During its 2010 hosting of the FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, the Kentucky Horse Park will have at the ready over 800,000 square feet of space dedicated to the Trade Show, the Kentucky Experience, and Equine Village. These may not mean a whole hill of beans to you yet, but as you read on, you will find that there will never be a dull moment between competitions and contests. Taking full advantage of this once in a lifetime chance to spread a little bit of Bluegrass hospitality to the entirety of the world as it visits, these important stations will bring a great deal of attention to what makes Kentucky true horse country.

The Trade Show will be dedicated to shopping. Shopping for anything that a visitor, spectator, or visiting competitor could possibly need in order to remember their experience at the world games will be found here. Retailers, shops, vendors, and just about anyone else with premium services and merchandise to sell have been given space here in order to give the public what it wants of Kentucky without ever stepping foot away from the park. There are 300 spaces available at the Trade Show, and vendors will be announced at a later date.

Next up, there will be the Equine Village, and this unique space will be dedicated to everything and everyone horse. Many different equine organizations, associations, programs, and experts will be there to talk to the public about the services, training, educational values, support, and horsemanship that they can provide. The equine industry in all of its forms and functions will be present and eager to showcase what the world of horses has to offer everyone. Representing breeds and disciplines alike, the spectator will receive vital information about a great spectrum of the horse business from these enthusiasts and professionals.

Perhaps the most ambitious undertaking of its kind in the states history, the Kentucky Experience will gather representatives and journeymen from all over the state to create an all-encompassing tour of Kentucky right at the park. Visitors will be stimulated with the tastes, crafts, merchandise, culture, and overall feel of the state in one exciting place. This is a venue that the park is extremely pleased to offer to its equestrian fans from all around the world and the country. The venue is already somewhat famous to those who are gearing up to bring their best version of Kentucky culture to the event next fall.

Lexington has long deserved the attention that it is now receiving as host of the 2010 World Equestrian Games. The legacy of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse breeding runs so deeply here that the Blue Grass State is known globally for two primary things: Man O War and The Kentucky Horse Park. Of course, these are only two of the keen and vastly important contributions to the equine world that Kentucky has made over the past 160 years, but they are certainly worth celebrating. The horse is beloved here, and so are any chances that the state has to honor and behold him. There is no better place on earth for this enormous and eloquent event to take place.

If you are contemplating a trip to Lexington or the surrounding area for a first hand glimpse of the games, there are many ways in which you can experience and contribute to the long, proud, adoring heritage of this magical place. The Kentucky Horse Park houses the most comprehensive and educational equine museum in the country, offering the true history of the horse as it pertains to the world and to man. Hence the closing line of the museum experience, Humans may have conquered the world, but not without the aid and sacrifice of the loyal horse.

Many homes within 50 miles of the World Equestrian Games site are being offered for rent during the competition, and reservations have been taken for over two months now, with over 400 days to go before the opening ceremonies. Those headed to Kentucky are preparing early, as not to miss out on the opportunity to take part in this ground breaking and historically significant competition. The best of the best will combine here for a two week display and exhibition of what horsemanship is really all about.

The competition is grueling, but the most seasoned and prepared competitors seem to take it all in stride, even when things dont go according to plan. The sportsmanship here is contagious, and rarely will a spectator see anything other than support and respect amongst riders and horses. This is truly the sport of champions, win or lose, and the pride of taking part is proving to be a countrywide aspiration as the event closes in. Make your plans and arrangements as early as possible, for admission and available rental space are both limited and time is of the essence.

The Kentucky Horse Park: Building for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

The past couple of years have seen some major changes to the landscape of the Kentucky Horse Park. After the announcement was made that the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games would be held in at the park, several projects were started to prepare.

The new outdoor stadium officially opened on April 22, 2009. The stadium was one of the major components to the master capital improvement plan for the park. The goal is to allow the park to continue to attract large horse shows and events to Kentucky, such as the World Equestrian Games. The stadium provides seating for 30,000 people and the arena is 406 feet by 360 feet. The footing is state-of-the-art as well. The first event to take place here was the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event, so the venue has been well tested prior to the World Equestrian Games. The dressage and show jumping portions of the event took place in the stadium.

The new KHP arena will be an indoor arena. It is still currently under construction, but the final touching and footing were being applied in May 2009. The arena will also be utilized for the World Equestrian Games.

When the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games arrive at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, it will be the largest equine sporting event to ever be held in the United States. This is the first time this world championship event has been held outside of Europe.

The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1,200 acre horse farm, equine competition facility and educational theme park. Ever breed of horse is represented in the park with many having their own museums and presentations. The park welcomes approximately 900,000 visitors and 15,000 competition horses every year.

The horse park provides daily equine presentations, horse drawn tours, horseback riding, movie presentations and more. In addition, many famous horses reside at the park including Kentucky Derby winners Alysheba and Funny Cide, as well as the famous racehorse Cigar. Various museums are located on the grounds including the International Museum of the Horse and the American Saddlebred Museum. Several equine organizations have also made the Kentucky Horse Park their home and house their headquarters on the grounds.

The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will take place September 25th through October 10th and will be an equestrian event that any horse lover will not want to miss.

There are many reasons to visit the impressive Bluegrass State of Kentucky, and most of them have something or other to do with our most cherished four legged friend, the horse. Nowhere else in America do the legends, traditions, cultures, and legacies of so many breeds mean half as much as they do here, making the FEIs choice to allow Lexingtons Kentucky Horse Park to host the 2010 World Equestrian Games an easy and steadfast one indeed. We have the Smokey Mountains and the dewy Appalachian mornings, the famous pottery and the world renowned cuisine, the most important thoroughbred racing roots in the world, and now this opportunity to welcome a world class, 16 day event to America for the first time. Have you made your travel arrangements?

The home rental option seems to be one of the most favored, and unfortunately one of the least plentiful, modes of lodging for the upcoming world games, so the sooner you can get your bids and contracts in the better. An estimated 600,000 plus visitors will be descending from all over the world to capture the exhilaration and electricity of this prestigious event, so those who are best and earliest prepared will undoubtedly receive the best of all worlds come opening ceremonies.

The games will begin on September 25th, 2010 and carry on until the closing of the championship on October 10th. During these two weeks, spectators will watch such events as dressage, jumping, endurance, eventing, reining, para dressage, vaulting, and driving. The Warmbloods will dominate all events, save for the reining portion of the competition which is reserved for Americas own quarter horse. Reining, also referred to as cowboy dressage, was only incepted as a discipline at the FEI World Equestrian Games 6 short years ago, making this the second contestation for the title in world games history.

Para dressage is new to the roster just this year, and offers a huge opportunity for the physically impaired the entire world over to prove their worthiness and horsemanship alongside their able bodied peers. Horse riding has made gigantic strides over the past ten years in the ways of medical and mental therapy for the disabled and impaired, and this new event hopes to bring forth an even greater increase in confidence for those who stand by the principals and hard work that the equestrian world is known for. As one beloved competitor suggests, Who needs two legs when you can have four?

The Warmblood has a long, deep, and noble heritage for a horse which is neither a specific breed or of particular lines. The Warmblood is exemplary of any number of predominantly European sport horses who are medium in stature. This is not the prerequisite for the registry of the horse, but more a guideline as to the types of horses that you will meet at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. There are very few closed registry breeds who fit into the Warmblood category, and these are more ancient and pure bloodlines which have been preserved and perfected, much like those of the thoroughbred.

The hotblooded horse, for starters, is a horse that is considerably more spirited and high strung, bred over time for speed and fire or closely related to the wild feral breeds of centuries ago. The mustang, Arabian, thoroughbred, and the Morgan would be considered within the class of hotbloods. One the opposite end of the spectrum, we take the large, heavy, docile coldbloods who are prone to an amiable personality and extremely powerful build, also known as the draft horse. The Clydesdale and Belgian would fall under this class of gentle giants, built for labor and not speed.

The Warmblood is any number of breeds, often crossbreeds, who are of medium build. The ancient lines of this type and size of horse would be referred to as the Forest Horse, a feral creature who was prized and sought after for his surefootedness, endurance, speed, grace, and beautiful body carriage. These traits are as important today as they have been since the dawn of equestrian training in Europe. There are few purebred warm bloods on the registry today, these including the Trakehner and the Oldenburger, just to name a couple. Other Warmblood whose registries are a bit tighter include the Hanoverian and the Selle Francais, and the Holsteiner.

As evident by most of the names and Warmblood breed standards that you will hear mentioned during the games, Germany is enormously responsible for the breeding and lines of a great majority of all sporting and Warmblood horses. Nearly every European country has contributed a fine Warmblood specimen to the equestrian field over the past 150 years, however, and the registry becomes more impressive with each passing year. Conformation, strength, calm spiritedness, and great courage are all mainstays with the Warmblood breeds, with color carrying very little weight or importance.

Throughout the month of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, you will see the majority of riders in breeches and the majority of horses donning English saddles. However, dont be surprised when you see a few riders in cowboy hats and chaps during the first week of competition at the World Equestrian Games.

September 25th-26th, the 28th and the 30th mark the days that FEI reining will take place at the games. The best horses in Western reining competition will meet at the Kentucky Horse Park to show the world what the best reining horses in the world look like.

Reining is a Western event that has taken the world by storm. In countries that have predominantly been considered English riding countries, more and more horses are being trained for reining and more and more riders are wearing chaps and hats instead of breeches and helmets.

Reining shows the athletic ability of the western type horse in the show ring. Similar to dressage, competitors are required to complete a pattern that requires specific movements that take place at specific points in the arena. However, instead of performing a piaffe or pirouette, these horses perform rollbacks and sliding stops.

Similar to dressage, the goal of the horse and rider is to make these movements appear as effortless and harmonious as possible. Horses are ridden on a loose rein and perform a number of movements around the arena, often at top speed. These maneuvers include:
Circles Both fast and large and slow and small. Circles are to be perfectly round and flying lead changes must take place at a predetermined mark.

Flying lead change The flying lead change takes place throughout the competition and the horse should not break gait nor loose or increase in speed.

Rundown The rundown is when the horse runs down the side or middle of the arena. Typically takes place prior to a sliding stop.

Sliding Stop The horse goes from a full gallop to an immediate stop, often digging into the arena dirt with the hind legs and sliding several feet.

Back or backup The horse should back quickly for 10 feet in a straight line without hesitation.

Rollback The horse should perform a 180 degree turn after a halt from a sliding stop and go immediately into a forward lope. There should be no hesitation in the movement.

Spins and Turnarounds From a standstill, the horse spins 360 degrees or more in place on a stationary inside leg.

Pause or hesitate The horse is asked to settle between certain movements. Often takes place after a spin.

Reining harkens back to the days of working livestock ranches when the horse had to be obedient, willing and ready to perform complex maneuvers in an instant.

There are many disciplines and events to be tested and judged at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington during the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, and the jumping portion may just be the favorite amongst both competitors and spectators. This is the first year that these prestigious and world renowned games will be held in the United States, and rental spaces are being reserved even now for those who refuse to miss the splendor and awe striking beauty of this highly athletic and talent driven show while it is up close and personal. There are a few different types of show jumping, though all require a certain unmistakable skill set by both horse and rider.

The dangers are many, the rewards tremendous for the participants of the jumping event at these world games, where veteran teams of ten plus years can be knocked out of the running by one fallen pole or one wet hoof. The jumps are meant to be challenging and strategically difficult for both horse and rider, designed by course builders to be unique at each show. The fact that the jumping course is never the same stands out as one of the wonders of this sport.

Riders are allowed a walk through under normal circumstances, the day before they are to ride the course. The horses are not allowed a jump through of the course, however, as it is the riders job to communicate with, guide, and ready the horse through the course through experience, trust, and true horsemanship. The rider is able to get a feel for each of the jumps, how he or she must guide and reposition the horse and his stride or speed in order to clear difficult patterns, and at what angles any jump could be best approached. With time faults at play, all aspects of agility, athleticism, and determination will be tested and measured on these challenging fields of play.

There are usually portions of any event course which can be taken under any pattern the rider sees fit, as long as all aspects of the course are engaged. This means that you may see one horse take the Oxer jump after the Liverpool jump, while another rider will come from another angle and execute the same two jumps in the opposite order. Riders must know what their mounts are capable of and how best to utilize their strengths, which makes this a nail-biting and exhilarating event to behold.

This event makes one wonder what it would even be like to gallop along for 100 miles, either for horse or for rider. They do it, however, and they do it like no other animal/human team ever could. The FEI World Equestrian Games are coming to America for the first time in 2010, endurance competition and all, and the world is flocking for a chance to get up close and personal with these amazing, huge hearted athletes and the people who dedicate their lives to bringing out the very best in them. The endurance competition is one of those dynamic and awesome feats that is such an honor to watch, and with Lexington, Kentucky hosting the world games next year, so many more of us will actually have the opportunity.

During the course of this cross country competition, horse and rider are meant to go for 100 miles through natural trails, along which are random obstacles, turns, and course shifts. There will be no less than 5 mandatory check-ins, at which point the horse will be examined for health, respiratory function, and physical ability to finish the cross country course. As the teams push on, the examinations become more and more vital to the welfare and health of both horse and rider.

In this competition, there are few marks for anything other than time. It is sort of the marathon of the two week event, and a rather exhilarating one to watch at that. Whoever runs the course in the shortest period of time will win the prestige and recognition, along with the championship. Horses involved with the endurance portion of the event will also often be found in the dressage leg of the world games. There is just so much to see and be involved with at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, and an estimated 600,000 people will be given the opportunity.

For those who are making travel and lodging arrangements now, there are quite a few online resources that you can take advantage of, and even the Alltech FEI website is compiling a list of homes for rent and potential tenants for the three to four week heavy tourist load expected during the games. It will be best to get a hand in on some of the available housing and rental opportunities now, before the mad rush begins and you are forced to sleep in a parking lot in your car.

Kentucky loves horses, and Kentucky residents love other people who love horses. In this way, the sea and storm of worldly horse lovers and competitors will be welcomed to no end by the elaborate and renowned Kentucky Horse Park when they roll in for the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010. There are many ways to get here, and countless events and showdowns to capture, but this is considered to be a once in a lifetime chance to see it all up close and personal. To hear every hoof fall, to smell the sweat and the sweet tones of fine leather, to watch the best horses in the world be ridden to maximum heights by the best riders in the world. The excitement and thrill are immeasurable.

If you have already begun to make your travel, ticket, and lodging arrangements, then you have made a wise choice. With each passing month, the urgency of preparations grows more intense, and the scramble for the visitors rightful place near Lexington becomes more prominent. Home rental is a vastly popular and often cost effective way of staying over for an extended period of time, so this may be just the solution for your lodging dilemma. Tickets of all kinds are up for sale on September 25th, 2009. This is exactly one year from the opening ceremonies of the 2010 world games.

There are many hospitality packages being compiled for the 16 day championship show, and the consensus is that these will fly off the shelf rather quickly. Packages like these include premier seating and meals, and can begin as low as $600 per person per day, carrying on up to 8 day, all inclusive packages for upwards of $50,000. Nobody ever said that this rare opportunity would come cheaply, but the good news is that there are highly affordable ways of enjoying the games if you plan ahead and save up diligently.

For those who plan to purchase tickets to separate events and stick around the park for a few days, there are many other things to do at the park between your spectator opportunities. The Trade Show, Equine Village, and the Kentucky Experience will be housed in an enormous 800,000 square foot area for the enjoyment, shopping, educational, and dining needs of visitors. The Kentucky Experience will allow you to touch, taste, smell, and learn the cultures and traditions of this beautiful state without stepping foot away from the park.

The three day event tests horses in dressage, cross-country and show jumping. Each event takes place on a single day, hence the name three day event, and the rider must ride the same horse throughout the competition.

The first day of competition is dressage. The dressage competition is held in the same fashion as the regular dressage competition that takes place at the World Equestrian Games. The horse must show that they have balance, rhythm and are supple. Horse and rider must complete the dressage test in complete harmony. The one difference between the three day event dressage test is that it cannot require Grand Prix level dressage movements including the piaffe, passage or pirouette. It may request USDF Third Level movements including the half-pass at the trot, collected and extended gaits, single flying lead changes and the counter canter.

The cross country phase requires the horse and rider to be in excellent physical shape as well as be a trusting team. The obstacles on a cross country course can be very difficult as well as dangerous as most are fixed in the ground. If a horse hits a pole in a jump, the pole will not give way like it will in show jumping. There are various obstacles used throughout the cross country course including steeple chase style fences, water jumps, ditches, roads, timber, and other obstacles that might be found naturally. Due to the nature of this phase, horses are required to pass vet checks throughout the course.

The final day is the show jumping event. Show jumping requires the horses to be supple, obedient, and fit. The obstacles are often brightly colored and creative. There are several different types and combinations of jumps that riders and horses must navigate so that they jump the fence cleanly without knocking down any poles. At the same time, show jumping is a race against the clock, as the rider wants to complete the course as quickly as possible without incurring any penalties.

The eventing portion of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will take place on September 30th through October 3rd. If youre looking for three days of excitement and also want to get a taste of these three popular equestrian sports then youll definitely want to check out the eventing competition.