Last Saturday, Wegmueller Farm, in partnership with Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hosted our very first Kentucky Derby-themed event at the Farm. I would like to take a moment here to extend my gratitude to the Chamber, our sponsors, and the community in general for showing up in droves to support the first annual Derby Day. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

The idea to host a Derby-themed event occurred to me about five years ago, in early 2021 when we hosted a group from Chicago at our farmstay. This particular group had an annual tradition, where they would get together at a unique destination with families and kids to watch the Kentucky Derby. The guys from the group came down to the dairy barn while I was milking cows. They brought a bottle of bourbon, glasses, ice, and ingredients for milt juleps. We muddled drinks, cheered, talked horse racing, and eventually polished off an entire bottle of Woodford Reserve. It was, without a doubt, one of the most unique milkings in the history of milking cows.

Truth be told, I have never paid much attention to horse racing. It is, like most every human pursuit, a controversial topic. If there is one eternal legacy of humankind, it is the obsession with creating controversy. Literally, we seem to thrive on it. On the one hand, horse racing promotes developments into cutting-edge veterinarian, nutritional, and genetic pursuits for the equine world. Horses can be competitive creatures, and there should be no doubt that certain horses, like certain people, thrive in the spotlight. History has proven that certain horses actually love to compete, and are naturally drawn to win.

On the other hand, there can be no doubt that horse racing raises serious animal welfare concerns. Horses can be used, abused, discarded; suffer debilitating injuries and death. There are stories and examples galore about horses with great heart and soul that are simply discarded, for no other reason than they are not able to perform.

The goal of the Derby Day event was to celebrate the kinder, gentler aspects of horse racing. Plus, who doesn’t love a good excuse to get dressed to the nines? Marry all of these aspects, throw in some live entertainment, good food and drink — all on an authentic Wisconsin Dairy Farm — and you’ve got an event worth celebrating.

And, history was made that day. As far as my insurance underwriters are concerned, we did not “race” horses; we simply demonstrated a friendly, noncompetitive “fun run”. Of the horses in attendance there were American Paints, Palominos, Quarter horses, Shetlands, and a great big thundering Clydesdale. On Saturday, May 2, history was made at Wegmueller Farm when a Clydesdale “won” the Kentucky Derby for the first time in history.

Lastly, I would like to share something that occurred on Derby Day that undoubtedly set the tone for success. As anyone who has ever hosted knows, there is a lot at stake, and our greatest concern that day was safety. Safety for the horses, and safety for the people. At about two hours before the event started, I was busy coordinating the horses and riders when a truck pulled in the farm driveway.

The truck slowly approached. A little white dog was sitting on the passenger’s lap, with its head out the window. I met the truck and talked briefly with the kindly older couple. They were not there for the Derby; they were simply out for a pleasant afternoon drive and “just wanted the dog to see a beautiful farm and meet the wonderful animals.”

Odd, I thought, but oh well — As I talked with the couple, their little dog wagged its tail and licked my arm. It was an overall friendly, pleasant, and brief interaction. And then they turned around and drove off. I have no idea who they were. I watched them go, taking just a moment in the melee to process what had just happened. What was most remarkable, was the dog. They talked about their little dog, named Tootsie. They named the dog Tootsie, because the name she came with, Festus, did not suit her. The dog’s previous name was Festus, and they changed it to Tootsie.

Well, no joke — years ago, my mom went out in defiance of my dad, found an old retired horse for 500 bucks, and cherished that horse until the day she passed. My mom loved that horse with all her heart, and rode her all over the farm. The first child guests at our farmstay rode that horse, and she is the reason we have an equine program at all. The name of my mom’s beloved horse: Tootsie.

And, my dad had a nickname for everyone — some more flattering than others. When I was in middle school and throughout high school, my dad’s nickname for me: Festus.

Sometimes the universe gives you a sign, and all you have to do is slow down, cut out the noise, and remember how to receive these signs. Horses taught me how to do that.

More to come!

— Dan Wegmueller is the owner of Wegmueller Farms and his column appears regularly in the Times. His website is

https://www.farmforthought.org.