As a Lexington resident used to palatial stables on every other hill and rolling green fields stocked with fuzzy foals, I thought I’d be immune to the charms of the Irish National Stud. But I was wrong.

The stud holds a beauty all its own, helped in no small part by the gardens that are as much a draw as the horses themselves. Staffer Frieda O’Connell was kind enough to lead us around and keep us intrigued with background stories of the flora and fauna that make up the semi-state organization.

The Japanese Gardens and stud were a ticket to a title for Colonel William Hall-Walker, made Lord Wavertree when he gifted the gardens and stud at Tully to the British Government in 1915. In 1945 the Irish National Stud Company was formed.

The stud currently stands six Thoroughbred stallions. Frieda explained that the national stud’s role is to keep access to top bloodlines within the reach of the average breeder. Their undisputed current star is Invincible Spirit, sire of 35 first crop juvenile winners