Blue Ridge Farm Photos and Text by Emily Hufford
Seated deep in the fields and gentle hills of Virginia is Blue Ridge Farm, a farm that looks unkempt from the untrained eye, but has a homey and simple feel to it. It's not the kind of place that you would expect to find a Breeders' Cup Classic winner, but it is the home of Black Tie Affair.
Winner of the Classic in wire-to-wire fashion in 1991, Black Tie Affair was standing overseas before being returned to America, taking up residence at Blue Ridge. He isn't the only famous stallion that calls Blue Ridge his home, however. Housebuster, the champion sprinter of 1990. also lives there, as well as the older stallion Lord Avie.
 Black Tie Affair |
Black Tie Affair was housed in a barn with
several other mares when we saw him, the easier to breed him during
the day. He leaned his head out of his window, interested in the
man cutting grass, curious as to whether or not we were going to
feed him any treats. He is a big horse, very powerful in the shoulders
and hindquarters, and his white coat is flecked with brown and gray
hairs, much lighter than when he took the Classic so long ago. |
 Housebuster |
The next barn over is the home of Housebuster during the spring. Several newborn foals and their dams wait in the stalls surrounding the handsome dark bay stud, ready to be bred to him later in the day. Housebuster was extremely interested in the mare that he could see from his window. He whinnied at her and fussed in his stall, ignoring his visitors. Once the fastest creature on the racetrack, Housebuster still looks very good for his age. His head is refined and elegant, with all of his beautiful Thoroughbred qualities shining through. One thing is for sure: Blue Ridge takes extremely good care of their stallions. |
Lord Avie, a son of Lord Gaylord, won the Champagne
Stakes (gr. I) and the Florida Derby (gr. I), is now twenty-six-years-old,
but still has an intelligent spark in his eye. He gazed out at us
from his stall door, watchful and wise, it seemed. In a racing career
that included sixteen races, Lord Avie won eight of those, including
six major stakes races. During his stud career he sired Magical
Maiden and Witchful Thinking. |
 Lord Avie |
 |
Hay Halo was the last stallion we got to visit. As a two-year-old he won the Maryland Juvenile Championship and the Inner Harbor Stakes. As of January, 2004 he had sired thirteen stakes winners. He was very interested in Mandy and enjoyed her company, although he could have cared less about me, and I was too busy oggling Lord Avie anyway! All in all, Blue Ridge was an amazing farm and I enjoyed it immensely. They were extremely nice to us! Turf Angels Rating: 4 stars |
