The tour bus took us into the farm got to see where a famous stallion was buried with the statue on his grave. The grounds are so well keep it was beautiful. This is a tour out of Lexington and price was great.
This is the second time my wife and I have visited Three Chimneys. I scheduled our tour in advance by contacting Three Chimneys directly. There was a $10 charge for the one hour tour, but the money was donated to a very worthy cause. It is a beautiful facility in the middle of horse country. The very professional staff provides wonderful insight into the thoroughbred business, particularly for the uninitiated, like us. Sue, our tour leader, was very pleasant and most informative. This was the first time we were able to observe a breeding session, which we found to be very interesting and were most appreciative of the opportunity. This is a first class operation and a "must see" for anyone wanting to experience the beauty and focus of the area.
The stallions at Three Chimneys are really living the good life. You can tell how happy they are, and how well they're treated, by the condition of the grounds, and barns, and horses themselves. We got to see Big Brown, War Chant, Dynaformer, Red Giant, Exchange Rate, Point Given, and several others. The tour guide is very well-informed, and you can tell she actually knows the horses (and the cat who has never missed a tour). She was great with questions, and altered our tour a little so that we could see a mare being bred. Great tour, and well worth the drive from Lexington.
This is a good farm to visit, especially during breeding season. They are more of a stallion boutique, and less of a commercial operation like Lanes End and Winstar. That these people care about their horses is obvious. The horses also look really good and have a lot of personality - not overweight and cranky like some of the other stallions we saw. We also got to see a live breeding sessions, which was interesting. The only downside was that the stallion barn was being worked on when we were there and the stallions were therefore spread out all over the farm in pastures and temporary stalls. The meetings with them were very brief. It was very different from Claiborne, who had a stallion manager/groom on hand to introduce us to the horses and let us interact with the friendly ones.
A great tour, well worth the cost. We got to see the barns that were so clean you could eat off the floor. They allow you to observe an actual breeding, which other farms do not. We saw Flower Alley mate with a mare who had been vanned in. Would also recommend the tour at Darley, which doesn't have a Trip Advisor sector for reviews. Darley's tours are free. 3 Chimneys charges a nominal $10.
The lady that did the tour was wonderful and very informative.they truly are people friendly at this farm.
A wonderful tour of one of the most beautiful farms, with top stallions and a very astute staff.This is the reality of the top end of Thoroughbred breeding in America. A chance to see some of the best stallions in America up close and personal.
Very nice tour and nice farm. We saw all the studs and a few outside of stalls. Viewed the breeding barn. We were not able to watch a breeding but they do let you. It was the mares first time. And it got rough. So we all left. I would go back again. Go see Big Brown
This was the highlight of my wife's tour to Lexington. Everything with this tour was excellent. The facility is outstanding, Sue the tour guide very friendly and knowledgeable, and many impressive stallions to view. My wife fell in love with Big Brown when he was racing and was totally in awe when she first stood face to face with him in his stall. The barns are immaculate. If you carry young children be prepared to answer questions about the breeding process!
While in Lexington for the Secretariat Festival I planned to see several farms. As with my 2 previous visits during the past four years I made a reservation to tour Three Chimneys. Since breeding season was over the farm was more quiet, but still just as interesting. I loved seeing one of my favorites, Caleb's Posse who is new to the farm and seemed curious about all the attention. The farm is as beautiful and welcoming as ever and can be enjoyed by people who know nothing about Thoroughbreds as well as those who are diehard fans.