SURPRISING FACT
Castleton was featured in the 2005 Disney film “Dreamer,” about a horse trainer (Kurt Russell) and his precocious daughter, played by Dakota Fanning.
Read more Harvard Scores Major Win As Judge Tosses Trump Administration’s Antisemitism Lawsuit
Key background
Castleton was established in the late 1790s after John Breckinridge, a future U.S. senator, bought 2,467 acres near Lexington, Kentucky. The property passed to his daughter, whose husband David Castleman built the still-standing Greek Revival mansion and named the estate after his family. Wall Street financier James Keene bought the property in the 1890s and turned it into the Thoroughbred racing powerhouse it’s known as today. The property produced or raced 113 stakes winners between 1893 and 1911 including Hall of Fame horses such as Domino, Ben Brush and Peter Pan. Frances Dodge Johnson, daughter of automobile pioneer John Dodge, bought Castleton in 1945 and expanded its operation to include Standardbred and American Saddlebred horses. Ryanair co-founder Tony Ryan bought the property for $14 million, renamed it Castleton Lyons after his Irish estate Lyons Demesne and began an extensive restoration that included renovating barns, planting more than 2,000 trees and restoring the mansion. Ryan’s son, Shane Ryan, has run it as a Thoroughbred breeding operation ever since and is now looking to sell.
Read more Democrats Demand Answers On Trump’s ‘Unprecedented’ Stock Trading Volume
FORBES VALUATION
Forbes estimated Ryan to be worth $730 million in 2003, four years before his death. He was posthumously described by The Sunday Times as a billionaire worth roughly $1.1 billion and was ranked seventh on the publication’s list of Ireland’s richest people. He died a major Ryanair stockholder and minority owner of Singapore-based Tiger Airways.
Read more Fox News Rival Newsmax Turns First Profit Since Going Public In Record $54 Million Quarter
further reading
ForbesIn Bel Air, A Golden-Age Hollywood Marriage Built A $40 Million House Full Of SecretsBy Natalie HobermanForbesHere’s what it costs to live in the 10 hottest cities for the super richBy