|
|
Grave Matters: Spindletop Hall, Lexington, Kentucky
 |
|
Photos by Anne Peters © Anne Peters 2002; all rights reserved. |
| Chief of Spindletop's grave, Spindletop Hall. |
SPINDLETOP FARM and SPINDLETOP HALL, north of Lexington on the Iron Works Pike, were named for the Spindle Top oil field in Beaumont, Texas that brought fame and fortune to its owner Frank Yount. In 1933, he established Spindletop Stables for American Saddlebred show horses. Among the early purchases by trainer W. Cape Grant were CHIEF OF SPINDLETOP (world champion 5-gaited horse), ROXIE HIGHLAND (world champion 5-gaited mare), WALNUT GROVE CHIEF, and BEAU PEAVINE.
Yount died in November of 1933 and his wife moved the stable to Lexington, Kentucky, by purchasing the former Shoshone Stud of W.R. Coe, comprising 800 acres at the southwest corner of Iron Works Pike and Newtown Pike. Mrs. Yount built a show piece of a mansion and working farm but found herself snubbed by the locals. Spindletop was given to the University of Kentucky and now serves as a country club for the school. The farm buildings are used by the university, and for some time the school's riding program was run out of the Spindletop show barns, where the picture above was taken. |
| SPINDLETOP FARM BURIALS
|
| Behind Spindletop Hall
|
| Roxie Highland |
| Near the old Spindletop show barn
|
Chief of Spindletop
Walnut Grove Chief |
|
|
