Anita Madden
Encyclopedia
Anita Madden an American
sportswoman, leader in the thoroughbred industry's high society and activist in political and economic issues in Kentucky
. She was born Anita K. Myers to Orella Ferguson (? - January 22, 1999) in Ashland, Kentucky
. Anita grew up as a “tom-boy.” She played sports while in high school such as basketball and cheerleading while also being involved with the drama club. From there she attended Western Kentucky University
for two years before transferring to the University of Kentucky
in 1952. There she met Preston West Madden (July 24, 1934 - ) of Lexington
, heir and grandson of horse-breeder John Madden
. The two dated and then married in 1955. Nine years later the Maddens’ only child Patrick Winchester Madden was born. Patrick attended Stanford University
then earned a law degree at the University of Kentucky
.
Eve gala events, inviting as many as 5,000 people. For nearly 40 years, the Maddens hosted the fundraiser until it was cancelled due to the death of Anita’s mother in 1999. Every year Kentuckians and the thoroughbred industry’s international high society world looked forward to the themed party. One of the themes was “Rapture of the Deep, complete with mermaids and mermen and a figure of an octopus surrounded by a dry-ice fog; The Ultimate Odyssey, with young people togged out as Greek gods and goddesses while the Trojan War was reenacted under the gaze of a sixteen foot statue of Zeus clutching a neon thunderbolt.
Madden invited movie stars, authors and politicians to her social events, and often hosting famous stars in her home. For example, actor Dennis Cole is counted among her longtime friends and it is said that burt Bacharach composed a song for her.
A pink and yellow cream flower with heavily ruffled gold edges is named after her: the "Anita Madden Daylily".
Place, nearly 2000 acres originally purchased by John E. Madden
in 1898, had produced five Kentucky Derby
and five Belmont Stakes
winners
– including the first Triple Crown
winner Sir Barton
; however, many great breed animals, including Shetland ponies
, polo ponies
and Standardbreds, came from this family farm. The last of their most famous horses came in 1987 with Derby winner Alysheba
. Anita Madden made much use of the grounds for furthering the horse industry. She was always known for her business skills and was always part of her family’s Thoroughbred
enterprise.
In 1977 Madden was appointed by Lexington-Fayette County Urban Governement
Mayor Foster Pettit to the Fayette County Planning and Zoning Commission, and she continued to be appointed to this Commission for a period of seventeen years. During this time Madden was able to formulate a plan for the development of her own family farm. As she told journalist and civic leader Ed Lane, “The family joke is that I’m the idea person, Preston is the detail person and Pat gets all the credit. Actually, Patrick is the person who’s responsible for all the business details and decisions, and he’s the attorney for the family. He keeps everyone involved in what’s going on. You can’t believe the paperwork that comes past all of us, and then we have regular meetings with all the family members. Preston is responsible for running all the rest of the farm and taking care of all the things he did when he was in the horse business. That’s no small job."
She was appointed to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission by Governor John Y. Brown
and served from 1980-83. Her influence on the thoroughbred
industry cannot be underestimated, though the scandals associated with her gala events often overshadowed her contributions. In an interview in 2000, she remembered an issue she supported regarding horse medication and was outvoted by the rest of the board. "’It's sad,’ she said after the meeting. ‘For all the good I did in there, I might just as well have stayed home and painted my toenails.’”
The Maddens started making plans in 1986 to subdivide approximately 100 acres of the farm into a large shopping center (named Hamburg Pavilion in 1995 when ground was first broken) and residential as well as commercial lots. The first residential development was named “The Shetlands” because that was the field where they kept their renowned ponies
. “Our last stallion there was a beautiful white pony named Gunpowder and we are using his likeness on information materials concerning The Shetlands. Our next phase is named West Wind. This area was named for Preston and Uncle Pat’s grandmother’s residence in New York."
Anita Madden has become an important leader and contributor to Kentucky business and progress. Some of the events she organized were:
Anita Madden explained why she felt business leaders should participate in the JustFund KY fundraiser: "Just like in sports, we should have a fair playing field; .... if it isn’t fair, it’s no fun!" When asked if she felt if Lexington
discriminated against anyone, she replied with her characteristic forthrightness: "I think it's still not fair for women... and it's our responsibility to get the word out... that you will be more successful when you make it fair for everyone."
In 2008 the Lexington Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners
honored her as recipient of their prestigious Winner's Circle Award. Madden continues to serve on several statewide and local boards, for example, the Foundation Board for the Kentucky Historical Society
; the Advisory Board for the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, and the LexArts HorseMania Committee. Anita and Preston Madden spend their time living in Florida
and New York
– coming back to Kentucky
during the “Derby Season.”
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportswoman, leader in the thoroughbred industry's high society and activist in political and economic issues in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. She was born Anita K. Myers to Orella Ferguson (? - January 22, 1999) in Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the...
. Anita grew up as a “tom-boy.” She played sports while in high school such as basketball and cheerleading while also being involved with the drama club. From there she attended Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
for two years before transferring to the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
in 1952. There she met Preston West Madden (July 24, 1934 - ) of Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, heir and grandson of horse-breeder John Madden
John E. Madden
John Edward Madden was a prominent AmericanThoroughbred and Standardbred owner, breeder and trainer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He owned Hamburg Place Stud in Lexington, Kentucky and bred five Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winners.He was inducted into the National...
. The two dated and then married in 1955. Nine years later the Maddens’ only child Patrick Winchester Madden was born. Patrick attended Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
then earned a law degree at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
.
Personal Life
Anita Madden is probably most famous for her extravagant Kentucky DerbyKentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
Eve gala events, inviting as many as 5,000 people. For nearly 40 years, the Maddens hosted the fundraiser until it was cancelled due to the death of Anita’s mother in 1999. Every year Kentuckians and the thoroughbred industry’s international high society world looked forward to the themed party. One of the themes was “Rapture of the Deep, complete with mermaids and mermen and a figure of an octopus surrounded by a dry-ice fog; The Ultimate Odyssey, with young people togged out as Greek gods and goddesses while the Trojan War was reenacted under the gaze of a sixteen foot statue of Zeus clutching a neon thunderbolt.
Madden invited movie stars, authors and politicians to her social events, and often hosting famous stars in her home. For example, actor Dennis Cole is counted among her longtime friends and it is said that burt Bacharach composed a song for her.
A pink and yellow cream flower with heavily ruffled gold edges is named after her: the "Anita Madden Daylily".
Recipes
The Visitor’s Guide for the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau highlights the historic legacy of the Kentucky mint julep with her recipe: “First, make a mint syrup. Bruise (crush with the hands) a “whole handful” of mint leaves and combine them with 1/3 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Boil for five minutes, then strain. You should end up with about 2 tablespoons of mint syrup. Pour the mint syrup into your glass (preferably a sterling silver julep cup), Add 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of bourbon and mix. Now fill the cup with crushed ice. Rub fresh mint around the rim of the cup and garnish with fresh mint dipped in powdered sugar.”- //www.horsehobbyist.com/articles/HorseHobbyist/DerbySocial.html] A reporter from the Los Angeles Times wrote: “One year, Anita Madden noticed some guests leaving and wondered why. ‘I guess they didn't have a good time,’ she said. It was 5 a.m. The Madden party has been highlighted by streakers, scantily clad women on overhead swings and a flying-carpet theme with (almost) real flying carpets.” Proceeds from the events reached several hundreds of thousands of dollars which went to benefit a chosen charity such as the Bluegrass Boys Ranch Scholarship Program.
Business Woman and Community Activist
The HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
Place, nearly 2000 acres originally purchased by John E. Madden
John E. Madden
John Edward Madden was a prominent AmericanThoroughbred and Standardbred owner, breeder and trainer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He owned Hamburg Place Stud in Lexington, Kentucky and bred five Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winners.He was inducted into the National...
in 1898, had produced five Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and five Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
winners
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
– including the first Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
winner Sir Barton
Sir Barton
Sir Barton, , was a chestnut thoroughbred colt who in 1919 became the first winner of the American Triple Crown.He was sired by leading stud Star Shoot out of the Hanover mare Lady Sterling. His grandsire was the 1893 English Triple Crown champion, Isinglass.Sir Barton was bred in Kentucky by...
; however, many great breed animals, including Shetland ponies
Shetland pony
The Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. Shetlands range in size from a minimum height of approximately 28 inches to an official maximum height of 42 inches at the withers. Shetland ponies have heavy coats, short legs and are considered quite intelligent...
, polo ponies
Polo pony
A polo pony is the term used for a horse used in the game of polo. They may be of any breed or combination of breeds, though many have a significant amount of Thoroughbred breeding. They are called "ponies", but that is in reference to their agile type rather than their size...
and Standardbreds, came from this family farm. The last of their most famous horses came in 1987 with Derby winner Alysheba
Alysheba
Alysheba was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners....
. Anita Madden made much use of the grounds for furthering the horse industry. She was always known for her business skills and was always part of her family’s Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
enterprise.
In 1977 Madden was appointed by Lexington-Fayette County Urban Governement
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
Mayor Foster Pettit to the Fayette County Planning and Zoning Commission, and she continued to be appointed to this Commission for a period of seventeen years. During this time Madden was able to formulate a plan for the development of her own family farm. As she told journalist and civic leader Ed Lane, “The family joke is that I’m the idea person, Preston is the detail person and Pat gets all the credit. Actually, Patrick is the person who’s responsible for all the business details and decisions, and he’s the attorney for the family. He keeps everyone involved in what’s going on. You can’t believe the paperwork that comes past all of us, and then we have regular meetings with all the family members. Preston is responsible for running all the rest of the farm and taking care of all the things he did when he was in the horse business. That’s no small job."
She was appointed to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission by Governor John Y. Brown
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
and served from 1980-83. Her influence on the thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
industry cannot be underestimated, though the scandals associated with her gala events often overshadowed her contributions. In an interview in 2000, she remembered an issue she supported regarding horse medication and was outvoted by the rest of the board. "’It's sad,’ she said after the meeting. ‘For all the good I did in there, I might just as well have stayed home and painted my toenails.’”
The Maddens started making plans in 1986 to subdivide approximately 100 acres of the farm into a large shopping center (named Hamburg Pavilion in 1995 when ground was first broken) and residential as well as commercial lots. The first residential development was named “The Shetlands” because that was the field where they kept their renowned ponies
Shetland pony
The Shetland pony is a breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles. Shetlands range in size from a minimum height of approximately 28 inches to an official maximum height of 42 inches at the withers. Shetland ponies have heavy coats, short legs and are considered quite intelligent...
. “Our last stallion there was a beautiful white pony named Gunpowder and we are using his likeness on information materials concerning The Shetlands. Our next phase is named West Wind. This area was named for Preston and Uncle Pat’s grandmother’s residence in New York."
Anita Madden has become an important leader and contributor to Kentucky business and progress. Some of the events she organized were:
- In 1991 donated her time to a charity auction to benefit AIDs patients; items to be auctioned were donated by celebrities such as Yoko OnoYoko Onois a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
, Kenny RogersKenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, Scott BakulaScott BakulaScott Stewart Bakula is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Beckett in the television series Quantum Leap, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1991 and was nominated for four Emmy Awards. He also had a prominent role as Captain Jonathan...
and Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
. - In 2006 served as honorary chair of the Blue Grass Farms Chaplaincy and Thoroughbred Retirement FoundationThoroughbred Retirement FoundationThe Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is an American organization founded in 1982, whose mission is stated to be: "To save Thoroughbred horses no longer able to compete on the racetrack from possible neglect, abuse and slaughter."...
(TRF) Benefit Proceeds benefited farm workers served by the BGFC and retired racehorses in the care of the TRF Maker's Mark Secretariat Center—with sponsorships of $5,000. - In 2008 was honorary host for the “Justice for All” gala—over 1000 donors for Just Fund Kentucky, advocating awareness for social justice in Kentucky, especially for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens.
Anita Madden explained why she felt business leaders should participate in the JustFund KY fundraiser: "Just like in sports, we should have a fair playing field; .... if it isn’t fair, it’s no fun!" When asked if she felt if Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
discriminated against anyone, she replied with her characteristic forthrightness: "I think it's still not fair for women... and it's our responsibility to get the word out... that you will be more successful when you make it fair for everyone."
In 2008 the Lexington Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners
National Association of Women Business Owners
The National Association of Women Business Owners is an organization in the United States founded in 1975 that has the purpose of networking the approximately 10.6 million women-owned businesses so as to provide mutual support, share resources, and provide a single voice to help shape economic and...
honored her as recipient of their prestigious Winner's Circle Award. Madden continues to serve on several statewide and local boards, for example, the Foundation Board for the Kentucky Historical Society
Kentucky Historical Society
The Kentucky Historical Society , established in 1836, is committed to helping people understand, cherish and share Kentucky's history. The KHS history campus, located in historic downtown Frankfort, Kentucky, includes the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History, the Old State Capitol and the...
; the Advisory Board for the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, and the LexArts HorseMania Committee. Anita and Preston Madden spend their time living in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
– coming back to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
during the “Derby Season.”
Additional Resources
- Cohn, Jones, Truman, John, David, Cheryl. "A Closer Look at Others Indicted." Lexington Herald Leader 20 January 1984, Print.
- Edwards, Don. "Madden Eve a Scratch." Lexington Herald Leader 12 February 1999, Print.
- Fortune, Beverly. "Anita Madden." Lexington Herald Leader 26 April 1998, Print.
- Isaacs, Barbara. "Life Beyond Revelry, There's more to Anita Madden than Annual Party." Lexington Herald Leader 30 April 1995, Print.