Saddled Up for a World Showcase
While Kentucky has long been known for its fast racehorses and high-quality bourbon, the arrival of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games this September will cement Kentucky’s stature as the Horse Capital of the World.
From Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, all equestrian focus will be on the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. 2010 marks the first time the competition has been held outside Europe, and Kentucky’s winning bid was the result of serious efforts by local and state officials.
Nowhere is that cooperative spirit more evident than at the park, which underwent a multimillion-dollar overhaul just in time for the games.
The 1,200-acre working horse farm is home to the International Museum of the Horse, the American Saddlebred Museum as well as the National Horse Center which consists of over thirty national and regional equine association headquarters. Now it also boasts a permanent, 7,300-seat lighted outdoor stadium and 5,500-seat indoor arena, both of which already are drawing interest – and bookings – from other equine events. That alone has made the investment well worth the effort, says John Nicholson, executive director.
“It was revolutionary when we put forth the idea of hosting the games,” Nicholson says. “But the people of the Commonwealth invested in the park, and the FEI realized we had the facilities and infrastructure few places in the world could compete with. It’s just part of what makes Kentucky, Kentucky.”
Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear, who sits on the board for the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, says another benefit is that the games will showcase a wide variety of equine disciplines and activities, further educating the community on how important the horse is to our local and state economies.
“Up to this point, Kentucky has largely been known for our thoroughbred racing industry,” Beshear says. “The games will allow us to show the world that we are at the forefront of the sport-horse industry as well. Racing Thoroughbreds are the minority in Kentucky’s equine population while the vast majority are varied breeds used for sport, such as the disciplines in the games, or used for pleasure activities like trail riding.”
For title sponsor Alltech, the games provide a chance to highlight its animal health and nutrition programs and products to a global audience, and it’s going after the opportunity with unbridled enthusiasm, says Kelly Welker, executive director of Alltech’s G.A.M.E.S. group.
“We really don’t do big sponsorships, and this is certainly the first time we’ve invested $10 million in one,” Welker says. “But we are delighted to be working with everyone involved, and we are all aligned to see Kentucky thrive and put on an amazing show.”
The horse park now has bookings well into 2014, Nicholson says, and overseas owners and breeders are showing interest in relocating to the area. This bodes well not only for creating a more multidimensional equine industry, but also for landing other large-scale events and, perhaps, even a return of the big event itself.
As First Lady Beshear puts it: “The games truly are the jumping-off point for many economic development and tourism opportunities in the Bluegrass Region and beyond and will leave a legacy of excellence for Kentucky’s equine industry.”
