell Farm

Jonabell Farm, home to HH Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, is one of the most successful breeding sites globally, producing more than 200 stakes-winning racehorses. This tour takes guests through the history and current-day practices of Jonabell, as well as an up-close viewing of their current stallions. A shuttle tour is also available, featuring a scenic drive over Jonabells’ 800 acres of paddocks to see the mares and foals on the farm.

Three Chimneys Farm

Three Chimneys is one of the most respected stud farms in the business. This tour takes guests through the palatial stables and allows for some facetime with their current horses. The tour continues on to walk visitors through the breeding process and all safety measures that Three Chimneys takes to ensure the health and safety of these prestigious horses. It concludes with a walk around the green paddocks where the horses enjoy acres of land. This scenic farm is an excellent stop for newbies or lifelong fans of the sport. 

Claiborne Farm

Courtesy of Claiborne Farm

This 109-year-old farm is often cited as the "Horse Capital of the World." Claiborne Farm boasts 3,000 acres for its prized stallions to run and has been home to 300 sires of champions, 10 Kentucky Derby, and six Triple Crown winners. This tour lets guests view the breeding shed and current horses that call Claiborne home and ends with viewing the famous Secretariat's gravesite. This is a can't-miss for any horse racing fan—in fact, the Queen of England has visited twice!  

Denali Stud

Courtesy of Denali Stud Farm

Denali Stud is a world-renowned horse farm that has trained a litany of winning horses and has sold more than $475 million worth of horses since 1990. A Denali tour will take guests through their impressive history and current breeding and training practices. In the spring, guests can get up close and personal with the mares and foals, and on lucky days guests have been able to watch foals be born!

New Vocations

Courtesy of New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program

Get a unique view of what happens after the racing stops. New Vocations is the oldest and largest racehorse adoption program in the United States. Focusing on rehabilitation, retraining, and rehoming, this organization saves retired racehorses from an otherwise uncertain future and promotes their use as riding horses, sport horses, or simply great companions. Working with more than 500 horses a year, New Vocations has managed to rehome more than 7,500 horses since its inception in 1992.

While not a farm tour, Keeneland is an absolute must for any equestrian fan visiting Lexington. The famous racetrack is also the largest thoroughbred sale site globally and offers several different tours that take guests behind the scenes of both the racing and sales sides. The horses' morning workouts are free and open to the public, and guests interested in betting during a race can talk to the newly instituted “bet-ologists” who walk newcomers through the wagering process.

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6 Horse Farm Tours In Kentucky That Are Perfectly Enchanting

Andrea Limke

A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.

More by this Author

While it’s possible to live in Kentucky and not have a love for horses, it’s not very likely. Even if you’ve never been to a horse race or visited a farm, chances are you have a soft spot in your heart for these beautiful animals. Lexington, Kentucky is known as the “Horse Capital of the World” and features more than 400 horse farms throughout the region. A large area of central Kentucky is home to these farms and you are welcome to visit many of them. To get started, try these six horse farm tours in the Bluegrass State that are perfectly enchanting.

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A horse farm tour is a great experience for both local Kentuckians and those visiting our state, and there are plenty of opportunities to take one in the heart of horse country. Have you toured a horse farm in Kentucky? Are there others that weren’t included on this list that we should check out? Let us know in the comments!

If you’d like to plan an extended visit to horse country, check out the region’s website here . And consider a stay at a horse-themed bed and breakfast, featured in our previous article here .

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Godolphin Member Page

One of the world’s leading Thoroughbred racing and breeding operations. Visit the Darley Stallions at Jonabell Farm or meet Godolphin’s leading broodmare band at Gainsborough Farm.

ABOUT TOURS GALLERY REVIEWS

About godolphin.

Godolphin is the international Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation founded by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates. Godolphin is not only one of the largest Thoroughbred operations in the world with bases in Dubai, England, Ireland, France, Australia, Japan and the United States, they are also one of the most successful with multiple Grade 1 winners in both hemispheres.

Godolphin US’s headquarters are located at Jonabell Farm in Lexington, home of the Darley stallions. Along with Jonabell Farm, horse farm tours are also available at Godolphin’s Gainsborough Farm in Versailles, where many of Godolphin’s top brood mares and their foals reside.

To learn more about Godolphin, visit their  website here or check out the Darley Stallions’ website here .

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Straight from the horse’s mouth.

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Visit Horse Country: Godolphin’s Tradition of Excellence at Jonabell Farm

Industry leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum , the ruler of Dubai, professes a truly worldwide reach in his Thoroughbred racing and breeding operations. His Godolphin Stables campaigns some of the most successful racehorses in competition, many of them homebreds sired by his stallion band, which are dispersed in six countries. Although his breeding headquarters is in Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, England, many of his most successful racehorses in the U.S. trace their bloodlines to Sheikh Mohammed’s stallions at Jonabell Farm in Lexington.

Officially named Godolphin at Jonabell Farm , the bucolic farm is nestled in western Fayette County close to Blue Grass Airport and Keeneland . Currently, it houses 11 stallions, marketed as Darley stallions after the Darley Arabian, one of the three foundation sires of the Thoroughbred breed . (Godolphin Stables is named after another foundation sire, the Godolphin Arabian; the operation’s breeding division was named Darley until Sheikh Mohammed merged his breeding and racing operations in 2016).

Jonabell was founded in 1946 by the late owner and breeder John A. Bell III, a pivotal figure in the Thoroughbred industry who died in 2007. Bell opened the farm at its current location in 1954, and it was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed in 2001.

Godolphin at Jonabell's staff is led by Jimmy Bell, son of John A. Bell III. Many of the younger team members, in Kentucky and around the world, started working for the operation as members of the Flying Start program , a two-year immersive educational and training course designed to produce the next generation of leaders in the horse business.

The Kentucky stallion roster is one of the best in the world, mixing established sires with promising newcomers. Medaglia d’Oro leads the group and ranked fourth on the 2017 general sire list for North America with runners such as Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winter book favorite Bolt d’Oro . Other veteran sires include 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and 2006 Preakness winner Bernardini. Nyquist , the 2016 Kentucky Derby winner, and multiple Grade 1 winner Frosted , a Godolphin homebred, headline the younger stallions.

“Nyquist and Frosted are having their first foals right now, so they’ll be having their second year at stud this year,” said Brianne Sharp, market research coordinator at Godolphin. “Medaglia d’Oro probably had his best year ever, having seven Grade 1 winners last year, so he’s obviously very popular in 2018.”

While Bolt d’Oro was bred by WinStar Farm, two other high-profile Kentucky Derby contenders are Godolphin homebreds, which would bring Sheikh Mohammed to the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May as an owner-breeder should either make the starting gate. Those horses are recent Withers Stakes winner Avery Island (by Street Sense) and 2017 graded stakes winner Enticed (by Medaglia d’Oro).

Godolphin at Jonabell conducts a 90-minute tour as part of the Horse Country experience, which may include visits to stallions depending on their availability. Sharp said that Frosted, a striking gray Thoroughbred, is probably the most popular individual horse standing at Godolphin at Jonabell right now – “From a fan perspective, he has a lot of them.”

But most Horse Country tour visitors are looking to learn about the industry and how Thoroughbreds are developed into racehorses, and Godolphin is an ideal one-stop destination for a well-rounded education.

“We basically tell them how the industry works, how the stallion business works, and we’ll tell them about Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed,” Sharp said. “We’ll go up to the stallion barn and see the stallions and then tell everybody about each of the stallions, and then we’ll go to the breeding shed and talk about the breeding process.”

One new feature for 2018 is Godolphin’s shuttle, which holds 18 and makes transport through the farm’s grounds much easier, adding to the experience. Sharp said that using the shuttle, she and the other tour guides will now be able to drive visitors over to the broodmare barns after the stallion portion to check out mares and new foals. “It just won’t be stallions now, you’ll be able to see mares and babies, and people will love that, being able to see the foals.”

Another highlight of the tour is a visit to the gravesite of 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed , the legendary racehorse whose rivalry with Alydar captivated a nation and who lived at Jonabell Farm for the last ten years of his life.

This year, Horse Country tours at Godolphin at Jonabell Farm start on the first weekend of March and last through late October/early November, held on Thursdays and Fridays in the afternoon. The farm will be participating in the second annual “Meet the NEIGHbors” opening weekend of Horse Country tours , which are free for local residents with limited capacity. To learn more and reserve tickets, click here .

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New Best of Kentucky Experiences Visit Horse Farm and Bourbon Distillery

by Mint Julep Experiences | Feb 8, 2018 | Bourbon , Horses

It’s hard to squeeze all the wonders of Kentucky into one day – but our new Best of Kentucky experience tries! This new public tour recently featured by Tastemade Travel takes you to explore two of Kentucky’s most famous industries, bourbon and horses, on a full day Bluegrass adventure.

Best of Kentucky Experiences

Meet at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville and depart at 9:30 a.m. headed east toward Horse Country. Through the rolling hills and scenic vistas, you’ll arrive one of two iconic horse farms.

Mill Ridge Farm

For horse farm tours on April 8, May 13, May 27, and June 17, the Best of Kentucky experience includes a trip to Mill Ridge Farm  in Lexington. Learn about Mill Ridge’s owners the Headley family who have been a part of Kentucky’s rich horse breeding and racing traditions for decades. Known for helping found Keeneland Race Course  and raising more than 30 Grade I winners, this impressive family still owns and operates Mill Ridge.

You’ll travel around the horse farm and see the barn with recent foals and mares live. One a recent tour, a less than one-day-old foal and its mother greeted our tour group. Plus, get a chance to get up-close with yearlings in the field and maybe even pet one. But beware, owner Headley Bell says if one of the horses breathes on you, you’ll fall in love!

Godolphin at Jonabell Farm

Stallions who have called Jonabell Farm home include Kentucky Derby winners Nyquist, Animal Kingdom and Street Sense. Each tour includes a stop at the grave site of Affirmed, the 1978 Triple Crown winner who lived at Jonabell for the last ten years of his life.

On all Mint Julep horse farm tours, we will do our best to let guests meet their favorite horses. However, there are no guarantees for the showing of any particular horse. Every day is contingent on the health and welfare of the animals.

Buffalo Trace Distillery

All Best of Kentucky tours then travel to historic Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort. This is where many popular brands including Blanton’s, Elmer T. Lee, Eagle Rare and Pappy Van Winkle are made. Learn about the distillery’s varied mash bills and production processes as you explore the historic grounds. Your tour concludes with a tasting of select Buffalo Trace products.

Finally, you’ll go back to Louisville and arrive at approximately 5:30 p.m. Be sure to ask your tour guide for suggestions of great Louisville restaurants, bourbon bars and more to continue your Kentucky excursion!

Plan Your Horse Country Adventure

Want an experience on your own schedule? We offer customized tours to Kentucky bourbon distilleries and horse farms seven days a week. Many of the best bourbon makers have special tours and elevated tastings only available to Mint Julep Tours guests. Reach out to one of our experience coordinators to start planning today.

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The ’24 annual Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour, a self-driving tour, set for July 20

The 2024 Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour is a not-to-miss opportunity to see amazing working farms in Campbell County — and for the whole family to understand where their food really comes from.

The Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour, hosted by the Campbell County Conservation District, is scheduled for Saturday, July 20 from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., rain or shine.

The self-guided driving tour of agricultural operations and agritourism in Campbell County is eye-opening.

Take this opportunity to meet local farmers, taste farm-fresh food, learn stewardship and farm skills from experts.

Farmers will be available to share their stories and experience as well as answer any questions.

Many of the stops will have items such as produce, wine, crafts, and other farm products for sale, so don’t forget to bring a cooler and cash.

The stops include:

• 12 Mile Beef • Casson Ahrman Farm • Homegrown on Haubner Hill • Little Rock Farm • Mason Greenhouse • Misty Ridge Farm • Neltner’s Farm & Event Venue • NKY Saddle Club • Seven Wells Vineyard & Winery • StoneBrook WineryTC Farm • Yellow Star Acres

See details at campbellkyconservation.org

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Friday, March 20, 2020

2020 csa and market bucks.

• You pay just $240.  You receive $276 total value, including $36 on a gift card
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