Kentucky Horse Park
Most eventers will have heard of the Kentucky Horse Park. It is the venue for the yearly Rolex CCI4* and also played host to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. By all accounts ‘Horse Park’ hardly begins to describe just how stunning this facility is and recently Governor Beshear (the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky) announced just how good Kentucky Park is, not just for the horses but for the whole Kentucky area and beyond. Figures state that Horse Park is also a significant economic contributor to the Commonwealth, with an estimated economic impact of $180 million each year.
“The Kentucky Horse Park is the only place in our state—and one of the few places in the world—where visitors can see world-class equestrian competitions on a regular basis,” said Gov. Beshear. “We are not only the horse capital of the world, but Kentucky is also one of the premier homes for high-level equestrian sports.”
More than 115 athletes who participated in equestrian events in the 2012 Olympics have competed at the Kentucky Horse Park. Seventeen of those athletes earned a medal in the London Olympics and athletes frequently travel from Australia, France, Great Britain and many other countries to the Lexington facility to contend for top honors in equestrian sports such as dressage, jumping and eventing.
Andrew Hoy is one of the many international riders who flock to Kentucky each year
When Horse Park hosted the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games it was the first time the elite competition had been held outside of Europe. That event placed Kentucky in the international spotlight and generated more than $200 million in economic impact, and also built on the park’s international reputation as a signature event site. The new facilities added to Horse Park for WEG continue to attract competitors and tourists to Kentucky from across the country and around the world.
The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1,200-acre competition facility and tourist attraction recognised as the epicentre of equestrian life, sports and business. Most notably, the park annually hosts the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event but it also plays host to a number of other award-winning shows as well.
This year, the facility will host 21 grand prix jumper classes as well as seven national or international hunter derbies, with more than $1 million offered in prize money. The Park will host three upper-level dressage events in 2013, including the U.S. dressage finals.
Article Cindy Rullman
I wonder what the facts and figures are for Sydney International Equestrian Centre. Maybe that’s something for another article …
Photos: LIbby Law Photography
