A dedication to clients coupled with a keen work ethic has made Taylor Made Farm a solid bet.

TAYLOR Made Farm will surpass the $400 million threshold in cumulative sales this year and has raised and sold champions. However, after talking to Duncan Taylor, one of four principal owners of the Nicholasville-based thoroughbred nursery, one doesn’t get the impression that the farm is resting on its laurels. "The farm’s greatest achievement is taking care of our customers, [making sure] they stick with you and seeing that the business grows," Taylor said. "You build your reputation stroke by stroke ­ it’s not one particular thing that does it. We stick to the basic principals of ethics, then people will get a feeling of whether you are credible or not."

While their clients are obviously the backbone of their operation, Taylor Made’s reputation, largely built on the best form of advertising ­ word of mouth ­ is that of an entity that is dedicated to the profession and willing to go to any length to make sure the job is done right. Taylor’s strong work ethic was instilled in him and his three brothers ­ Ben, Frank and Mark (the other three principal owners of the farm) ­ by his mother and father. Joe Taylor, the patriarch of the family, was a farm manager at fabled Gainesway Farm for 40 years. "Dad was obviously the key for us getting started," Taylor said. "It’s like he reproduced himself four times ­ everyone has the same business fundamentals. A family business is not like a pure corporation. This is our life, this is the No. 1 thing that we do ­ we like spending our time here." The evolution of Taylor Made, like any successful business venture, was a slow and arduous process according to Taylor. The farm, located on Union Mill Road in Nicholasville, started with 190 acres where Joe Taylor raised cattle and tobacco along with horses. It was during this time that Duncan Taylor and his brothers gained the invaluable hands-on experience ­ mucking stalls, seeing horses foaled, raised and trained ­ that would serve as the foundation to the familyıs success in the thoroughbred industry.

"Dad made us 14-year-old entrepreneurs," Taylor said. "We would raise a small crop of tobacco and pay for the expenses. At a very young age, we had the perspective of a person who was much older; we knew the value of money."

Eventually, 70 acres of the farm were sold in order to establish capital to start the horse operation. Duncan and his brothers then leased the remaining part of the farm, what is now Taylor Made land, from their father. "At first, it wasn’t a well thought-out idea," Taylor said. "It looked like it could be profitable and was a chance for us to get into business. We learned a lot just being there, working hard and paying attention."

The family’s hard work has undeniably paid off, as the farm annually ranks among the leaders in yearling, two-year-old and broodmare auction transactions. Taylor Made Sales Agency was the second leading consignor by gross sales (three or more sold) at the 1998 July Selected Yearling Sale at Keeneland, selling 19 yearlings for gross receipts of $9,945,000. Acting as agent for Robert S. Evans, Taylor Made consigned the highest-priced filly at the venerable July sale, a daughter of Seeking the Gold out of the Grade 1 stakes-winning mare Shared Interest, which fetched $1.2 million. Additionally, Taylor Made was the leading consignor at the Fasig-Tipton (Kentucky) July yearling sale, as the sales agency sold 30 head for gross receipts of $1,580,500. At the recently concluded Saratoga selected yearling sale, Taylor Made was the second leading consignor by gross (three or more sold), having sold 13 head for $3,910,000. The sales agency also produced the highest-priced yearling in the sale, a Storm Cat filly out of the Gone West mare Gone to Venus, which brought $1.7 million.

One of the facets that makes the Taylor Made operation so successful is the farmıs ability to establish good chemistry between buyers and clients. "Our customers are our top priority," Taylor says. "A lot of people have different opinions. You have to think about the customer, identify where they want to go and help them get there. We are going to serve the customer."

Taylor Made also employs unique marketing stratagems to attract clients. Print advertising in the trade publications isn’t one of their favorite promotional tactics. Instead, the farm takes a more proactive approach. For example, two Novembers ago at Keeneland, the Taylor Made consignment was assigned a barn located in the back of the establishment, according to Taylor. Instead of bemoaning the issue, the farm rented busses equipped with televisions and VCRs to shuttle prospective clients back and forth to their consignment. Prospective buyers could watch videos of horses in the Taylor Made consignment en route to seeing the farmıs offering in person. "We want to take care of the customers we have, and we are not scared to tread new water," Taylor says. "You get more exposure by doing things differently."

Working hard and treating your customers well is not a novel idea, but it is becoming more and more difficult to find businesses that actually practice what they preach. This is not the case at Taylor Made ­ what you see is what you get. "I’d like to say thanks to the people who have bought and sold with us," says a sincere Taylor. "They have given us the opportunity to be where we are today. We understand what itıs like to be the little guys because weıve been there. We try to help anyone we can."