'Buddy' Bishop dead at 64

William T. "Buddy" Bishop III, the longtime legal counsel for Keeneland Racecourse, The Jockey Club, and several large Kentucky farms, died on Thursday at his home in Lexington, Ky., Keeneland announced. He was 64.

The cause of death was not announced.

Bishop was one of the more well-known attorneys in Kentucky to specialize in equine practice. He represented Claiborne Farm, Godolphin Racing, Juddmonte Farms, Mill Ridge Farm, and Darley Stud.

The son of W. T. Bishop, Keeneland's first general manager, Bishop spent his childhood on the Keeneland grounds, living in an apartment next to the grandstand. He later worked on the track's maintenance crew. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina in 1966 and a law degree from the University of Kentucky in 1969.

Bishop was a member of Stoll Keenon Ogden, a law firm with extensive ties in Kentucky. He served in the firm's estate planning, equine, and business and transactions groups.

In addition to his work as legal counsel, Bishop was a director and trustee of Keeneland. He was elected to the Jockey Club in 2006 and was a past president of the Thoroughbred Club of America.

Bishop had "the respect, admiration, and appreciation from the entire racing world," said James E. "Ted" Bassett, former Keeneland chairman and president, in a statement.