Run for the Roses
My love of horses started at a young age at my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Ron’s farm. Horses, rabbits, chickens, Australian Shepherds, it sparked all my dreams and was my favorite place to be. As I grew up, I would steal every opportunity to ride, whether it was a riding lesson or finding someone who was willing to humor me for a little while. Minoring in Equine Science at Penn State, I learned about horse judging, helped with late night foal watch, worked the PSU spring horse training and sale, studied the history of horses and humans, and worked at a local equine vet. After college, I continued to find ways to ride and even met Ernie, my favorite horse.
Fast forward a few years to 2018 and with the introduction to my now husband, Mike, came an introduction to whiskey and bourbon. After learning the difference between bourbon and bottom shelf bonfire whiskey, we made a trip to Kentucky to sample the bourbon trail. Needless to say I fell in love with the bourbon distillery and horse farm picturesque scenery of the greater Louisville and Lexington areas. I loved it so much we’ve been back many times and one of my goals is to become a certified bourbon professional. If you read my “Meet the Florist” page, you know that my grandfather and I shared a love of gardening and flowers, but he was also a Kentucky resident for many years and a derby enthusiast and I’m lucky to have inherited his derby pins collection.
Today marks the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the fastest 2 minutes and most watched sport, and is also known as the “Run for the Roses”. Obviously, I couldn’t let the day slip by without making some derby flower arrangements, and you can be sure I’ll be enjoying some mint juleps!
Art Credit: The First Saturday in May - by Kimberly Santini
