The Oldham County Thoroughbred Supporters held its first meet-and-greet Sunday as blowing rain showered the guests under the partial cover of an indoor equine exhibition barn. The barbecue dinner and meet-and-greet was scheduled to take place at Skylight Training Center in Oldham County, Ky., but a forecast of rain moved the event to Mary Lowry’s Alta Vista Farm down the road. However, the rain didn’t dampen the mood and may have even brought those in attendance more together as they giggled through the rain’s spray.

The group, which was created by Del Lowell, grew out of an article published in the Oldham Era which stated chickens had surpassed horses as Kentucky’s top crop. Through the help of the newspaper, Lowell and Joann Heppermann produced a series of articles over six weeks to educate people about Oldham County’s Thoroughbred heritage. The group’s initiative is to “re-energize and grow the number of horsemen and fans in Oldham County and beyond” through the stories of those involved in the industry.

“We do this because we love it,” said Heppermann. “There’s nothing like being part of a team. There’s nothing like watching your horse come in first across the finish line.”