Lexington’s rural land is key to its economic prosperity | Opinion

A decade ago, executives from Disney Institute came to Lexington to tour local horse farms and equine businesses. They were tasked with advising a group of Kentucky horsemen and women on a fledgling idea: can the equine industry copy the success of the Bourbon Trail and welcome guests through their gates? Their trip to the Horse Capital of the World confirmed that Lexington has a compelling and unique visitor experience to offer guests. From their trip, the collaborative equine industry initiative, Horse Country, was created.

The Bourbon Trail has had an undeniable effect on bourbon’s relevancy in the spirit market and positively impacted Kentucky’s economy. With over 2 million tour tickets sold in 2022, Kentucky’s distilleries have invited millions of people to partake in one of our signature industries. California’s Wine Country is a similar agritourism success story. Wine is one of the top three agricultural commodities in California and Wine Country is an iconic travel destination, the second most popular tourist destination in the state after Disneyland.

Established as a not-for-profit organization and now in our eighth year, Horse Country has welcomed over 200,000 guests through the gates of working horse farms and equine businesses. From world renowned stallion operations to equine nurseries, feed mills, and veterinary clinics, to Thoroughbred retraining farms and Keeneland, guests are traveling from around the world to visit the Horse Capital of the World.

Horse Country’s mission is to connect guests to the horse, land, and people of Kentucky’s equine industry. At our core, it’s the horse that provides the platform to connect with people from all over the globe. The horse is our collective passion and Lexington is home to the best the equine industry has to offer. Collectively in Horse Country and with our agricultural partners around the region, we work with the best land, expertise, and resources in pursuit of raising the best horses. Lexington is home to an entire ecosystem built around the horse, one that is unmatched anywhere else.

That ecosystem, including agritourism, is dependent on the land. It’s the high-quality soils and rolling bluegrass hills that make Lexington one of the best places in the world to raise young horses. Like our bourbon industry and California’s Wine Country, we’re Horse Country because of the land. Without it, we lose the ability to breed and raise the best, and consequently our position as a worldwide industry leader.

Once the land is gone, it cannot be replaced. The Bluegrass region has been recognized by World Monuments Watch, a national program raising awareness about heritage places in need of protection, as one of America’s distinctive landscapes. The land has defined Lexington’s unique identity for over a century. It is a non-renewable resource for our economy in more ways than one.

In 2023, Lexington ranked as one of the 100 most loved destinations in the world based on traveler sentiment. That sentiment exceeded $1.5 billion dollars in economic impact in Fayette County last year. Horse Country is dedicated to connecting Lexingtonians with their signature industry, too. Last month, we welcomed over 750 residents to member farms for free as part of our community event, Meet the Neighbors. As the Horse Capital of the World, the equine industry must ensure the bond between the rural-urban interface remains an important contributor to quality of life in Lexington.

The challenges facing the Urban Growth Management Advisory Committee, Planning Commission, and Urban County Council are formidable ones. Economic growth and affordable housing are key to the city’s future, while Lexington’s rural area has contributed heavily to the demand for both. We ask our leaders to consider how best to preserve one of Lexington’s greatest, non-renewable resources, the land, as they plan for our future. Lexington is an incredible place, with many factors that make it so. We must move forward with careful consideration to ensure that none of those factors are neglected in pursuit of growth alone.

Hallie Hardy is the executive director of Horse Country of Kentucky.