The Farm

History

Just as our Arabian and Akhal-Teke horses are gifted with ancient heritages worthy of celebration, Green Gate Farm is steeped in a rich history of its own.

Set in the picturesque and enchanting landscape of County Leitrim, with its rolling hills and large open pastures, the original farm was established in 1832 by Richard F. Galland and served as a popular fox-hunting inn, then called Burlington Heights. Galland refurbished the centurial house and dairy barn to suit both equine and human guests to the inn. In 1888, the property was purchased by New York socialite and businessman Frank B. Kensington whose racing ambitions compelled him to transform it into one of the region's premier thoroughbred breeding and training farms.

Under Kensington's direction, the farm flourished for decades, raising generations of Ireland's finest racehorses. He improved on the farm by building a new set of barns and clearing acreage for additional pastures and hay fields.

In 1896, Kensington commissioned a commanding pair of French iron gates and had them installed at the mouth of the property to impress visitors and flaunt the farm's early success. A distinctive shade of green was chosen for it, and thus it quickly became a landmark in the area. Although Kensington had christened the property Hilltop upon its purchase and had registered and raced numerous horses under the name, the farm was universally known as "Green Gate" both by locals and the greater racing community alike. Throughout the decades, the colloquial name stubbornly stuck, and with the sale of the property in the 1940s upon Kensington's death, the new owners officially bestowed the farm with its popular name which has perservered to this day.

The gates have been lovingly maintained throughout the years and remain a distinctive fixture of the farm. It is tradition here to hand-walk horses through the gates upon their initial arrival and final departure for good luck. Today, the farm is vibrant and beautiful, with mature foliage and sprawling gardens decorating the grounds.

We wish to honor the heritage of our farm and have thus carefully repurposed the historic barns and outbuildings to suit the modern needs of our Arabian and Akhal-Teke show horses without compromising their integrity and preserving their historical value.