Three Chimneys Farm president Case Clay is praising two farm employees who went into a burning barn the night of July 24 to rescue two broodmares.
In a release, Clay said assistant broodmare manager Jennifer DeLaittre and night watchman Billy Kutchman ventured into the burning barn and rescued the two horses. Both horses and humans made it out of the barn safely; the barn was destroyed.
Three Chimneys said there were no fatalities to humans or horses during the blaze at the Midway, Ky., farm owned by Robert N. Clay. The farm said the blaze at the broodmare division’s Spinster Barn was caused by lightning.
“Thank you to Jennifer de Laittre and Billy Kutchman for their life-risking, heroic effort in saving the two mares in the Spinster Barn and to several other grooms who rounded up the horses in a nearby pasture to keep them out of harm’s way,” Clay said. “We were so, so lucky no lives were lost, horse or human. I can’t stop thinking about Billy and Jennifer. They are heroes in my book.”
The release said one mare was taken to a veterinary clinic as a precaution to be checked out and was doing well and eating well the morning of July 25. The other mare was resting comfortably at Three Chimneys.