By Christie DeBernardis
Since my first visit to Summer Wind Farm last year, the Georgetown nursery has become a regular stop on my frequent trips to Kentucky. The gorgeous property with field after field full of regally bred Thoroughbreds is a horse lover's paradise. A trip to Summer Wind is like a trip to Oz for a lifelong equestrian like myself, but the icing on the cake is the farm's owner, Jane Lyon.
On this visit, she is well dressed, as always, with part of her hair sweeping across her face and the rest pulled back in a beautiful barrette. Her blue eyes sparkle as she greets me with her million-dollar smile and a warm hug. “Hi sweet girl! How are you?” Lyon asks, her accent giving away her Little Rock, Arkansas, roots.
Lyon is as kind, caring and generous as they come and that extends to both humans and animals alike. Any horse born on Summer Wind can always return home and the farm is filled with rescue dogs and cats. Though she splits her time between Arkansas and Kentucky, each of Lyon's horses know her well and are quick to greet her in search of the carrots she always has handy.
But make no mistake, Lyon is as sharp, determined and diligent as she is sweet. She is a woman who knows what she wants, has great taste and very good instincts, which can be seen in the star-studded broodmare band that she has assembled. With the help of her late husband Frank Lyon, the lifelong horse lover has spent decades pursuing her dream of raising quality horses in the Bluegrass and that dream has reached new heights recently. Over the past two years, Summer Wind has been responsible for the likes of champion Game Winner, multiple Grade I stakes winners McKinzie and Moonshine Memories, Japanese Group 1 stakes winner Mozu Ascot and Grade I stakes winner Chasing Yesterday. The farm also had a banner sales season last term and is preparing a group of yearlings for market this year that are sure to turn heads.
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