Preserving horse racing's colorful past: Georgetown honors Black blacksmiths

Yahoo

18-02-2025

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (FOX 56) — Horse racing runs deep not only through Kentucky's history but also through generations of African Americans. In Scott County, Georgetown is honoring one of the industry's best Black blacksmiths, Terry Thomas.
Thomas has nearly 30 years of experience shoeing and trimming high-end thoroughbreds across central Kentucky.
He got his foot in the door with help from Johnny Collins, a beloved blacksmith who worked on champion racehorses, including the 2010 American Horse of the Year, Zenyatta.
Thomas' reputation is top-tier, as well.
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'I can say this, and I'm comfortable in saying this,' said Thomas. 'I'm one of the best Black blacksmiths, probably in the world.'
Horse racing trainers, breeders, and jockeys often get a lot of attention, but now blacksmiths are sharing some of the spotlight in Georgetown.
The city is raising flags downtown to honor Thomas and other Black blacksmiths' service to the sport.
'It's all about the horses that I've done.,' said Thomas. 'Not really trying to brag, but I've done the best horses in the world.'
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Preserving horse racing's colorful past: Georgetown honors Black blacksmiths
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A blacksmith's job is demanding. Thomas had a long list of colt clients, including Smarty Jones, Big Brown, and Justify.
However, the job is sometimes dangerous. About eight months ago, Thomas suffered a career-ending injury and is now saddled with different responsibilities.
Thomas is the cofounder of 'Echoes of Our Ancestors' with Barry Tilford. The pair puts together presentations to celebrate the achievements of African Americans.
'There are some people who have the stories, and we're making a platform,' said Tilford.
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Harry Lewis and Oscar Dishman are just two names of Black thoroughbred industry pioneers and innovators from Scott County, but Tilford and Thomas said there aren't many more and fear their names may be forgotten, so they've invested thousands of dollars into the nonprofit to preserve the sport's colorful past and pave the way for the next generation.
'We're just trying to get people to know that Scott County has some big boys,' said Thomas. 'African Americans are still in this, and we're doing great work. There aren't very many of us, but the ones that I know in it are at the highest level.'
'Echoes of Our Ancestors' is hosting its 2nd Annual Prayer Breakfast Concert on Feb. 22. For more information and details on other upcoming events, visit the nonprofit's website.
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