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Spendthrift Unveils B. Wayne Hughes Visitors Center

Lexington, KY – Spendthrift Farm opened the doors to its new B. Wayne Hughes Visitors Center on Tuesday, Nov. 1 as part of the lead-up to the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

Named in honor of the farm's late founder, the 7,000 square-foot, two story facility will serve as the home for Spendthrift's tourism. The building is located between the farm's stallion complex and main office and features a trophy room, which showcases Spendthrift's collection of trophies, artifacts and racing memorabilia, as well as a gift shop.

Spendthrift owners Eric and Tammy Gustavson led the grand opening and credited Tammy's father Hughes for his vision behind the facility.

“He loved this farm, he loved the horse industry, and he grew to love the idea of tourism,” Eric Gustavson said. “He recognized its value and its ability to draw in fans and potential owners. He was always trying to grow the game. Tammy and I are honored to name the visitors center after him and to have this be a small part of Wayne's legacy and his impact on our industry.”

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Gustavsons were joined by VisitLex President Mary Quinn Ramer and Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton.

“In the Thoroughbred business, Spendthrift has made history over and over again,” said Gorton. “Some of the best have roamed these fields…Today we're dedicating this beautiful new visitors center, a place that will welcome tourists. It is places like this that make Lexington special and unique. This reminds us how important it is to protect our Bluegrass countryside.”

Senator Damon Thayer and Congressman Andy Barr were also present for the event.

The newly-unveiled Malibu Moon memorial statue stands in front of the visitors center and portrays the farm's foundation sire facing his old paddock. Read more about the making of the bronze sculpture from the artist himself, Douwe Blumberg, here.

“Malibu Moon was vitally important to this farm,” Gustavson said. “Wayne had a tendency to speak very simply, and very simply he said that Malibu Moon started Spendthrift Farm. And it's true. We were a fledgling farm and Malibu Moon was a perennial leading sire. He put us on the map and gave us legitimacy. It was the start of something that became what we are now.”

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Kentucky Derby Museum Vice President Named Chairwoman For Kentucky Travel Industry Association

Kentucky Derby Museum is excited to announce its Vice President, Katie Fussenegger, has been named Chairwoman of the Board for the Kentucky Travel Industry Association. Founded in 1980, KTIA provides Kentucky's tourism industry with advocacy, education, information and business development services. KTIA leads a concerted effort to increase awareness of the vital role that tourism plays in Kentucky's economy. Fussenegger's term begins immediately and runs for one year.

Fussenegger has an impressive track record in the Kentucky Tourism Industry, previously serving as the President & CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism before moving to the Kentucky Derby Museum in February 2020 as Vice President of the nonprofit organization.

She was appointed to the KTIA Board in November 2016, served as Treasurer in 2019 and Vice Chair the past two years, and in 2019, she was honored as KTIA Member of the Year. She has served as the President of Skal International Louisville in both 2020 and 2021, an international travel and tourism group that promotes global tourism. She is also a past president of the Kentucky Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. Other recent career highlights include being named a “Way to go Woman!” in the leadership category for Today's Woman, and a Top Woman in Business in 2020 by The Lane Report.

“I am excited to take the reins in this leadership role with the KTIA Board. Kentucky is my home, and my heart is in promoting this great state and all that its tourism and hospitality industries have to offer,” said Fussenegger. “It is tourism's time to make a comeback after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am ready with the leaders on this Board to position our state as a top tourism destination.”

Her role as Vice President at Kentucky Derby Museum began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she has been monumental in implementing COVID-19 safety protocols for Museum Staff and Guests. As Vice President, Fussenegger oversees various aspects of daily operations at the Museum, provides leadership oversight, increases revenue for various departments and oversees proper execution of the Museum's overall budget. She's also key in hiring, developing and appraising staff.

Fussenegger has a Bachelor's degree in Communications from the University of Louisville.

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Borden Succeeds Bell As Visit Horse Country Board President

With a unanimous vote of the board of Horse Country, Inc., Gathan Borden officially stepped into his role as the new – and second-ever – board president for Visit Horse Country. Borden has served on the board since his election by the members in 2019. The transition also marks the outgoing of long-time founding board president Price H. Bell, Jr., who has served for the organization's first 7 years.

Bell, along with father Headley, Brutus Clay, and Dr. Luke Fallon, termed themselves the “mule team,” as they worked in the early days to form and shepherd the industry initiative that would become Visit Horse Country. Each has served roles on the board with Dr. Fallon recently rejoining; Bell, Jr. has maintained the leadership position through the foundational days.

“No doubt the organization would not be what it is, or at all, without Price's generous dedication of time, contribution of boundless energy, and sheer will,” said Executive Director Anne Sabatino Hardy. “He's been a mentor and a tremendous leader. His fingerprints are all over the initiative, which has opened the gates to completely new fans over these last years.”

Borden, the Vice President of Marketing for VisitLEX, Lexington's convention and visitor's bureau, is a 14-year veteran of the tourism industry, sought-after speaker on marketing topics and trends, and was selected in 2021 as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). Borden has served on the board since 2019.

“As we move into the next era of Visit Horse Country, Gathan's marketing prowess, vision and strategic approach is the perfect fit for this position,” said Bell, Jr. “He's an expert in the tourism field and as we seek to attract new fans to our sport, he lends invaluable perspective on how to leverage our experiences to the leisure traveler.”

“Visit Horse Country has been a game-changer for the Lexington tourism product,” said Borden. “The outreach from the horse industry into the community has been powerful and has allowed us to truly share the Bluegrass in a way we never could before. I'm excited to be a part of helping Horse Country continue to develop fans of the industry and further cement Lexington as the Horse Capital of the World.”

Along with the change in leadership, Visit Horse Country board members Heather Higgins, VP Corporate Partnerships for Breeders' Cup, and Harold Palmer, President, The Jockey Club Technology Services, were unanimously elected to service during the organization's annual meeting, held virtually in December 2020.

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