|
|
Pollard reaches new lease agreement on Hermitage Farm Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson have announced an agreement with Carl Pollard to acquire the remaining acreage and improvements of Hermitage Farm in a sale-leaseback arrangement expected to close by the end of May. "Laura Lee and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to become part of Hermitage Farm's great history," Wilson said. "It has long been a dream of ours that Hermitage farm remain the same beautiful open green space that it is today. We've been working for the last few months to create this unique agreement with Carl and are confident it will have long-reaching benefits for the community. We plan to honor the farm's remarkable tradition far into the future and intend to place the property in an environmental conservation easement." Brown, Wilson and partners had previously acquired 180 acres of mostly unimproved land from Pollard in 2003 and had leased that acreage back to him for the last seven years. Under the new Hermitage agreement, Pollard will continue to live on the historic farm and will still operate his Thoroughbred breeding business. In the meantime, Brown and Wilson will evaluate their long-term plans for the property. The group hopes to generate interest from international clients coming to Kentucky and searching for places to train and board prior to this fall's Alltech World Equestrian Games. "Carl and his staff have been most generous with their time and advice as to how we can accomplish this," Wilson added. "I'm truly very excited." Brown and Wilson will convene an exhaustive planning session May 3 and 4 with architects and equine industry leaders to chart the future course for Hermitage. David Mohney, Curry Prize Executive Director and former Dean of the University of Kentucky's College of Design; Michael Rotondi, famed Los Angeles architect; Randall Arendt, author and easement consultant; Duke Stump, Principal and Chief Architect of the Northstar Manifesto in Boston; Torrance Watkins, internationally-famed event rider and course designer; Simon Roseman, course designer for the World Equestrian Games; and Jerry Van Eyck, founder of landscape architecture and urban design practice MELK in New York City will be among those in attendance. "We want to ensure the property remains pastoral, but also continues to be regarded as a site for world-class equine operations," Wilson said. Pollard, who has operated the farm for the last 15 years, said he will continue to do so for at least the term of the lease, which runs through 2013. "I'll be 75 when this lease expires, so this arrangement is the perfect way for me to continue to protect the farm and employees, and yet free my children of the responsibility of managing such an operation," Pollard said. Pollard, who expressed confidence the land is going to be in good hands, added the transition for the farm's boarding clients, employees and suppliers will be seamless and that business operations will continue as usual. Hermitage Farm is located on 700 acres near Goshen, Kentucky, and boasts centuries-old trees and large, safe barns. For more than 60 years, Hermitage has been home to more than 200 stakes winners. Topping the list are classic winners Dark Star (1953 Kentucky Derby) and Lomond (1983 English Two Thousand Guineas [G1]). The farm's two-year-old stars have included Irish champion two-year-old and leading sire Woodman, Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Is It True and 2001 Hollywood Futurity (G1) winner Siphonic. In 1985, Hermitage Farm sold Seattle Dancer at the Keeneland July Sales. The then unnamed son of Nijinsky II out of My Charmer (Poker), a half-brother to Seattle Slew (Bold Reasoning) and Lomond, was sold for a world-record yearling price of $13.1 million to the partnership of Vincent O'Brien, John Magnier and Robert Sangster. He went on to become a Grade 2 winner and a successful sire. In 1995, the family of Warner Jones sold Hermitage to Pollard.
 Send this article to a friend
|
|
