The first full length biography of Alexander Keene Richards was recently released by the LSU Press. Gary O’Dell’s long awaited biography, Reinventing the American Thoroughbred: The Arabian Adventures of Alexander Keene Richards early last month. O’Dell is professor emeritus of geography at Morehead State University and the author of Bluegrass Paradise: Royal Spring and the Birth of Georgetown, Kentucky.
Ward Hall and the Scott County Historical Society have partnered to formally launch the release of Reinventing the American Thoroughbred in Kentucky at Ward Hall, on Saturday, August 2, at 6:00 PM. The occasion will feature a presentation by O’Dell, book signing, and refreshments. Copies of the biography will be sold at a discount off the list price.
Most equine authorities consider Alexander Keene Richards (1827–1881) one of the nineteenth century’s most significant Thoroughbred importers and breeders. Born in Georgetown, Kentucky, and orphaned as a toddler, Richards was adopted by his grandfather, from whom he inherited not only the family farm in Georgetown but also Transylvania, a cotton plantation in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana. Horses fascinated Richards from an early age, and as his passion deepened, he became convinced that the key to improving the stamina of the Thoroughbred, in an era when American racing consisted of grueling long-­ distance competitions, was to crossbreed American horses with the magnificent steeds of the Middle East.