General Manager : Matt Lyons

Matt is a native of Woodford, County Galway, in the west of Ireland. He has been around horses and farming his whole life. His intrinsic love of horses inspired him to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Equine Science at the University of Limerick. Through his studies he made his first trip to Kentucky in the spring of 1998. He was drawn immediately to the beautiful countryside and farmland and returned full-time in 2001.

Matt worked for Glennwood Farm, Dromoland Farm, and was then a divisional manager at Taylor Made before becoming Farm Manager at ClassicStar in 2002. He worked his way up to Vice President of Farm Operations before accepting the role as General Manager of Woodford Thoroughbreds in 2007.

Currently, Matt is responsible for all operations of the farm and manages the portfolios of both Woodford Thoroughbreds and Cloverleaf Farms II. He also manages the racing stable of Woodford Thoroughbreds, Cloverleaf Farms and affiliated partnership racing stables Southcoast Stables and VOLF racing.

Matt and his wife Michelle have been married for 7 years and they have a 5 year old son: Matthew Jr.

Farm Manager : Kirt Cahill

Kirt has been around the horse business for much of his life. His father is the well-known veterinarian Chris Cahill, and together they are the breeders of the recent stakes horses Social Probation, Dirty Rush and Probation Ready. Kirt has been in management at Taylor Made Farm where he gained first-hand experience in all aspects of the industry. With Taylor Made, he worked his way up to hold a divisional management position on the farm as well as team leader and organizer at most public auctions. Kirt holds a business degree from Western Kentucky University. Kirt got married to his lovely wife Sarah in 2008 and they both live on the farm.

 

 

Maintenance Manager : Drew Peterson

Drew is originally from Utah but moved to Kentucky in 2004. He has managed farms in Utah and has been a licensed trainer before coming to the Bluegrass. Drew also managed a hay operation in Utah. His knowledge of horses and farm operations make him a vital member of the team. Drew and his wife Lisa live in Frankfort and have 3 sons.

Yearling Manager : Alvaro Ramos

Alvaro is a wonderful horseman with many years experience preparing yearlings. He was assistant to John Hall at Taylor Made for 12 years and possesses over 20 years of knowledge in the horse business. Alvaro joined Woodford Thoroughbreds late in 2007. We are excited with the level of knowledge and expertise that he brings to our yearling operation. He is a terrific professional who possesses great enthusiasm for his job.

Foaling Manager : Lisa Nickerson

Lisa was born and raised in southwestern Arizona where she divided her time between her family's farm and her grandfather's cattle ranch in northern Arizona. Lisa came to Kentucky in the spring of 1999 to participate in the Taylor Made Farm intern program and graduated in 2000. During her time at Taylor Made she discovered a fondness of foaling mares. Lisa's claim to fame is having foaled stakes winners such as Roll Hennessy Roll, Value Plus, Teton Forest, Brave Tin Soldier, 2008 Canadian Champion Bear Now and 2008 Breeders Cup winner Desert Code. Lisa divides her time through the year as foaling manager and assistant to the farm manager during the off-season.

Equine Coordinator : Teri Tucker

Teri began her career in the Thoroughbred industry at Lane’s End Farm grooming yearlings and having a variety of different responsibilities. She moved on to working for Brittany Farms, a top ranked Standardbred farm for 6 years gaining experience in computer administration, farm office operations, sale coordinating, and stallion breeding correspondences. Wanting a change in careers brought her back to the Thoroughbred industry. A native of Michigan, the love of horses is what brought her to Kentucky. She studied Equine and Business Management through college and attended the KY Horse Park Equine internship. She has resided in the Bluegrass since 1999.

Aside from horses, she enjoys bowling, going to horse pulls, spending time with friends, visiting her family and finding different activities to do with her Weimaraner, Holly.