KTO Honors Landes With Warner L. Jones Jr. Award

[Wandering Eyes]

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners’ Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award, named in honor of the late founder of Oldham County’s Hermitage Farm, has announced the 2018 recipient–Bill Landes–Jones’ long-time chief lieutenant who worked for Hermitage for 41 years, including almost a quarter-century as general manager. The presentation will be made at the KTO’s 31st annual awards gala Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Kentucky Derby Museum.
The Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to Kentucky racing and sharing the passion exemplified by Jones, who spent 50 years on the Churchill Downs board, including eight as chairman during the iconic track’s resurgence. Jones was the inaugural winner in 1988.
“It means everything,” Landes who, with his wife Sally, own Greystone Farm near Hermitage. “Nov. 1, 1977, I walked into the office as an employee. I started out about two years earlier as a boarding client with a mare at Mr. Jones’. I took a year off from the practice of law to learn the horse business. And 41 years later, here I sit.
“You don’t know what this award means to me, because I wouldn’t know half the people, have half the contacts, had half the fun in the Thoroughbred business without Mr. Jones. He taught me not only about horses–and I learned a lot about the horse business–but he taught me a lot about people. More importantly, he taught me about community, the local community. So many things he impressed upon me. There are a lot of truly great horsemen and great people who have won this award before me. But for me to have worked with Mr. Jones, known him and as family as well as I did, gosh, I can’t express in words what it means.”
Landes is chair of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund advisory committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and serves on Churchill Downs’ horsemen’s racing committee. He is a past president of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association/Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders and of the LaGrange Rotary Club.
“We name an award for the man who is so behind everything we do in the industry, the breeder we all aspire to do,” KTO president Chris Murphy said of Jones. “We thought it would be fitting to honor someone who really is the glue to keep the entire industry together. Bill needs to be recognized for everything he’s done.”

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