Phil Needham, a highly accomplished owner/breeder, admired member of Central Kentucky's Thoroughbred community for more than 50 years, and Renaissance man, died at his home in Georgetown, Ky., Jan. 11. He was 82.
Though a respected farm manager at Xalapa Farm and Domino Stud, Needham likely made his biggest impact on Thoroughbred racing and breeding through commercial breeding partnerships he managed with Bill Betz for more than 20 years.
The partners, together and with a variety of clients, bred 50 stakes performers that include 13 graded/group stakes winners among 33 black-type winners. The cream of this group is rich and includes 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mine That Bird; three-time grade 1 winner Dullahan, who was third in the 2012 Kentucky Derby; 2004 Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Madcap Escape, who was third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1); and, other grade 1 winners Dubai Escapade, El Corredor, and Roman Ruler.
"We were both young and working on different farms but got to know each other in this small community and became friends. We then decided we would try our luck together," recalled Betz.
"We shared a common vision in that we wanted to produce high-quality horses. This is a learning business. The successes we had were the result of hard work, careful observation, and absorbing the information we were exposed to. We were successful, but I think we earned it. You have to earn it. You have to be resilient. The most telling thing is being able to get up from when the bad things happen and keep showing up every day. We both did that."
Betz said he'll always remember Needham's warm and inviting smile.
"Phil had a way with people. He had a wonderful smile and made people feel good and comfortable, and he had integrity. He had a lot of talents in a lot of different ways," he said.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Needham grew up in Weston, Conn. His father was an executive with General Electric and commuted into New York City for work. Needham attended St. Lawrence University, where he met his future wife, Judy. While she had extensive experience showing hunter/jumpers and competing in dressage, Phil Needham grew up with an interest in horses but never the opportunity to own one. He found that opportunity during a two-year break midway through college when he served with the Peace Corps at Kabul University in Afghanistan, where he taught physical education and English.
"The volunteers did not have cars, so he bought a horse," recalled Judy Needham.
The Needhams' lives took a fateful turn in the early 1970s when Phil's brother called them with a proposal. He knew Kenneth Franzheim II, who co-owned Xalapa Farm in Bourbon County with his sister Lillie Webb. Franzheim had been appointed United States ambassador to New Zealand and wanted a couple on the farm to manage it and oversee improvements he had planned.
"Phil always loved horses, so it was an easy decision for us to move here and give it a try," Judy said. "Also, Phil was very versatile. He was good with the horses and gifted at carpentry and building, so he was involved in renovating barns. He enjoyed all of it.
"When we first moved down here it was intimidating and a lot of the big farms were unapproachable. You either belonged or you didn't," she recalled. "We worked hard and learned as much as we could. Kenneth was encouraging and told Phil he could do what he wanted to do as long as the farm was cared for."
Phil Needham dove in head first to learn all he could about Thoroughbreds. He attended a course at Penn State to learn about hoof care and shoeing. He also made a cold call to Gainesway Farm, where he asked then-general manager Joe Taylor and then-stallion manager Marion Gross if he could work there to learn about stallions. Taylor and Gross told him they didn't have an opening.
"Phil said he was willing to work for free, so they told him to show up in the morning and he brought a box of doughnuts. He worked at Gainesway for several months," said Judy.
The Needhams were at Xalapa Farm until 1979 and Phil next became the farm manager at the Terry family's Domino Stud, where he helped syndicate 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo. After 10 years at Domino Stud, they joined with Betz.
"The horse business is a team effort, and we had a lot of good clients and partners," said Judy. "Phil always had a positive attitude. He always had the desire to see other people do as well as he's done, and he was a great mentor to a lot of young people. I've since heard from several friends that he was very popular with the Afghan people as well. He had a quiet charisma. He was honest and people trusted him."
