LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- The 117th Kentucky State Fair is gearing up for opening day. Last year the fair was drastically scaled back due to COVID-19 concerns. This year it is kicking off with all fairgoers favorites.
Louisville native Kathryn Rodosky Taylor has known the Kentucky State Fair ever since she was a little girl. Taylor is the owner of Landon Farm based out of Greensboro, North Carolina. She is excited to return home to participate once again in one of the most notable horse shows in the country.
“This would be like going to the Super Bowl, so you are not just watching a professional football game, you are watching The professional football game. That is what this horse show is,” said Taylor.
The World’s Championship Horse Show is a seven day competition where riders, trainers, and horses come from all over the country. Including American Saddlebred, Hackney pony, and Standardbred breeds. Taylor competes with the ‘horse America made’ — the American Saddlebred.
“We have several horses that ride and several that drive. So when you hear the word drive, it is kind of like driving a car but we hook them up to a cart,” said Taylor.
Taylor opened Landon Farm with her husband in 2011, where she has over 30 stalls and teaches hundreds of lessons a week. Now she is helping young girls compete with and against the best in the country.
“The two girls who are helping us unload, this is their first World’s Championship Horse Show. They have grown up riding for me. Because they have been around us for a very long time, they get to be around for a lot of these responsibilities,” said Taylor
Taylor says all it takes is one riding or driving lesson. for her watching her students follow in her same footsteps means more than they’ll ever know.
“I have got to tell you, I get my adrenaline rushes from watching my students from any age complete and fulfill their dreams involving the horses. Being able to set up, haul their horses here and give them a once in a lifetime experience … I am very blessed that I get to do that for them,” said Taylor.
Taylor enjoys winning but the thing that is more important than that is knowing her team gave it their all.
“You know this is the crème de la crème, this is the epitome of the Saddlebreds. I want us to leave the ring saying we left it all out there, we did everything we could in the moment,” said Taylor.
Taylor's horses will be competing starting August 21. The Kentucky State Fair has introduced new restrictions for added safety, masks will be required indoors including the Kentucky Expo Center but not required outdoors. Children under 18 will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian over 21 years of age after 6 p.m.