Spendthrift Farms announced its latest addition on November 1, a two-story, 7,000-square-foot visitor center that will be the centerpiece of farm tours scheduled through the organization. tour the industry-owned Horse Country farm.
The opening ceremony of the B. Wayne Hughes Visitor Center was attended by approximately 200 federal, state, and local politicians and prominent Central Kentucky ranchers and owners who were the first to step through. the threshold of the building, which houses a trophy and souvenir room including the 2020 Kentucky Derby gold presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the 2020 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) trophy won by Authentic, who stands at Spendthrift. The center also features a gift shop, outdoor and indoor entertainment spaces, and upstairs office space.
As visitors walk through the door, they immediately see stretched out at their feet and under the heavy glass floor, a blanket of preserved roses draped over Authentic in the Derby winner’s circle.
Hughes, an entrepreneur and pure industry pioneer in livestock incentive programs, acquired Spendthrift Farms in 2004 and restored the historic brand of the farm and its land. it, renovating nearly all of the farm’s signature structures and making Spendthrift a viable commercial livestock operation. . Hughes died at the age of 87 in mid-August 2021. The ranch is now owned by Hughes’ son-in-law and daughter Eric and Tamara Gustavson.
Eric Gustavson said: “One of Wayne’s great attributes is that he was never married to an idea. In the early days of the farm, he worried about liability to tourists. calendar, so we didn’t do that”. “As the years went on, the more he got the idea that tourists are a really positive thing, and we got into Horse Country. Then we had the idea to create a visitor center and we hopefully Wayne will see it in his lifetime.Although we’re sad he didn’t, we have to honor him and his legacy to the ranch, community and equine industry. .”
Eric Gustavson
Horse Country tour visitors will have their Spendthrift experience starting and stopping at the new center, located between the farm’s offices and its stall complex, which will be home to 27 stallions for the breeding season in 2023, topped by a three-time North American sire Into Mischief .
Outside the visitor center is the striking bronze statue of the Malibu Moon, a foundation stallion for the ranch. Weighing in at nearly 1,700 pounds, Malibu Moon’s bronze sculpture is scaled down to 110% life size and depicts him as the adult stallion he used to be on the ranch. He faced his old stable at the front and the old stable at the horse complex in the back.
“When we first started, the farm was very young. He gave us immediate legitimacy and put Spendthrift back on the map,” says Gustavson. “You cannot overstate the importance of Malibu Moon to the farm.”
The Malibu Moon statue was sculpted by artist Douwe Blumberg at the foundry in Norman, Okla. Blumberg and his team began the year-long project in September 2021.
Blumberg said in an earlier interview: “I enjoyed the opportunity to capture Malibu Moon and embrace his strength, masculinity, and fiery gaze. “It wasn’t until the longtime groom and his manager both agreed that ‘it’s him’ that I felt I had succeeded. He felt so natural in the space, like returning home. That’s home.”
