Alysheba, the 1988 Horse of the Year and champion older horse, was welcomed back to Kentucky on Friday by an enthusiastic crowd that gathered at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington to see the oldest living Kentucky Derby (G1) winner.
Kentucky-bred Alysheba was sent to the Horse Park as a gift to the American people from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah. After spending the first ten years of his stud career at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End in Versailles, Kentucky, Alysheba was purchased in February 2000 by Saudi Arabian Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and was sent to stand at the prince’s Janadriyah Stud Farm on the outskirts of the capital city of Riyadh.
Frank McGovern, Janadriyah’s general manager, attended the ceremony on Friday to turn the 24-year-old Alysheba over to John Nicholson, the Horse Park’s executive director. Prior to being shipped to the United States, Alysheba spent two months in quarantine at Nad al Sheba Quarantine Center in Dubai.
“His Majesty must indeed have a very big heart to be so concerned about the well being of Alysheba,” Nicholson said. “We are grateful that King Abdullah entrusted one of his favorite horses to the care of the Kentucky Horse Park as stewards of his gift to the people of the United States.
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