Calumet Farm

color · Postby **color** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:19 am

I have just read the story about Alydar and his mysterious and probably terrible caused death. I am shocked what that man did to that great stallion.

Who owns Calumet Farm now and are there still horses bred?

Linda_d · Postby **Linda_d** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:34 am

I believe that Henry de Kwiatoski (sp) bought it when it was sold, but that was a few years ago, and I don't know what has happened to it since.

color · Postby **color** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:53 am

de Kwiatkowksi has long died at age 79 thats why I wonder who is the owner now and who runs it now and are there still TBs bred there?

tinners way · Postby **tinners way** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:13 pm

www.calumetfarm.com

The farm is still owned by de Kiatowskis family, not sure if it is a son or daughter running it.

Barbaro06 · Postby **Barbaro06** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:11 am

The silks are now used by TNT Stud out of Brazil if my memory serves correctly.

pembroke · Postby **pembroke** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 3:29 pm

where did you read I would like to read what you read to see if the story was accurate....

Crystal · Postby **Crystal** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:12 pm

There are still horses on the farm, which is BEAUTIFUL.. just drove past it yesterday

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:23 am

There is a book, which is quite a good read, about Calumet Farm, called "Wild Ride." I think I got it from the library a few years back.

xfactor fan · Postby **xfactor fan** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:58 am

Having read "Wild Ride", I've always wondered if Lundy was as guilty as painted. Mind you he comes off in a very bad light, but the outfit that stood to benefit most from Alydar's death and insurance payoff was the bank.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:10 am

I read Wild Ride and have my suspicions that Lundy was more likely guilty of bungling, incompetence and stupidity, than conspiracy, fraud, etc. He went to jail for fraud and tax evasion, I think, and got out a couple of years ago. There's no doubt that what happened to Alydar was quite awful - but at the rate that TB stallions seem to self-destruct in paddock accidents, stall accidents, colics, and just all manner of freakinesses, it really might be possible that the horse injured himself with no assistance whatsoever.

I had a filly rip out her lower eyelid last week in a stall that has absolutely no pointy edges whatsoever. When questioned, she remained mute on the subject.

pembroke · Postby **pembroke** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:39 pm

I have a friend who was a stallion groom there when Alydar was injured and died. Him and I have spent some time together talking as I would like to write his story. With any luck I will get it published. The only thing I can tell you now is that it did not happen at all the way everyone thinks. I asked where this info came from because I remember looking at an ad (one of the picture ads that come up on the page tops) and it was a farm who just happened to have a story they were selling about how Alydar died. I just wondered if that was the source for this post. Would loved to have read it.

majxmom · Postby **majxmom** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 3:39 pm

I believe that there was forensic evidence that Alydar could not have injured himself. The broken bracket for the sliding stall door was broken off in a manner that could only have been done from the aisle-side, not the stall side. Also, the fracture revealed the blow had to come from a particular shaped object.

Color, the story of the day that Henryk bought Calumet would bring tears to your eyes. A lot of people turned out for the auction to buy memorabilia (brushes and hoof picks went for $100), but everyone assumed that the farm would get bought by a development consortium. Out of nowhere, completely unexpectedly, he stood up and dramatically kept bidding until the farm was knocked down to him. Then he announced for the crowd that his sensibilities were offended when he heard that Calumet might be dismantled, and that as long as he was alive, not one blade of grass would be changed, and he was letting it be know to his family that he hoped that they could keep it going. He established a trust specifically for that (although who knows what condition the trust is in with the stock market). The crowd went crazy. There was crying. He was most definitely a hero that day.

I thought I remembered that he bought the rights for the silks some time after the auction, but he never seemed to have the good horses like he used to. I was really wishing him success. I hope Bernie Madoff didn't run that trust.

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:55 pm

Madelyn posted:

I read Wild Ride and have my suspicions that Lundy was more likely guilty of bungling, incompetence and stupidity, than conspiracy, fraud, etc.

I read "Wild Ride" a number of years ago and I agree with her. I thought I saw an article a year or so ago in the DRF or Blood-Horse that said that Lundy is back in KY and involved w/bloodstock sales. I don't know whether I'd be to confident about him or his associates acting as an agent for me.

Well, I guess after jail and a divorce he had to get back to earning a living. I just hope he doesn't turn into a Blue Blood Bernie Madoff.

partlycloudy · Postby **partlycloudy** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:53 pm

The farm had financial troubles.

Alydar was insured for a lot of money. His stud fee was not bringing in the money, but his insurance would save the farm.

Do the math. When his "injury" occurred, I read a magazine article that when he was checked that morning he was fine, and few hours later and he had to be put down. And the farm was saved when the insurance co paid.

partlycloudy · Postby **partlycloudy** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:56 pm

Go read "Hot Blood" too. Horses being killed for insurance has been going on forever, from the guys who burned their barns to the guys who broke horses' legs for $.

And it is still going on today. The guys are only caught when the insurance companies do their own investigations and take the evidence to the authorities. No one cares about the horses being killed, but the insurance companies care about the fraud and loss of revenue.