Price Headley Bell
A fifth-generation horseman whose family has been involved in the Thoroughbred business in Central Kentucky for 175 years, Headley Bell has assisted in the success of Mill Ridge Farm and its consulting arm, Nicoma Bloodstock over several decades.
Educated at Woodberry Forest in Virginia and Vanderbilt University, Headley Bell founded the Thoroughbred consulting company, Nicoma Bloodstock in 1979. His goal of assisting his clients with success and to ‘fulfill their dreams’ came early with a mating (creating a thoroughbred) in 1983, producing TREMPOLINO, who won what many consider the world’s most prestigious race, France’s Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in 1987 and was recognized as Champion Three-Year-Old. In 1987, another successful mating produced SUAVE DANCER, who went on to win the 1991 Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe (G1) in 1991 and was recognized as French and Irish Champion.
This was just the beginning of Headley’s success in matings as he went on to be involved in many exceptional horses on behalf of his clients, including 2011 & 2019 Horse-of-the-Year HAVRE DE GRACE and BRICKS AND MORTAR and 2006 and 2007 Kentucky Derby winners BARBARO and STREET SENSE.
Just since 2000, the combination of Mill Ridge/Nicoma have raised/sold/mated, (39) Grade 1 winners (the highest level of racing), (3) Horses of the Year (recognized as the BEST horse racing that year), (3) Kentucky Derby winners (America’s most prestigious race), and (13) Breeders Cup winners (the industries Championship-day of racing) on behalf of their clients and again, fulfilling their dreams.
Headley is inspired by the leadership and example of his grandfather, Hal Price Headley, and mother, Alice Chandler, Headley and his son Price, who joined Headley at Nicoma in 2010, after a career in commercial real estate. United with two other industry members and five years later, they created the nonprofit entity, ‘Horse Country,’ to open-up the farms for tourism, like the bourbon industry and their distilleries. Today (22) Thoroughbred farms in Central Kentucky have opened their gates to visitors to provide a unique experience and tell their individual story. Horse farms share the land, horse, history and allow guests to learn where it all begins. Most importantly, they allow people to fall in love with the horse. Mill Ridge is exemplary in this effort and is recognized as the #2 Experience in Lexington as reviewed on Trip Advisor.
In 2019, Mill Ridge Farm has transitioned to the next generation with Price, the sixth generation, becoming the General Manager of Mill Ridge and Headley the Managing Partner. This has allowed Headley to focus once again on the day-to-day operation of Nicoma.