The Private Stallion Tour at Claiborne Farm

[BettinBilly]

Aloha gents:

I have booked a private tour of the stallions at Claiborne Farm for later this summer. I have wanted to do this for a while. SWMBO is probably more excited about this than I am, since she also loves horses. It is not inexpensive, but for a 1 hour private tour where you actually meet their stallions, I think it is worth every penny.

Has anyone else done this? I certainly will take some photos while there and post them here.

Looking forward to it.

-Billy

[BarchCapper]

Originally Posted by BettinBilly

Aloha gents:

I have booked a private tour of the stallions at Claiborne Farm for later this summer. I have wanted to do this for a while. SWMBO is probably more excited about this than I am, since she also loves horses. It is not inexpensive, but for a 1 hour private tour where you actually meet their stallions, I think it is worth every penny.

Has anyone else done this? I certainly will take some photos while there and post them here.

Looking forward to it.

-Billy

We took the regular "visit Claiborne" $20 one-hour tour a couple of years ago and that was definitely well worth it. Got to meet a few of the stallions - even have pictures of me hugging War Front (at that time - 2019 - standing for the highest stud fee in US). Had a lot of opportunity to ask questions of our guide. We had about 12 people that wound up in our group. My wife loved it.

I will be interested in hearing about your experience and what else got packed into the hour on the private tour! Have a good time.

[BettinBilly]

Thanks, Tom. I will keep you et al well posted on this in late summer when we visit the farm.

I am looking forward to meeting the stallions, but also visiting the graves of the past legends including Secretariat. I thought about just booking a regular tour, but then decided this may be my last chance to do the private tour and meet all of their standing stallions one-on-one with the tour guide. And in a private setting, I think the memories we can create along with the pictures of the visit will be well worth it.

[the little guy]

Secretariat is buried right by main office ( along with two others, maybe one is Round Table but I can't remember for sure ). Those Stallions were buried whole. The private cemetery is really great, and I think that may be included in the tour you are referencing, but am not sure. It's a history lesson in many great names from the past.

Claiborne is a great place. I first went in 1994, when Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Easy Goer, Mr. Prospector, Danzig, and even Believe It were still there. I have been back quite a few times since. I saw Lure there the next year. I'm sure you will enjoy going.

[PhantomOnTour]

Originally Posted by the little guy

Secretariat is buried right by main office ( along with two others, maybe one is Round Table but I can't remember for sure ). Those Stallions were buried whole. The private cemetery is really great, and I think that may be included in the tour you are referencing, but am not sure. It's a history lesson in many great names from the past.

Claiborne is a great place. I first went in 1994, when Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, Easy Goer, Mr. Prospector, Danzig, and even Believe It were still there. I have been back quite a few times since. I saw Lure there the next year. I'm sure you will enjoy going.

I think Secretariat is right next to Mr. Prospector & Swale.
I toured Claiborne in 2006 and it was fantastic. Met Seeking The Gold (who would bite you if you reached out your hand), Pulpit, and Derby winner Monarchos.

Never got to the private cemetery, where I think Danzig & Unbridled are buried.
It was a great morning in Paris, followed by a great afternoon at Keeneland.
Heaven

[BarchCapper]

This slightly dated page has a nice listing of stallions buried at the main (by the office) cemetery and stallions/broodmares at the Marchmont cemetery, though it doesn't distinguish which ones were buried whole.

https://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallm...Claiborne.html

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by PhantomOnTour

I think Secretariat is right next to Mr. Prospector & Swale.
I toured Claiborne in 2006 and it was fantastic. Met Seeking The Gold (who would bite you if you reached out your hand), Pulpit, and Derby winner Monarchos.

Never got to the private cemetery, where I think Danzig & Unbridled are buried.
It was a great morning in Paris, followed by a great afternoon at Keeneland.
Heaven

Mr. P was still alive the first two times I was there. I don't know about Swale but you could be right.

The first time I went, my guide told me Seeking the Gold practically bit off a man's shoulder who was too close and had his back turned. In 1994, he and Forty Niner were in adjacent paddocks. Believe It was nearby.

[BettinBilly]

Wow. Great information and insight, gentlemen. Many thanks indeed.

Now my anxiety level will be very high until I get to the farm later this summer.

I called Claiborne to verify my reservation this morning since I did everything online yesterday, and I signed the electronic waiver that is mandatory for the tour. They gave me a nice rundown of the tour and said that they will even provide peppermints in the visitor office when we arrive for feeding to the stallions. I'll enjoy that, but SWMBO will be on cloud 9 feeding them peppermint. She's done that before and realizes they are not puppies. She knows that they are 1,000 lbs of muscle that has to be respected while she is fawning over them.