Lexington, KY - With its white frame building trimmed in dark green and fronted by red awnings and neatly trimmed boxwood, Fennell's stable-like appearance suits its horse supplies business. Past the dark green horse head hitching posts are wooden floors worn smooth by generations of riders' and trainers' boots.
Otis, a friendly, tricolored Corgi, welcomes customers. (Like many Southern girls, she has a last name for her first name.) Most of the customers are also greeted by name by owners Charlie Glenn, his wife, Margaret, and his mother, Kathryn McKinley.
Display cases and shelves hold items for showing, racing or caring for horses and gifts and useful merchandise for people who like them. Portraits of past World Championship-winning Saddlebreds line the walls.
Next to the Red Mile's historic Floral Hall, Fennell's is convenient for Standardbred owners and trainers here for the fall Grand Circuit of racing. And being a furlong or two from the track is a perfect location for the American Saddlebred competitors in the Lexington Junior League (LJL) Horse Show.
Fennell's began in 1909. Glenn's parents bought the business from the Fennell family in 1964. His late father, Charles, had trained Saddlebreds in Florida. Family members' specialized knowledge of the breed really helps during the LJL Show, their busiest week of the year.
Fennell's has the white patent leather saddle girths that Saddlebreds wear for showing. The shop carries the breed's special patent leather browbands (imported from Belgium) in colors or the traditional polka dot designs. If a show harness splits or a bike (the small buggy used in Saddlebred driving classes) gets a flat tire, Fennell's can repair it in the leather and harness-making shop beyond the store.
Fennell's sells supplies for all breeds of horses, but "owners of Saddlebreds, Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds are our main customers," Glenn said. The shop's best-selling items are "farm supplies, racing and show equipment, and show and sale halters we make ourselves."
Fennell's makes a number of non-horse leather items. "Number-wise we sell more key tags, dog collars and belts," Glenn said.
Fennell's has ten employees, most of whom work full time. Online and mail order catalog and phone orders are important because "we mail order half of what we sell," Glenn said.
The hardest part of his business is "the long hours," Glenn said. The best part is "when you can help a customer who didn't think there was a solution to his problem." With 24 years full time in the business, Glenn "has seen a lot of things and can share that knowledge," he said.
Not far from Fennell's is another horse supplies business, Pinkston's Turf and Leather Goods. Surrounded by traditional horse farm white plank fencing, this business has been at the corner of Versailles Road and Angliana Avenue since December 1983.
Long-time Lexington residents will remember Pinkston's at Short and Broadway. R.H. Pinkston bought Thompson Saddlery and moved his store to the downtown corner in 1928. Then the business included hardware, gunware and locksmithing. (Pinkston's locksmith shop is no longer owned by the family.)
Pinkston's son-in-law, Paul Ladd Sr., took over the business in 1942. Now 86, Ladd is semi-retired, but he still works most days. Year-round, in the early mornings, he can be found walking through the stables at Keeneland, taking orders for supplies for the horses that are training there.
By 8:30 a.m., he's back at Pinkston's, getting the orders filled from the warehouse. Around 9:30 a.m. he delivers those to his customers at Keeneland. During Keeneland's racing meets, his schedule is moved up by 90 minutes to beat the traffic.
"Service is a big part of the business," explained Ladd's son, Paul Jr. He joined the family business in 1983. The best part of being one of Pinkston's seven employees is "the people. In this industry they are nice to know; they're good people," he said.
Most of Pinkston's customers buy items for Thoroughbreds. "We rely on the farms because racing is here for only 40 days," said Ladd.
Pinkston's has set routes to deliver orders to farms in Fayette and surrounding counties on certain days. Busy farm managers know the firm's schedule and call in their needs the day before. A seamstress on staff makes racing silks and matching saddle towels. Jockeys and exercise riders can buy goggles and protective padded vests.
As at Fennell's, the carefully made leather halters with brass name plates, sized to fit foals to large horses, are bestsellers. One unusual order required Pinkston's staff to custom design a harness to hold a horse in place while he was running on an underwater treadmill.
Pinkston's makes a number of non-equine leather items, such as dog collars, catalog covers and belts. Corporations order these for holiday gifts, and so do individuals. "We've made gifts for kings and queens," Ladd said proudly.
Fennell's and Pinkston's are two of many area businesses that serve the needs of Kentucky's horse business. Their customers and products occupy specialized niches, but they share a pride in and passion for helping horses and their people.