Lexington horse training center reopening after months of uncertainty

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A Lexington horse training center is reopening after months of uncertainty.

Trainers had to move all of their horses out over the summer. Now, the new general manager is welcoming them back.

The mission at Ashwood Training Center has always been to “help the small trainer.” Now, after a tumultuous seven months, under new management, that mission continues.

Back in May, Ashwood Training Center was sold to develop the Lexington Sporting Club’s youth soccer complex. That meant nearly 250 horses, who stayed at the center, needed to go.

The soccer complex never came to fruition after community backlash prompted officials to pull the plans.

Now, Michelle Dalton, who used to work at Ashwood, is restoring the training center.

“We wanted to make sure that those who have less than 10 horses had a place to go, be able to train, and make it affordable,” Dalton said.

Dalton says she’s already had a number of owners and trainers reach out to her about moving their horses back to Ashwood.

“When we were open before it was like we were all one big family and extended family, and they’re just very very happy to be able to come back,” Dalton said.

She says, right now, 50 horses are living at the center again with more spaces filling up quickly.

“This place is for the small trainer. This place is for people who can make their dreams come true. The people who work a 40-hour-a-week job just to support three or four horses, that are hoping for that one win, where that win picture really means something and gets hung up on the living room wall,” Dalton said.

Dalton says she hopes to have the center fully up and operational by the first of the year.

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