Longtime Keeneland trustee Louis Lee Haggin III dies at age 88

Louis Lee Haggin III, a longtime director and trustee of Keeneland whose family had deep roots at the track, died on Tuesday at the age of 88, according to his family.

Haggin, whose grandfather, Hal Price Headley, was one of the co-founders of Keeneland, was first appointed a director at Keeneland in 1970. In 1981, he was elevated to trustee, a position he held until his retirement in 2015.

Haggin’s father, Louis Lee Haggin II, was the second president of Keeneland and later served as its chairman. His great-great grandfather was James Ben Ali Haggin, a legendary Kentucky horsemen.

His family said that Keeneland was a “second home” to him growing up. He frequently walked the grounds with his mother, Alma Headley Haggin, who was “instrumental in creating Keeneland’s sophisticated interiors and park-like grounds,” the family said.

While as a director and trustee, Haggin followed in his mother’s footsteps by working to maintain and enhance Keeneland’s pastoral setting. Among his ideas were the long line of maple trees that border the lane leading to Keeneland’s clubhouse, along with the planting of forsythias around the track. He was also instrumental in the development of the ontrack Keeneland nursery.

“Mr. Haggin developed a love of the land and showcasing its beauty,” said Shannon Arvin, the president and chief executive officer of Keeneland, in a statement. “He spent countless hours walking the grounds . . . and worked throughout his life to continue his mother’s legacy at Keeneland. We do not make a decision about touching a branch of a tree on our grounds without thinking about Mr. Haggin and whether he would approve.”

Haggin was born in Bakersfield, Calif., but his family returned to Central Kentucky six months after his birth. He attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington, where he received a degree in agriculture.

After six months in the army reserves, Haggin began a career in industrial packaging. He was an executive with Jefferson Smurfit until his retirement in 1988.

Haggin also managed his family’s Sycamore Farm, and he was an owner and breeder throughout his life. His family said that he “did not miss a day of Keeneland racing.”

Haggin is survived by his wife, Bettie Boswell; three children, Louis Lee Haggin IV, Margaret Gay Haggin Van Meter, and James Ben Ali Haggin; five grandchildren; and one grandchild.

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