Today we toured Belle Meade, an historic Nashville plantation at the northern end of Natchez Trace, owned by the John Harding-William Jackson family and well-known as a horse stud farm in the early 1800's. At one time there were about 5400 acres and over 130 slaves working the property. Racing history was made in 1886 when their stallion Iroquois won the English Derby, a first for any American horse. A ticker-tape parade was held for him when he returned via New York. Many more recent Derby winners like Seabiscuit and Secretariat can trace their bloodlines to Belle Meade farms. The mansion is furnished with original family belongings and the huge carriage house contains numerous horse-drawn buggies used by them in that era.
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