Queen Elizabeth at the Kentucky Derby: Looking back at her 2007 visit to Louisville

Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest-serving monarch, died Thursday in Scotland at age 96. During her 70-year reign, the Queen made multiple visits to Kentucky, including one exciting afternoon in Louisville where she experienced the most exciting two minutes in sports.

A love of horses drew Queen Elizabeth II to Kentucky five times between 1984 and 2007. The British Monarch's final visit to the Bluegrass State, 15 years ago, was to attend the 133rd Kentucky Derby at the historic Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville.

"She was at the track for three hours and everybody who met her said she was very kind," remembered Greg Bush, who was the senior director of operations at Churchill Downs in 2007.

The 2007 Derby had a star-filled crowd, including sports stars Peyton Manning and Michael Jordan, actress Gabrielle Union and Kiss icon Gene Simmons. Churchill Down's track president at the time, the late Steve Sexton, told The Sydney Morning Herald she was "certainly the most prestigious guest" in the modern-day history of the Kentucky Derby.

Those working at Churchill Downs in 2007 remember the Queen's visit as an exciting and complex time. David Sweazy, vice president of operations for Churchill Downs in 2007, said the royal visit required the tightest security operation for any famous person to attend the Kentucky Derby.

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"We've hosted presidents, dignitaries, and all sorts of celebrities but the Queen's visit required the highest level of involvement from a planning and security standpoint," Sweazy told The Courier Journal Thursday. "Leading up to her arrival, we met for months and had 32 meetings with the British Secret Service, United States Secret Service, and local and state law enforcement. On some days, we met multiple times to go over every detail of the Queen's visit."

The majority of the planning was to ensure the safety of the Queen of England and how to move Her Majesty through a crowd of 150,000 race fans.

"She spent her time in the Fourth Floor Stakes Room where we had a bulletproof glass shield installed to protect her when she stepped out to watch the races," Bush told the Courier Journal. "We also had bulletproof glass on the balcony where she could look out over the Paddock and the gardens."

Public sightings of the Queen on May 5, 2007, were rare. The Courier Journal reported the next day that "for most race fans, catching a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II at Churchill Downs ... was more elusive than picking the Kentucky Derby winner." (Which was Street Sense, by the way.)

But for those lucky enough to be at the right spot at the right time, it was exciting to catch sight of the royal guest in her lime green suit and matching Derby hat at the racetrack.

"When she did step out to look over the track or the Paddock, she would wave to the crowd and I remember there would be loud cheers from everybody below," Bush said.

Bush and Sweazy said nothing was taken for granted when it came to the royal visit. When the queen was in view of the public, the royal security team guided her to an invisible 'X' on the ground where she could view the festivities behind the safety glass.

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A specific track elevator was deemed "an express route" in the event the Queen needed to be quickly moved in or out of the track.

The executive chef at Churchill Downs even created a special blend of tea for her to enjoy during High Tea at the races. And if she had a bit too much of that special blend of tea, the situation had also been thought through in advance of the Queen's arrival.

"If the Queen needed to visit the 'throne,' we had a special one designated just for her use," said Bush.

The Derby was her only public event during her visit to Louisville. Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip traveled between Lexington and Louisville by motorcade that weekend. The royal couple stayed at Lane's End, a farm in Versailles owned by her friend William Farish and where she stabled horses.

Farish met Prince Charles while playing polo and was introduced to the queen at a polo game she sponsored in England. Farish later served as ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2001 to 2004.

During her lifetime, Kentucky became a special place for the Queen of England, from her first trip to the commonwealth in October of 1984 to celebrate the inauguration of the race named in her honor, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland racetrack in Lexington, to her final visit to attend the Kentucky Derby in Louisville at Churchill Downs.

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Her press secretaries often described the trips to Kentucky as vacations — a time for the queen to relax and stay out of the public eye.

Reach Features Reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Queen Elizabeth at the Kentucky Derby: Her 2007 visit to Louisville