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THOMAS PIATT One of the founding foundingmembers members and first president of the theThoroughbred Thoroughbred Club of America Thoroughbred Club of America Was Organized 25 Years Ago Membership Has Grown From 75 to About 750 Plan Gala DinnerDance Party July 27 27By By HUGH J McGUIRE McGUIRELEXINGTON LEXINGTON Ky May 4 It was just 25 years ago that a group of 15 men sat down to luncheon in the Lafayette Hotel in Lexington and before they had com ¬ pleted their meeting they had formed The Thoroughbred Club This was in 1932 and times were downright bad for the thor ¬ oughbred breeding industry and the assem ¬ bled gentlemen planned to do what they could do to alter this situation The re ¬ ception of the club was immediate a nd led in only a year to changing the name to The Thoroughbred Club of America so that membership could be nationwide From that humble beginning membership has grown until today it numbers about 750 and this without anything in the na ¬ ture of drives or appeals appealsNow Now as always membership can only be obtained through sponsorship by other members and one vote against an appli ¬ cant by a club director will defeat ah elec ¬ tion In addition to passing this screening the only requirement of an applicant is that he b associated with the thorough ¬ bred industry in a direct manner Laxity in this department permitted a few persons in fringe occupations to gain membership but this rule has now been tightened This quartercentury of successful opera ¬ tion calls for a party and club secretary Gus Owens is already busy on plans for a dinner dance and entertainment on July 27 the Saturday preceding the summer sale of yearlings by the Breeders Sales Company at Keenleand KeenleandFounders Founders Designated Charter Members MembersThe The 15 founders of the club were des ¬ ignated charter members and are Thomas Piatt Dr E W Hagyard Eugene Gorham Roy Farmer Thomas Carr Piatt S M Look E Gay Drake Tom B Young Jack S Young Piatt Steele Neville Dunn James W McClelland Dr Charles B Hag yard Skillman Gorham and Harrie B Scott Several of these founders are de ¬ ceased The Young brothers are generally credited with being the driving force back of the initial organization Although the club history states that it was originated with the aim of the elevation and expan ¬ sion of breeding and racing there was a long period in which a purely social out ¬ look dominated its operation This has given way to a combination of social af ¬ fairs and some definite efforts to effect a general betterment of conditions in the industry industryThe The club has shown its value as a meet ¬ ing place for discussions for many local projects which were actually put into op ¬ eration under other auspices It has also been used for firsthand reports of the progress of such ventures The results of equine experiments such as those con ¬ ducted by the University of Kentucky and other organizations have been clarified at meetings of the club In late years the club has gone beyond local interest and has been successful in bringing about such changes on a national scale as more uni ¬ form closing dates for stakes nominations and payments Never militant in seeking its objectives the club has won its points on the sheer logic of its arguments before national authoritative organizations organizationsEach Each year of its operation the TCA has done honor to outstanding individuals in the realm of the thoroughbred by having them as guests at an annual testimonial dinner The list of past guests includes many of the most prominent personages associated with the thoroughbred The list of past presidents from the first Thomas Piatt to the present incumbent Clarkson Beard includes many of the most indus ¬ tryminded club members of this area Soon after the organization of the club the happy thought was conceived to adopt a likeness of the great Lexington to grace the offical membership pin of the club The Young Brothers were and are the owners of a valuable painting of Lexing ¬ ton the work of the celebrated artist Troye and this was used for the emblem The history of this particular painting by Troye is shrouderj in mystery but it is known that Colonel Milton Young father of Tom and Jack won it in a poker game gameIn In 1954 the club made arrangements with the Phoenix Hotel to establish the present club rooms on the parlor floor of the hotel Nicely appointed it is a con conContinued Continued on Page FortySeven Thoroughbred Club of America Was Organized 25 Years Ago AgoContinued Continued from Page Ten Tenvenient venient meeting place for local members as well as a haven for visiting members and friends A recent amendment to the house rules permits ladies in the club rooms from 5 to 7 pm pmEven Even this cursory glimpse at The Thor ¬ oughbred Club would be incomplete with ¬ out some credit to the organizations full time secretary Gus Owens who relieves all visitors from getting the slightest impres ¬ sion that the rooms are for anything else except meals and recreation Owens hides I the sizable amount of operational work and correspondence arid meets his guests suavely and with friendly dignity in an atmosphere of leisure even though he may be swamped with the tfetails that accom ipany the annual running of the clubs Dinner Purse at Keeneland Smooth oper ¬ ation of the clubs business affairs and so ¬ cial functions has been a mark of the Owens touch since he became secretary in 1944 and the gala party to celebrate the TCAs twentyfifth year will be handled i stride
