A Conversation With Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has emerged as a passionate advocate for the Thoroughbred industry, bringing personal experience and political pragmatism to his support of one of the state’s signature industries.

In a wide-ranging conversation with TDN’s Chris McGrath, Beshear discussed his lifelong connection to horses, the economic importance of racing to Kentucky, and his vision for bipartisan cooperation in an increasingly divided political landscape.

“All my first jobs were around horses,” Beshear revealed. “I mucked stalls before school and through the summers. I taught horseback riding lessons. I even ran a camp in my teens.”

The governor’s family connections to equine pursuits run deep. His mother is an equestrian, his brother works as a veterinarian in Virginia, and his daughter competes in eventing.

“Half of our family spend every moment with horses and I guess the other half of us are governors,” he quipped.

Beshear emphasized how his early experiences with horses fostered a connection to rural America through both hard work and appreciation for the animals themselves.

“When you spend that much time taking care of these animals, you get to know them on a very different level, and there’s something really special about horses and how they bond and connect with human beings,” he said.

The horse industry represents a critical economic engine for Kentucky, generating over 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and billions in economic impact. Beshear views the industry as an intersection of agriculture, gaming, and tourism — all sectors requiring strategic support.

“For us to maximize it, what at least I try to do from a leadership perspective in Kentucky is to make sure we’re maximizing each piece,” Beshear explained.

He pointed to Kentucky’s bourbon industry as a model for developing year-round tourism around a signature product, noting how the Bourbon Trail has transformed from a minor attraction to one of the country’s biggest draws in just two decades.

When discussing recent federal legislation affecting the industry, Beshear acknowledged the benefits of extending the depreciation scheme but expressed concerns about other provisions in the same bill.

“This is the reason that you don’t put everything into one big bill,” he said. “For every good thing for an industry in that bill, the trillion-dollar-plus cut to health care is going to lay off 20,000 Kentucky health care workers.”

The governor expressed particular concern about potential rural hospital closures, which would impact communities that support the horse industry. He also highlighted how SNAP cuts could harm family farmers who supply hay and other essentials to horse operations.

On immigration reform, Beshear called for industry leaders to advocate for practical solutions.

“What I think the big influential players in this industry need to do is be vocal leaders on fixing our immigration problem,” he said. “It’s not, at the end, a political problem. It’s a math problem. It’s that we don’t have enough visas or enough slots in our work programs to fill the jobs out there that Americans otherwise aren’t going to fill.”

Beshear, who has gained national attention as a Democrat who has found success in a traditionally Republican state, emphasized the importance of putting shared goals above partisan divisions.

“We’ve got to care more about the horse industry than our political party. We’ve got to care more the country than our party,” he said. “We’ve got to care about solving problems, who gets points for wins and losses, and it can’t be a zero-sum game.”

The governor praised industry figures who have worked to expand racing’s audience, including social media personality Griffin Johnson introducing racing to millions of young TikTok users, and industry leaders like Coolmore, Barbara Banke, and Ron Winchell who invest in the sport’s future.

When asked what he’s learned from governing Kentucky that might inform his future — without directly addressing speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run — Beshear pointed to his state’s ability to lower political temperatures and focus on shared progress.

“What I’ve seen in Kentucky is the temperature turned down as opposed to the rest of the country, and people generally getting along,” he said. “I think that whoever our next leader is, is going to need to be somebody who can heal the country and can bring people back together.”

Beshear concluded by emphasizing a pragmatic approach that transcends traditional political labels: “If you work really hard to create a better life for everyone they come together, they’re willing to cross party lines and you see less of this destructive partisanship.”