Robert Clay
Robert N. Clay, a native of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, is a graduate of the College of William and Mary class of ‘68. He married his college classmate, Blythe Baldwin, in 1968. Robert and Blythe have two children and five grandchildren. After completing his undergraduate degree, he attended the University of Kentucky School of Business and then spent a tour of duty in the U.S. Navy. Following his military service, he attended Harvard Business School Executive Education Program.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert N. Clay owned and developed Three Chimneys Farm, building upon a dream, with a plan, and 100 acres of undeveloped land in 1972. By 2016, the farm incorporated approximately 2,300 acres in seven divisions, five of which are devoted to mares and foals, one to yearlings, and one is home for up to 14 world-class stallions.
He has served in leadership roles in the thoroughbred industry including: the Jockey Club, the Keeneland Association, the National Thoroughbred Association, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the Breeders’ Cup, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, The Blood-Horse magazine, the Thoroughbred Club of America, and the American Horse Council. In 1995, he received the John W. Galbreath Award, presented annually by the University of Louisville to recognize “exceptional entrepreneurship in the horse industry".
Clay’s interest in education includes past service as a Trustee for the University of Kentucky, as a member of the Board of Directors of Midway College, the University of Kentucky Business School, the College of William & Mary Endowment Association, as former chairman of The Lexington School, and member of the advisory board of the College of William and Mary Entrepreneur Program.
His community involvement includes service as a Board member of the The Blue Grass Community Foundation, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, The Henry Clay Memorial Foundation, The Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship, Bluegrass Tomorrow, and the Bluegrass Land Conservancy. He is past chairman of the Round Table at Shaker Village, which brings Kentucky business leaders together to find solutions for the state’s most pressing issues.
He is also a retired member of the Board of Directors of PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, PA, which he served for 23 years. In 2008, he was elected to the Bluegrass Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Clay currently serves as a Community Advisory Member on the University Health Care Committee.