Kentucky Horse Park

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Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse ranch and educational park that opened in 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located on Kentucky State Highway 1973 (Iron Works Pike) and Interstate 75, at Exit 120, north of Fayette County in the United States. The equestrian facility is a 1,224 acre park (4.95 km km) dedicated to "human relationships with horses." Open to the public, the park has Horses of the World Show twice daily, featuring regular and rare horses from around the world. The horses are driven in authentic costumes. Each year the park hosts numerous special events and horse shows.

In addition, the park contains the International Museum of the Horse, the Smithsonian Affiliate, which has a permanent collection of horse history and memorabilia, along with a revolving history collection that focuses on a particular theme. Past themes include A Gift from the Desert (Arabia), Imperial China, and All the Queen's Horses (Britain).

Starting with the 1979 arrival of Forego, one of the leading 1970s handicapped horses, Kentucky Horse Park has been home to some of the world's largest horse competitions, including John Henry, Horse Decade for the 1980s and top money- won the Thoroughbred in racing history. With the exception of several months in 1986, John Henry stayed in the park from 1985 until his death in 2007, along with other great riders like Forego and his 1970s champion Bold Forbes, and the more recent Cigar residents, voted the Decade Horse for in the 1990s, and Da Hoss, the first horse to win the Breeders' Cup race in non-consecutive years. At the end of 2008, the Alysheba and Funny Cide champions became residents, but Alysheba died in the park in March 2009. 1994 The Kentucky Derby winner, Go For Gin, became a warehouse resident in 2011, while Cerutu died in the park in 2014.

In addition to the Thoroughbred horses, Standardbred is pitching like Stay Together and Western Dreamer, Cam Fella (deceased) and Rambling Willie (deceased), and Standardbred horse champion. Muscleman has made Kentucky Horse Park their home, as well as the 5-gaited American Geldings Saddlebred CH Gypsy Supreme, CH Imperator and CH Sky Watch (all those who died).

Video Kentucky Horse Park

Garden statue

A number of horse statues stand in Kentucky Horse Park, including the Man o 'War statue at the pedestal near the entrance, above the grave of the horse, which was transferred here from Faraway Farm during the formation of the park in the 1970s. There is also a life-size statue of a three-year-old Royal Crown secretary in 1973 with jockey Ron Turcotte aboard a ship led by Eddie Sweat's men, carved by Jim Reno. From the harness race, there is a statue of Bret Hanover.

Maps Kentucky Horse Park

Kentucky Horse Park National Horse Center

Kentucky Horse Park also contains the National Horse Center, headquarters for over 30 national horse, regional, and state organizations, associations and associations including:

• American Association of Equine Practitioners
• American Farrier's Association
• American Hackney Horse Society
• The Hanover American Society
• The Saddlebred American Horse Association
• The American Railroad Association
• Kentucky Horse Racing Authority
• Equestrian Events, Inc.
• The United Hunters/Jumper Association
• Federation of United States Dressage
• United States Horse Federation
• Pony Club United States, Inc.

For a list of all 30 organizations in one place, with contacts, see the Kentucky Horse Park website at www.kyhorsepark.com.

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Rolex Stadium

Rolex Stadium is the premier outdoor event venue in the complex. The stadium has 7,338 seats in the grandstand but can hold up to 37,338 total capacity when seats up to 30,000 seats are used, especially for larger outdoor horse shows, concerts, and other sporting events. The show rings are 306 feet to 406 feet in size, with sand and fiber floors; However, artificial grass has been brought to the stadium for soccer and football matches on occasion, among other events. This is the largest outdoor concert venue in Central Kentucky with a capacity of nearly 52,000. There are six concessions in the stadium and six toilets, which means that concession and restroom facilities may be limited to events requiring greater capacity; However Rolex Stadium has a Daktronics ProStar LED video screen 18 times 33 feet.

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Alltech Arena

Alltech Arena is an indoor arena with a capacity of 5,520 seats in Kentucky Horse Park, which can be expanded to 8,500 for concerts. The arena floor and championship ring measures 135 feet to 300 feet; In addition to indoor horse shows, Alltech Arena can also be used for indoor soccer, ice hockey, basketball, circus, boxing, wrestling, concerts, and other special events. The arena contains nine luxury suites, 222 VIP box seats and a 4,000 square foot club lounge that can accommodate up to 80 subscribers. The floor of the arena below the street level; the concourse arena, with 50,000 square feet of space, overlooks the arena floor and contains six concession stands. There are also two box office in the arena.

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Events

Kentucky Horse Park hosts a variety of educational events and competitions. Past examples include:

• The annual Kentucky Rolex Day Celebration held in the park since hosting the 1978 Three-Day World Championships
• The High Hope Steeplechase since 1974
• The annual Southern Lights holiday festival since 1993
• Pony Club National Championships every 3 years
• The Junior and Young North American Rider Championships, a prestigious event for talented horsemen aged 14-21, since 2009
• The USEF Pony Finals, national championship pony hunter/jumper since 2008

Also, by 2015 the park becomes the new home of the Ichthus Music Festival, a major Christian music festival originally held at Wilmore near to temporary death following the 2012 edition.

For a list of all the updated park events, see the Kentucky Horse Park website at www.kyhorsepark.com.

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2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

On December 6, 2005, it was announced that Lexington and Kentucky Horse Park will host FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 in September and October. The 2010 game marks the first time the game is held outside Europe; In addition, eight Olympic-level world championships have never been held together at a single location in Europe.

As part of the game, some improvements to the park are scheduled:

• The Alltech Arena for $ 36 million was approved in 2006 by the Kentucky General Assembly (legislature).
• Improvements to the sound system in the arena.
• The resort hotels are planned to be built near the park.

On February 1, 2007, Governor Ernie Fletcher announced that he would seek an additional $ 38.3 million for park repairs in preparation for matches and other big horse events. In his address to the General Assembly 2007, the governor suggested:

• $ 24 million for a new outdoor stadium that will feature 10,075 permanent seats but can be expanded to 30,325 while for major events.
• $ 4 million for an additional 21,000 sq ft (2,000 mnt) exhibit space for vendors.
• $ 10.3 million for road repairs inside the park that will provide a second entrance through the camp. A wide ring road will be built so the event can be held on both sides of the horse park.

Funding

The new indoor stadium and additional exhibition space, for $ 28 million, will be financed with 20-year bonds. Road improvements, at $ 10.3 million in parks will come from state highway funds. The resort hotels will be built and financed without state funds.

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Administration

Although the park is owned by the state government, it is managed separately from the state park system.

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See also

Kentucky Horse Park Arboretum

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References

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External links

• The official website of Kentucky Horse Park
• Kentucky Horse Park, full history and many photo collections
• 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games

Source of the article : Wikipedia