he rising sun creates a fire-like glow on the rolling hills at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky., on a drizzly fall morning. Forty-four miles of white-planked fence dot the 850-acre historic thoroughbred farm, which has seen eight Kentucky Derby winners and the most Triple Crown champions in the history of the sport. Business is bustling in the early dawn hours as the farm’s 90-plus employees tend to yearlings, mares and dozens of would-be legends inside red-trimmed white barns. The storied farm has had a tumultuous past after a series of events left its facilities in decline and its bloodlines weakened. Teetering on the brink of liquidation in the early 1990s, the farm was saved by Henry de Kwiatkowski, whom locals say vowed to maintain Calumet’s legacy. The last seven years have seen a rebirth of this Kentucky bluegrass mainstay under the direction of farm manager Bill Witman (’72 animal science) who was hired on in 2004 shortly after de Kwiatkowski’s passing. His strategy was a three-pronged attack: upgrade the broodmares, the physical plant and business operations. “This farm belongs to the people of Lexington and to the purebred industry,” says Witman, wearing a black cowboy hat and silver spurs that bear his first name. “We have a responsibility to keep the fences white, the farm busy. There’s
Calumet Farm, Lexington, Ky.
a certain charm and charisma the farm exudes.” Some changes he’s implemented are subtle. Trees are pruned annually while buildings and fence — 10 miles each summer — have a painting schedule. Others are more noticeable. Witman has grown commercial business at the farm by introducing post-operation services for horses recovering from training injuries and increasing the number of clients who either board their horses or request Calumet train them. David Switzer, executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, says Witman has made a name for himself in the thoroughbred industry with his quiet demeanor and willingness to try new things, specifically how he breaks horses. (continues)
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