As you know, I went to visit Winstar Farm on my second day of my Ky spring break trip, and after that tour, I went to visit with the 2001 Kentucky Derby winner , Monarchos. Yes, both of these horses are the same horses, its amazing isnt it? The color change I mean. I didnt really take any pictures except the one above, it was raining and I did not want to get my new phone wet. I had visited with him shortly before my high school graduation, so me and him were already familiar as one could say. I wanted to visit with him again because I know that one of his relatives, Union Rags is currently set to run in the KY derby. How is he related one may ask? Union Rags and Monarchos both share the same grandfather- Dixieland Band. Any horse that has some relation to Monarchos is instantly one of my favorites.. Monarchos, the 2001 derby champ currently resides at Nuckols Farm, located in the little,quiet town of Midway Ky. His home is not like the other stud farms, it is not grand in appearance, there are no gated entrances, and there are no endless green pastures with the traditional white fences. Instead his home is a small, privately owned, family owned farm. The main office is a house, and his barn is a little run down, with paper taped up to the door telling who lives in what stall. Next to the main office, one sees a few horses in a small pasture, eating the blue grass and enjoying the horse lifestyle. Some may be shocked to learn a derby champ lives in such a non-luxurious home, but I like it. His new owner is a kind ,old man, who is married and together he and his wife run the farm.
I wasnt nervous or overly excited about seeing one of my favorite derby winners because I had seen him before. We went through the standard procedure of checking in and then headed to his barn. His barn is small, with only two stalls, and as I approached his barn, I heard my parents say " There he is". Monarchos had been brought out and was waiting for me outside on the sidewalk. I was so excited I almost jumped out of the moving car, and I ran to him. Meeting a derby champ is almost like meeting royalty to me. Mr Nuckols ( owner of the farm),greeted me and gave me some treats to give Monarchos. The treat ? Carrots of course, it seems as though Monarchos was put on a healthy diet , because last time I had seen him, I fed him peppermints. Monarchos gladly took the carrots though and I began to stroke his soft mane and pet his neck. After taking several pictures and just spending time rubbing him , Mr Nuckols said " Come over here, I have a trick to show you". Remember when I said Super Saver enjoyed having his handler's hand in his mouth , and how it soothed him? Well , Mr. Nuckols took MY hand and put it in Monarchos's mouth. His mouth was warm , and I could feel his carrot stained teeth rubbing against my palm ,and to my amazment, Monarchos started to fall asleep. I know Super Saver and Monarchos ARE related, so maybe its a family trait? who knows? At the conclusion of my tour, Mr. Nuckols passed me the "Monarchos Fan Book" to sign. The book was small, but flipping through the pages, you can see Monarchos is still well known and loved. Seeing Monarchos and the farm he lives at made me realize that money isnt everything. You go to Lexington and you see all these big stud farms, equipped with golden gates, wide green pastures, 6-7 barns, and even a security gate. The horses are well treated there but so is Monarchos. He doesn't live at the best stud farm, the biggest stud farm and the richest, but he is loved and I believe Mr. Nuckols treats Monarchos more as a pet,than a money making stud.
Anyone who happens to visit Lexington should swing my Midway, Monarchos loves company!
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