Fayette County, Kentucky was founded in 1780, five years after the town of Lexington. For thousands of years, the area had been known for its fertile soil and abundant sources of calcium-rich, natural spring water. Due in part to these critical factors, as well as a handy geographical location, Central Kentucky quickly became a center for enterprise, education, and culture. The undeniable Horse Capital of the World, Lexington is home to the most famous horse farms on the globe, including Calumet, Castleton Lyons, Coolmore, Darby Dan, Darley Jonabell, Donamire, Gainesway, Mt. Brilliant, Overbrook, Spendthrift, Spy Coast, and Stonestreet, to name only a very few. Keeneland Race Course welcomes visitors for the Spring & Fall meets each year, while The Kentucky Horse Park (home to the fabulous Alltech Arena) boasts one of the finest sport-horse campuses in the country. The world’s two preeminent equine auction houses, Fasig-Tipton & Keeneland, also host highly-anticipated sales throughout the year. Fayette County can also boast the finest equine medical care in the world. Both Hagyard Medical Institute and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital call Lexington their home, as well as the Gluck Equine Research Center. As the beloved John Gaines once declared, “Central Kentucky is the country’s largest privately-owned, privately-maintained National Park.”