"On October 7, the two-year-old colt Gio Ponti of Castleton Lyons Farm won the Woodford Reserve Bourbon Stakes by a length and a half at Keeneland, just four days after the farm had suffered the loss of its true champion, owner Dr. Tony Ryan.
It was an emotional win capping off an emotional week, according to the farm's commercial manager, Stuart Fitzgibbon. Ryan, a 71-year-old Irish entrepreneur most known for his astounding accomplishments in the aviation industry, passed away at his farm in Ireland, Lyons Demesne, on October 3, after an extended illness.
Ryan had purchased Castleton Lyons in 2001 and swiftly launched an ambitious restoration of the property as a Thoroughbred operation. In the five years since, Castleton Lyons had already built up an impressive cadre of mares and stallions. Those Central Kentuckians who knew Ryan are mourning not only the loss of the remarkable man himself, but also his sense of stewardship and enthusiasm for horses and the Bluegrass, which had just started to be felt in Central Kentucky.
"He was one of the most interesting people, arguably in the world," said Nick Nicholson, president of Keeneland. "He was a great steward of the land and a steward of artifacts, and a fascinating individual. It's a shame he was not able to spend more time in Lexington. He was very fond of his visits here, and we were hoping that he could come to Lexington for many years."
The son of a train worker, Ryan became one of Ireland's most successful entrepreneurs, making his fortune as the founder of the Irish aircraft leasing company Guinness Peat Aviation and later Ryanair, a no-frills airline that competed successfully with aviation giants Aer Lingus and British Airways. In 2007, he was listed as the seventh richest individual from Ireland by the British newspaper The Sunday Times.
"He was a great, great businessman," said Pearse Lyons, president of Alltech. Lyons had met with Ryan to discuss their mutual interest in Central Kentucky's preparations for the upcoming 2010 World Equestrian Games. Ryan had planned improvements for Castleton Lyons' entryway before 2010, in part to spruce up a main corridor to the Games. "He was an aggressive competitor; he took no prisoners in business. But having said that, when he saw something that was visionary, he could see that right away."
"I think he would have been an incredible force in making sure we do things right when the Games come to town," Lyons said.
Ryan's contributions in the Bluegrass extended beyond the restoration of his historic acreage. He also was a major contributor to the Kentucky Horse Park, and its Secretariat Center in particular. In addition, he was heavily involved with the Bluegrass Boys Ranch and supported efforts by the Lexington police department as well.
Ryan's interest on behalf of Central Kentucky was impressive, considering the relatively short time he had spent as part of the community. In a February 10 article in Blood Horse magazine, Ryan said he stumbled into his purchase of Castleton Lyons in 2001 "by total accident," after his son Shane had expressed an interest in purchasing a 30-acre spread in Central Kentucky and asked his father for his advice. Ryan ended up buying the 1,200-acre Castleton Farm, previously a standardbred farm, and renaming it Castleton Lyons in honor of his farm in Ireland.
Accident or not, Ryan took great pride in his restoration efforts at Castleton Lyons, and he marked it with many vivid tributes to his Irish roots. The most noticeable, perhaps, is the 124-foot round tower created to resemble the tower at the Rock of Cashel, an historic site at his birthplace, Ireland's County Tipperary.
"An awful lot has been achieved in a very short period of time," Fitzgibbon said of Ryan's work at Castleton Lyons. "He kept the old tradition of the place going here. It looks like he's been here for years and years."
The willingness to take a gamble that had served Ryan well in business came together with his passion for horses at Castleton Lyons, which is home to stallions Bernstein, Toccet, Malibu Moon, Action this Day, Wiseman's Ferry and Sir Shackleton. Ryan's three sons have been heavily involved in the business and plan to carry forward Ryan's vision, according to Fitzgibbon.
"Whether he had bred the winners himself, or if he was simply reveling in the success of others, Dr. Ryan enjoyed the game to his last days, following the exploits of his horses with his final energy," said a statement released by Castleton Lyons Farm following Ryan's death. "That amazing energy is what many of us at Castleton Lyons will remember."
For his part, Lyons sees two valuable lessons for Central Kentuckians in the example set by Ryan.
"First of all, anything's possible. He's shown it and lived it and created it. And second, any person can do anything," Lyons said. "Whatever you believe you can do is what you can do."