Crabtrees made huge strides in saddlebred industry
Posted: 7/30/2009
By Teena Gomez
James Mulcahy photo
The low-key exterior of Crabtree Farms in Simpsonville belies the legendary reputation of this world-renowned American saddlebred horse farm.
When visitors pull up to the gray training barn off of Shelbyville Road, they're immediately greeted with welcoming sounds and curious stares from a few of the stars of this farm -- the horses. Of course, Hannah, owner Redd Crabtree's 2-year-old dog, also takes time out to say hello.
Crabtree is modest about his own accomplishments, but is comfortable telling all about the amazing achievements of his now-deceased parents, Charles and Helen Crabtree. To say that Crabtree Farms was instrumental in the current popularity of the saddlebred industry -- and especially its dominance in Shelby County -- is not an exaggeration. His parents, Charles and Helen Crabtree, began buying the land that would make up Crabtree Farms in 1953, and moved their stables from Rock Creek Riding Club in Jefferson County to Shelby County in 1957 after Rock Creek raised their rental fees, he explained.
When visitors pull up to the gray training barn off of Shelbyville Road, they're immediately greeted with welcoming sounds and curious stares from a few of the stars of this farm -- the horses. Of course, Hannah, owner Redd Crabtree's 2-year-old dog, also takes time out to say hello.
Crabtree is modest about his own accomplishments, but is comfortable telling all about the amazing achievements of his now-deceased parents, Charles and Helen Crabtree. To say that Crabtree Farms was instrumental in the current popularity of the saddlebred industry -- and especially its dominance in Shelby County -- is not an exaggeration. His parents, Charles and Helen Crabtree, began buying the land that would make up Crabtree Farms in 1953, and moved their stables from Rock Creek Riding Club in Jefferson County to Shelby County in 1957 after Rock Creek raised their rental fees, he explained.
"All but one customer came and moved their horses here," Crabtree said. With nearly every customer following the Crabtrees, the farm became a stunning success and it was quickly recognized worldwide, with people coming from all over to learn how to raise and show horses.
His mother "had a persona that drew people and she acted like a professional and worked extremely hard," Crabtree said.
To get the details out of the way and show a glimpse of the impact of Crabtree Farms, let the list of awards begin. First, Redd Crabtree was for many years the only living trainer to win the Five-Gaited Grand Championship with three different horses. And his parents reaped a lion's share of awards themselves. His father was a member and past president of the United Professional Horsemens Association. Charles Crabtree and his wife, a famed equestrian who died in 2002, were inducted into the UPHA Hall of Fame in 1992. Charles Crabtree also received the Kentucky State Fair World Champion Hall of Fame Award, the 2007 American Saddlebred Horse Association Breeders Hall of Fame Award, the U.S. Equestrian Federation Pegasus Medal of Honor, and he was inducted into the ASHA Breeders Hall of Fame before he died in 2007.
Together, Charles and Helen Crabtree developed about 75 world champions, including CH Yorktown's 1966 World's Champion Five Gaited 2-Year-Old. In 1989 the two were inducted into the World Championship Horse Show Hall of Fame. Helen Crabtree was a skilled riding coach and she developed 22 winners of the National Equitation Championships where the rider, not the horse, is judged for their skill.
Crabtree said his father had, "good breeding instinct and that led to his breeding, raising and developing some of our industry's elite stallions: Harlem Globetrotter, Supreme Heir, Denmark's Bourbon Genius, Yorktown and New Yorker. He bred and raised and trained Yorktown and showed him to the 2-Year-Old Five-Gaited Championships, which added to the five 2-year-olds with which he won.
"We were four above everyone else with those six wins," he said. "We also showed Supreme Heir to the 2-Year-Old Three-Gaited Championships. What is truly remarkable is that each and every one of the six colts were bred, raised and shown from us at Crabtree Farms in Simpsonville."
"There are people who would tell you he was a grand horseman," Crabtree said of his father. "He knew more about the anatomy of a horse and could detect soundness probably better than most of us."
At one point, Crabtree Farms was the largest training, teaching, showing and selling and breeding farm in the history of the saddlebred industry as a result of his parents' work, Crabtree said.
He describes his wife of 49 years, Nancy, as the rock of their family and the person who manages the financial affairs of the farm and household. He said she's been instrumental in many of the important decisions made in their business, such as when they were busy talking to various architects and builders to try to figure out the design of the pavilion that was built at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. He said she made a simple suggestion: forget the architects and hire a barn builder. They did and the resulting pavilion was perfect and, as he describes it, "the best outdoor facility in our whole industry, nationally and including Lexington and Rock Creek."
Redd and Nancy Crabtree were part of the founding of the Shelbyville Horse Show. As Redd explained, "Edward R. Bennett and I had talked for a few years about resurrecting the old Shelby County Horse Fair. It had moved to the same date as the Lexington June date horse show." That meant that many of Crabtree Farms' biggest customers opted for the Lexington show and, even if they didn't compete, they went to watch. As a result, the local horse show had become "a very low-valued horse show" since there was no one around to compete.
"So, there was a need in the community, both by the horse community and horse show enthusiasts," Crabtree said. "Jean Logan asked us about doing something like an exhibition at Painted Stone. I told her of our interest in the horse show and if she and her support group that did so many wonderful things with community theater and would they take us on and be our support group. We would show them how to put on a horse show."
"There were so many people who were instrumental in the development of what we have now with the Shelbyville Horse Show that two men have to be acknowledged -- Eddie Hall and Robert Doyle. Those two acted as a buffer between some of the old heads on the fair board and our group. Eddie Hall and Robert Doyle smoothed the way and made it possible for us. Now we're of one mind and one intent and that's seeing our Shelbyville Horse Show and Shelby County Fair Horse Show be as good as we can make them."
Crabtree said, "We have been so fortunate to have good, young horses to develop and we've had good success in their training. There's no reason to believe we should not continue to put forth our best effort."
His mother "had a persona that drew people and she acted like a professional and worked extremely hard," Crabtree said.
To get the details out of the way and show a glimpse of the impact of Crabtree Farms, let the list of awards begin. First, Redd Crabtree was for many years the only living trainer to win the Five-Gaited Grand Championship with three different horses. And his parents reaped a lion's share of awards themselves. His father was a member and past president of the United Professional Horsemens Association. Charles Crabtree and his wife, a famed equestrian who died in 2002, were inducted into the UPHA Hall of Fame in 1992. Charles Crabtree also received the Kentucky State Fair World Champion Hall of Fame Award, the 2007 American Saddlebred Horse Association Breeders Hall of Fame Award, the U.S. Equestrian Federation Pegasus Medal of Honor, and he was inducted into the ASHA Breeders Hall of Fame before he died in 2007.
Together, Charles and Helen Crabtree developed about 75 world champions, including CH Yorktown's 1966 World's Champion Five Gaited 2-Year-Old. In 1989 the two were inducted into the World Championship Horse Show Hall of Fame. Helen Crabtree was a skilled riding coach and she developed 22 winners of the National Equitation Championships where the rider, not the horse, is judged for their skill.
Crabtree said his father had, "good breeding instinct and that led to his breeding, raising and developing some of our industry's elite stallions: Harlem Globetrotter, Supreme Heir, Denmark's Bourbon Genius, Yorktown and New Yorker. He bred and raised and trained Yorktown and showed him to the 2-Year-Old Five-Gaited Championships, which added to the five 2-year-olds with which he won.
"We were four above everyone else with those six wins," he said. "We also showed Supreme Heir to the 2-Year-Old Three-Gaited Championships. What is truly remarkable is that each and every one of the six colts were bred, raised and shown from us at Crabtree Farms in Simpsonville."
"There are people who would tell you he was a grand horseman," Crabtree said of his father. "He knew more about the anatomy of a horse and could detect soundness probably better than most of us."
At one point, Crabtree Farms was the largest training, teaching, showing and selling and breeding farm in the history of the saddlebred industry as a result of his parents' work, Crabtree said.
He describes his wife of 49 years, Nancy, as the rock of their family and the person who manages the financial affairs of the farm and household. He said she's been instrumental in many of the important decisions made in their business, such as when they were busy talking to various architects and builders to try to figure out the design of the pavilion that was built at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. He said she made a simple suggestion: forget the architects and hire a barn builder. They did and the resulting pavilion was perfect and, as he describes it, "the best outdoor facility in our whole industry, nationally and including Lexington and Rock Creek."
Redd and Nancy Crabtree were part of the founding of the Shelbyville Horse Show. As Redd explained, "Edward R. Bennett and I had talked for a few years about resurrecting the old Shelby County Horse Fair. It had moved to the same date as the Lexington June date horse show." That meant that many of Crabtree Farms' biggest customers opted for the Lexington show and, even if they didn't compete, they went to watch. As a result, the local horse show had become "a very low-valued horse show" since there was no one around to compete.
"So, there was a need in the community, both by the horse community and horse show enthusiasts," Crabtree said. "Jean Logan asked us about doing something like an exhibition at Painted Stone. I told her of our interest in the horse show and if she and her support group that did so many wonderful things with community theater and would they take us on and be our support group. We would show them how to put on a horse show."
"There were so many people who were instrumental in the development of what we have now with the Shelbyville Horse Show that two men have to be acknowledged -- Eddie Hall and Robert Doyle. Those two acted as a buffer between some of the old heads on the fair board and our group. Eddie Hall and Robert Doyle smoothed the way and made it possible for us. Now we're of one mind and one intent and that's seeing our Shelbyville Horse Show and Shelby County Fair Horse Show be as good as we can make them."
Crabtree said, "We have been so fortunate to have good, young horses to develop and we've had good success in their training. There's no reason to believe we should not continue to put forth our best effort."
As for the next step for Crabtree Farms, Crabtree said, "my future plans are to wind down gracefully and help out where and when I can. Crabtree Farms has a legacy of good stallions and broodmares. It's rare when you see a set of registration papers to see a horse that we did not have something to do with. We, with God's direction, would like to continue that as long as possible. We have some really exciting babies and, as Mr. C.J. Cronan was fond to say, 'There's no known record of any man committing suicide when his best mares are in foal.' Our best mares are in foal, so our enthusiasm is high."
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