Thoroughbred Park - Lexington, KY
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trailhound1
N 38° 02.489 W 084° 29.458
16S E 720179 N 4213389
A municipal park located located at the corner of Main and Midland Streets in Lexington , KY commemorating the owners and their horses that have won the Kentucky Derby.
Waymark Code: WMAYCZ
Location: Kentucky, United States
Date Posted: 03/11/2011
Views: 19
This 2.5 acre oasis offers a splendid retreat, as well as providing a unique history of the Thoroughbred. Follow the limestone track away from the hustle and bustle of Main Street and view 42 plaques honoring historic figures in the Thoroughbred Industry, as well as 13 life-sized horse sculptures, including seven horses storming down a track towards the winner's circle.
Gwen Readon’s bronzed sculptures:
At first view, the most visible and pronounced feature of Thoroughbred Park are seven of Gwen Reardon’s life-size bronzed horse sculptures, which are forever frozen-captured in time, feverishly racing towards the finish line and winner’s circle. The winner’s circle consists of a small garden of fragrant roses, with a young foal sitting at the base. The young foal symbolizes, the inspiration and promise for the next generation of thoroughbreds to one day make their mark across the finish line. The backdrop to the racing sculptures is a limestone wall holding in place jet streamed-fountains of water. It is believed that pure filtered limestone water is the source that gives Kentucky thoroughbreds the competitive edge to reach the winner’s circle over and over, and over again.
Much more to this park than just the horses:
Make the time and spend a few extra minutes exploring the rest of Thoroughbred Park. Behind the fountain wall is an actual park. Paths weave and wind throughout the tree-strewn commons, providing places to sit and to be shaded from the sun’s heat. In a small open field on the park, one discovers four more Gwen Reardon sculptures of horses grazing and watching over foals playing.
A tribute to the people and the horses:
42 plaques honoring important individuals and their contributions to the Thoroughbred industry are memorialized throughout this park. From President George Washington to Queen Elizabeth, their contributions are displayed upon plaques alongside the sidewalk paths. Along with the important people, there are also tributes to the thoroughbreds. The most notable is the bronzed statue of Lexington, a famous 19th-century racehorse.
Name: Thoroughbred Park
Street Location: Main and Midland Street
Local Municipality: Lexington
State/Province, etc.: Kentucky
Country: U.S.A.
Web Site: [Web Link]
Memorial/Commemoration: Individual and Kentucky Derby Winning Horses
Date Established: 1980
Picnic Facilities: none
Recreational Facilities:
none
Monuments/Statues: 42 plaques honoring important individuals and their contributions to the Thoroughbred industry
Art (murals/sculpture, etc.): bronzed statue of Lexington racehorses
Fountains: Yes
Ponds/Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Beach: pond
Special Events: regular & occasional
Traditional Geocaches:
GC943B KY Heritage Cache #1
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