Agriculture

As is the case with most horse breeds, fewer and fewer Saddlebreds are being produced on a national scale than even a few years ago. But many farm owners in Shelby County have kept the breeding wheels turning so they can be ready when the market eventually rebounds.

Annual registrations of Saddlebreds, which reached an estimated low of 1,930 in 2010, have declined 33.6 percent since 2000, according to data supplied by the American Saddlebred Registry.

Behind the four-board fences of some farms in Shelby County is a swirling beehive of activity collectively aimed at getting Saddlebred horses ready to strut their stuff in show arenas across the country.

But the genesis of these equine athletes begins with multifaceted breeding programs offered by the Saddlebred industry, a diverse mix of elements that boils down to pairing the right stallion with the right broodmare.

It’s an 11-year-old rite of spring that helps you get right for spring.

The Shelby County Master Gardeners are hosting their 11th annual Shelbyville Garden and Art Fair this Saturday, and they will have plenty of plants to help you get your yard in shape for the days when there’s no snow or the threat your house may wind up in Ohio – which they hope won’t happen Saturday.

“We’re just praying we don’t get the storms,” show chair Carolyn Brenner said. “That would just devastate us.

Bluegrass food summit

to tout farm-to-market