At the Farm-City Banquet held on November 21, 2006, Edward "Hoppy" Bennett was recognized as the 2006 Shelby County Farmer of the Year. Presenting the award were Shelby County Agricultural Extension Agent Brittany Edelson and Shelby County Kiwanis Club Farm-City Committee Chairman Ferenc Vegh. Mr. Bennett is on the right. (Photo: Walt Reichert, Sentinel-News)

Hoppy and his family own and operate Undulata Farm on Zaring Mill Road. They breed, foal, raise, train, show, and sell American Saddlebred horses. Mr. Bennett is well known in the national Saddlebred community and is frequently a judge at horse shows around the nation.

At the presentation, Ms. Edelson stated that, "horse farmers in the county are one sector that merges the city with farmers. They are individuals who open arms up to city folks all of the time."

Our Shelby County Tourism director, Charlie Kramer, took 5000 visitors to Undulata Farm in 2006. Hoppy entertains even more visitors, business and pleasure, as they appear at his doorstep. Recently a bus load arrived at the farm after a local motel suggested that the tourists visit Undulata. Mr. Bennett’s generosity with his time and farm is a tremendous promoter of Shelby County.

Hoppy was raised in Spencer County, Kentucky in a family with eight brothers and sisters plus four more children taken in by his parents. The 260 acre family farm was between Taylorsville and Bloomfield. While he was growing up, he worked in the family dairy, cut tobacco, put up hay, and sometimes cultivated corn with parade mules.

Hoppy’s father would sometimes trade for or buy ponies for the family to ride. One day, his father brought home one that was half Saddlebred. Hoppy claimed it and entered the horse in a show in Taylorsville in a three gaited class. He was thirteen years old and rode his horse in his cowboy hat and cowboy boots. He and his horse placed sixth in the class of six. This was the start of his lasting interest in Saddlebred horses.

After Hoppy got out of the Army after a tour in Vietnam, he set out his business shingle in Taylorsville on a barn open on one side. He was in the American Saddlebred business to stay. He started doing what he loves for a living.

Undulata Farm is Hoppy’s third Shelby County location for his horse operation.

On the professional side, he is very proud of Undulata Nutcracker. This is a horse he raised and sold, that commands the top price in breeding. Hoppy is very pleased with the quality of Undulata Nutcracker’s off-spring. Above all other things, the one thing he is most proud of is his daughter, Tate.

Hoppy looks forward to finish raising his daughter and keeping agriculture and green space in Shelby County. Hoppy feels that farms are important to Shelby County if for no other reason than that is what Shelby County has been and is – a rural, agricultural community and not Louisville.

Congratulations to our 2006 Farmer of the Year, Hoppy Bennett! Thank you for all the many things that you do for Shelby County.