Kaitlyn Kupiec
The rolling bluegrass of Kentucky has long been home to champions, but this past summer, it also became a homecoming of sorts for two Berkshire graduates.
Elle Herrington '22 with Into Mischief at Spendthrift Farm.
Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey '82 has overseen Kentucky Derby champions and some of the sport’s most celebrated stallions, including 146th Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and seven-time reigning champion general sire Into Mischief. Ted Noffey, a colt by Into Mischief whose name came from an innocent social media typo of Ned Toffey, earned the 2025 Eclipse Award as Champion 2-Year-Old Colt after going undefeated in four consecutive stakes races, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Toffey has led the Lexington farm since 2004 and was named Kentucky’s Farm Manager of the Year in 2024. This past summer, he welcomed a familiar face: fellow Berkshire alum Elle Herrington ‘22 of Hillsdale, N.Y.
Herrington joined the 1,200-acre farm as an intern while preparing for her senior year at the University of Kentucky, where she studies Equine Science and Management. She has ridden on the UK’s eventing team since her first year and keeps her two mares in central Kentucky. Piper is boarded at a personal farm in Somerset, Ky., while Jazz is a lesson horse at Creek's Bend Farm in Franklin, Ky.
The connection between the two alumni had been there for years. Toffey grew up in Great Barrington and graduated from Berkshire alongside Herrington’s aunt, Allison (Herrington) Newman ‘82. Toffey’s wife, Katie, and Herrington’s mother, Carrie, were high school acquaintances at Monument Mountain.
A dinner with the Toffeys last year brought the idea of an internship to life.
“We talked about what I was expecting from them and what they had expected from me,” Herrington said. “It really fell into place for all of us. I didn’t need any specific requirements other than a certain amount of hours, and they just needed some help in the office and in marketing, so that’s what I’ve been doing all summer.”
From left to right: Carrie Herrington, Ned Toffey '82, Katie Toffey, Rich Herrington '91 at the Kentucky Derby.
But “helping in the office and in marketing” quickly turned into much more. Herrington started in June and worked across nearly every corner of Spendthrift’s operation. She shadowed veterinarians during pregnancy checks, spent time in the breeding shed, assisted with marketing and accounting projects, guided tours for visitors, and helped prepare for Spendthrift’s signature Breeders Party. From stuffing envelopes and gift bags to hand-sealing hundreds of Blanton’s bourbon bottles with wax, she discovered the scale and the detail behind hosting such an event.
Leading tours, Herrington said, became one of the most rewarding parts of her summer.
“The tours that we do at Spendthrift are not exactly a vital part of the business, but I think it’s important for people to come to the farm and see what goes on before the racetrack,” Herrington explained. “Thoroughbred racing gets a lot of bad press, but I always tell the guests that if I were a horse, this is exactly where I would want to live. These horses live better than most people.”
Herrington '22 spends time with a yearling.
Her experiences this past summer deepened her appreciation for the Thoroughbred industry, and she continues to help out at Spendthrift and attend sales. Herrington also hopes to stay in Kentucky for at least a few years after graduating.
“Living in Lexington for the past three and a half years has helped me develop a knowledge and interest in Thoroughbred racing, but before my internship, I genuinely didn’t think I was interested,” Herrington said. “I think that’s because I didn’t understand what all went on behind the scenes. Specifically, being at the sales and looking at yearlings and two-year-olds to buy or sell is something that I like and understand naturally.”
Toffey was glad to see that interest take shape.
“[Elle] told me she was beginning to think about this industry as an area where she may want to work, and I think that’s probably the best thing I could have heard,” Toffey said. “This is an industry where the demographic is a little bit older, so we need all of the energetic, enthusiastic young people that we can get, so I was very happy to hear that.”
Toffey also offered advice for current students: “As a Berkshire alum, you’ve got a wonderful education already in place, but at the same time, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, get in the middle of things, and get hands-on experience. Combine that with the education you get at Berkshire, and you become a really valuable person.” -Ned Toffey '82