Cindy Bellis-Jones
Paris, Kentucky
Retired science teacher and presently work part-time at Toyota
How did you get started in breeding/showing?
Horses have always been a way of life for our family. My grandfather raised horses in Canada, which is where my father became involved in the industry. His business in the 1800s was in raising, training and selling fire horses. My grandfather actually imported Thoroughbreds to be bred to his draft mares to increase the speed of the fire horses.
I have shown since I was a child. My love has always been ponies. My passion was to rescue ponies, bring them to wellness, train and resell them. Many of my rescues have gone on to be productive members of the show world, including Pony Finals winners. Well over 3,000 ponies have come through our farm in the past 45 years.
Since my children are grown, I’m now devoting time to showing and breeding a few ponies. I purchased a 2-year-old Welsh colt 15 years ago who has been the primary show and breeding pony of our farm. Nistar Blazing Kansas is a registered Section A Welsh. He has achieved the Individual Lifetime Awards of Legion of Merit (LOM) and Award of Excellence (AOE), being only the second Section A Stallion to ever receive the AOE. He was honored as Welsh of the Year in 2019. His offspring have represented him well at Pony Finals, Devon, Kym K Smith Young Hunter Pony Championships and at the World Equestrian Center both in Ohio and Florida.
What part do you play in the horse world?
I spent years breaking, riding and training Thoroughbreds when I was younger. I possessed a Thoroughbred trainer’s license and later I was an instructor for the Kentucky Equine Education Program at the Kentucky Horse Park. I had charge over 60 students and 60 young Thoroughbreds over the course of a school year, during which I taught the students to ride while training the young horses. At graduation, each student would demonstrate the abilities of their young horse on the racetrack of the Kentucky Horse Park before leaving to go to licensed trainers throughout Kentucky. Several top horsemen and -women came through that program. One student, Jamie Bruin, rode in the Kentucky Derby and was later named Leading Rider in New York.
I also spent time as a broodmare manager of a Thoroughbred farm and later as the manager. 
My husband, Hugh, was director of research for Spendthrift Farm for 18 years and later the executive director of the American Hanoverian Society for 24 years. Together we own Fox Run Farm in Paris, Kentucky, where we stand Nistar Blazing Kansas and raise a few nice Welsh foals each year.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do?
I love spring and the coming of the new babies here on the farm. Each baby brings with it the promise of happiness and success in the future years.
What’s your biggest achievement in the horse world?
Training the next generation of horsemen and -women at the Kentucky Equine Education Program.
What are your goals for the future with your farm and your horses?
To continue to breed and train our Welsh Ponies for both the hunter and driving disciplines.
What is the best thing about your life?
Being able to wake up each morning to the life I choose.
Best kept secret about what you do?
If I tell you, it will no longer be a secret, will it?
For more information, visit foxrunfarmky.com
