In Memory of Brereton C. Jones

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an exemplary Kentuckian, former Governor Brereton Chandler Jones. He was born in Ohio on June 27, 1939, and was raised in West Virginia. Mr. Jones passed away on September 18, 2023. He will long be remembered for his contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and to the thoroughbred horse industry.

Mr. Jones was raised on a West Virginia dairy farm. A star football player and class valedictorian, he went on to attend the University of Virginia, where he played football and graduated in 1961. At the age of 25, he was the youngest person ever elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates and served there until 1968. Mr. Jones met his wife Libby on a trip to Kentucky's Keeneland racetrack and they were married in 1970. They had two children, Lucy and Brereton, Jr. (Bret). The family moved to Woodford County, Kentucky in 1972 and established Airdrie Stud. The farm grew from 350 acres to its current size of over 2,500 acres and is internationally recognized for its horses. A leader in the thoroughbred industry, Mr. Jones chaired the Kentucky Thoroughbred Commission and served as treasurer of the Breeders Cup. Mr. Jones founded the Kentucky Equine Education Project in 2004 and served as KEEP's chair until 2011.

Mr. Jones was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1987 and in 1991 he became Kentucky's 58th governor. His administration highlights included strengthening ethics laws, streamlining state government, and passing health care reform. He advocated for an amendment to the state constitution which allowed governors to succeed themselves once, but he exempted himself from the succession provision. Other accomplishments included increasing funding for state parks and phasing out the state inheritance tax.

Governor Jones was a highly respected leader in the political realm in Frankfort and was also well-respected in the thoroughbred industry. He was a man who led with ingenuity and integrity. Brereton C. Jones was a true leader, and I am humbled to honor his contributions to Kentucky and to the Nation before the United States Congress.

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