Ryanair co-founder’s $14M Kentucky horse farm now listed for $57.5M

Tony Ryan, co-founder of budget airline Ryanair, acquired a historic 951-acre horse farm in Kentucky named Castleton Farm for $14 million in 2001. Today, nearly two decades later, his family is putting the property up for sale at a staggering $57.5 million. The estate, located outside Lexington, boasts a rich history dating back to 1793 and includes a stunning Greek Revival mansion, 16 barns with 268 stalls, 10 homes, rolling pastures, a covered bridge, a stone tower, and a rare equine cemetery.

The property, originally purchased by future US Senator John Breckinridge in 1793, was later owned by David Castleman who built the iconic Greek Revival mansion in the 1840s, hence the estate's name. In the 1890s, the farm became a major Thoroughbred breeding operation under the stewardship of Wall Street financier James Keene. Over the years, the estate expanded to include breeding operations for Standardbred and American Saddlebred horses.

Tony Ryan invested heavily in the property, bringing it up to modern standards with new barn roofs and other renovations. However, after his death in 2007, ownership passed to his son Shane Ryan. Shane has been managing the estate as a horse-breeding facility, but he is now preparing to sell it as he spends more time in Europe and his children are less interested in the family's equestrian business. The property is set to be auctioned as part of the third Keeneland Championship Sale on October 28.