Kentucky to Host 2010 World Equestrian Games

The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington will host the seven-discipline World Equestrian Games in 2010.

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Dec. 6, 2005 — The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) announced today that the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington will host the World Equestrian Games in 2010.

The games are held every four years, in the middle of the Olympic cycle, and feature show jumping, dressage, three-day eventing, driving, endurance, vaulting and reining.

The 2010 games will be the largest sporting event ever held in Kentucky with an expected economic impact of $100 million on the state.

“This will be an unprecedented opportunity for our Commonwealth to showcase itself to the world. It is both fitting and proper that Kentucky should serve as the host for this prestigious series of events,” said Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher. “I know that we will stage a very successful series of competitions, and I know that the world will gain a new appreciation for the beauty of our state and the hospitality of our citizens.”

The FEI selected the Kentucky Horse Park over one other finalist, the Normandy region of France.

“We are incredibly gratified to have been selected by the FEI,” said John Nicholson, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. “We are mindful of our great responsibility to properly organize the first non-European FEI World Equestrian Games.”

The two-week games will take place September 25 to October 10, 2010, and have estimated ticket sales of 300,000. More than 1,000 athletes representing 50 countries are expected to participate. The games will be broadcast live from the Kentucky Horse Park to 40 countries and reported by more than 1,000 members of the international media.

The 2006 games are August 22 to September 3 in Aachen, Germany.

Watch EquiSearch.com for further news.

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