The biggest just became bigger. And better. And more glamorous. Add movie stars, racing celebrities and surely at least one handsome chestnut horse to the papparazzi?s most-wanted list for the weekend of October 2-3.
That weekend was already slated to be the busiest of the entire 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Saturday, October 2, is the day of the cross-country competition for the eventing portion of the WEG championships; Sunday will see the suspenseful show jumping of the same championship.
The premiere of Secretariat, which stars Diane Lane as Secretariat owner Penny Chenery, will open October 8, 2010, in theaters all over America. How, when, if and by whom a Kentucky premiere would be hosted has been the subject of speculation–until yesterday. Now it looks like a great number of people–in addition to the hordes headed to the Horse Park–will be headed to Lexington to attend the movie’s screening at the Kentucky Theatre and the Secretariat Foundation?s party afterwards at Portofino restaurant .
On October 2 (cross-country day at WEG), the Secretariat Festival will be held in nearby Paris, Kentucky, with tours of Claiborne Farm and a Secretariat look-alike contest for horses. This event sounds like fun, too!
Segments of the Disney film were shot in Lexington, using hundreds of local people as extras.
In addition to the Games, the impressive International Equestrian Festival trade show and educational symposium will be going on in downtown Lexington’s convention center, and Alltech’s Spotlight Festival of concerts will be in full swing.
To quote from the Secretariat Foundation invitation: Two different ticket options are available for the screening event. You may purchase a $125 per person ticket which includes one general admission advanced screening ticket and general access to the cocktail party following the screening. Also available is a $250 per person ticket which includes one reserved seat in the theater for the advanced screening and a reserved seat at the cocktail party that will be attended by celebrities and film producers.
Tickets are available on a first-come basis exclusively through the website www.Secretariat.com. You may also purchase tickets by phone by calling (502) 893-7997.
What a delicious, magnificent, wonderful, fantastic, unbelievable, choose-your-own-favorite-adjective overload of horse world extravaganza in one weekend. Pinch me. And…help me find a way to build it all into my budget!
P.S. October 4 is the anniversary of Secretariat’s death. I hope the fundraiser reflects that his death was related to laminitis….
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