The arena was designed by GBBN Architects (offices in Lexington and Louisville), and built by DW Wilburn, a Lexington company. It was designed specifically for the park, after consultations with the leaders of numerous equestrian disciplines, so that it would be the most versatile and user-friendly facility possible.  While designed for equestrian competition, the arena will also be used frequently for other types.

Special features include 5,700 stadium seats and nine suites with 200 suite suite seats, a 135 x 300-foot event floor (equal to one football field or four basketball courts) with special equine surface, 20,000 square feet of exhibitor space, six concession areas, a warm-up barn, outdoor warm-up ring, high-tech sound system, 568 parking spaces, and bathrooms with 91 stalls.

We were there at the grand Opening recording a show.  Listen to this special episode here.

Here are some of the pictures that we took at the event, enjoy:

The Grand Opening Ceremonies:

Executive Director KY Horse Park, John Nicholson

Governor of Kentucky Steve Beshear

First Lady of kentucky Jane Beshear

Lexington Mayor Newberry

The Ribbon Cutting

Here are some shots of the inside:

New Indoor Kentucky Horse Park

New Indoor Kentucky Horse Park

New Indoor Kentucky Horse Park

Some shots of us recording at the new indoor:

Interviewing John Nicholson

Interviewing Janie Atkinson

Interviewing Susanna Elliot

Finally, some shots of the outside of the new indoor:

New Indoor at Kentucky Horse Park

New Indoor at Kentucky Horse Park

New Indoor at Kentucky Horse Park

New Indoor at Kentucky Horse Park

Glenn the Geek being Glenn the Geek

LEXINGTON, KY (May 14, 2009)  Last year, in response to the plight of abused and neglected horses, the Kentucky Horse Park created the John Henry Memorial Equine Adoption Fair to provide assistance to organizations involved in rescuing them.

“Last year’s adoption fair was such a big success, we knew it was something that we wanted – and needed – to do again this year,” stated John Nicholson, Executive Director of the park.  “Horses are the sole reason the Kentucky Horse Park exists and they have provided a living for hundreds of park employees for 31 years.  We intend to return the favor by using this opportunity to improve the lives of some horses who haven’t been as fortunate as the ones who live and compete at our park.

“We believe that it is very important to make a statement to the world about the priority we give to equine welfare.  Our adoption fair may be a rather humble event, but has certainly made a difference in the lives of the unwanted horses who were adopted and the starving horses who were fed as a result, and our goal is to assist even larger numbers of horses this year.”

The John Henry Memorial Equine Adoption Fair on June 27 at 4:30pm is named in memory of the park’s beloved former resident, the legendary racehorse John Henry, and will be held in partnership with the Kentucky Horse Council.  The adoption fair will feature adoptable horses from several equine rescue organizations, in an effort to assist these organizations in finding good homes for their rescued horses.

The adoption fair will also include a live and silent auction, and all proceeds will benefit the Kentucky Horse Council’s Save Our Horses (SOHO) fund, which has already saved the lives of many horses and ponies across the Commonwealth of Kentucky this year and last through its emergency horse hotline.  The SOHO fund provides financial support for food and veterinary care when an agency or county cares for a horse that has been confiscated due to its poor condition.  In addition, the fund provides an Equine Abuse Investigation Class to train local officials on how to successfully identify horses that need help, and how to ensure prosecution when it is warranted.

Last year, the inaugural John Henry Memorial Equine Adoption Fair netted more than $16,000 to assist abused and neglected horses through SOHO.

The public is invited to attend the adoption fair.

Nicholson concluded, “The Kentucky Horse Council and these equine adoption organizations are out there on the front lines every day, battling to save the animals who have made Kentucky the Horse Capital of the World.  We want to come alongside them in their life-saving mission and make it a little easier for them to continue their work on behalf of horses.”

For more information, contact Cindy Rullman, 859-259-4209 or Cindy.Rullman@ky.gov.  To watch a video about the life-saving work being done by the Kentucky Horse Council through their SOHO fund, click on http://www.kentuckyhorse.org/SoHo_PSA.shtml.

The New Outdoor Stadium: (Click pics to enlarge.)

Here is a view of the backside of the new stands with the statue of Bruce Davidson welcoming you.

The workman were power washing under the bleechers:

Other views of the stadium:

Here is panarama view of the whole stadium complex:

New Indoor Arena:

They are laying the foundations for the new barns to be built that connect with the new indoor arena.  They eventually hope to build 800 stalls that connect to the indoor.  It will be set up that you never have to go outside from the barns into the arena.

New Hunter Jumper Association Building:

Construction is also moving right along on the new Hunter Jumper Association building.

New Hunter Jumper Association Building:

Read more about the new headquarters for the USHJA.  They are making very good progress on this building.  When I was out there several weeks ago the walls were not even up yet.

Here is a close up view of the building from Cigar Lane:

(Click the images to enlarge.)

Here is the view from the road on Ironworks Pike near the on ramps to the highway:

New Outdoor Arena:

The footing is done in the main arena and the warm-up ring!  Plus, they have really cleaned up the construction zone and made great progress on the grading of the grounds around the stadium.  It looks like they are putting the finishing touches on the inside of the stadium bathrooms and concession areas.  Looks to this radio host that things will be well in hand for Rolex!

This is a panorama view from across the pond:  (Click the images to enlarge.)

Another closer panorama view from across the pond:

Closer view from across the new footing:

New press box and announcers booth at the new outdoor arena:

Stadium looking across the new warm-up ring:

The new home for the Bruce Davidson statue as you walk into the new stadium:

A fun shot of Bruce:

Here is the view from the road on Ironworks Pike near the on ramps to the highway:

Just some fun shots of Man O’War that I took in the fall:

There are two of the construction projects pictured here:

New Outdoor Arena:

As you can see they are making great progress on the new outdoor arena. It is scheduled to be finished in time for the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in late April.

They have started laying down the new arena footing. Reitplatz GmbH is installing new state-of-the-art riding surfaces at the stadium, making it one of the nation’s best outdoor equestrian venues, that will be used by the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games when they take place on the facilities from September 25 until October 10, 2010.

Inauguration during Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event Currently the main stadium arena, measuring almost 130,000 sq ft., and an attached warm-up area of 40,000 sq ft., are being prepared by the German specialists in riding arena construction. The work is likely to be finished in the middle of February, and the official inauguration is going to be held during the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event at the end of April.

The secrets of the renowned equestrian surface, the tried and tested OTTO Riding Arena Mats, are covered by 2,800 tons of a special riding sand mixture. On the equine sector, the mat system that has already proved its qualities during the 2006 Games in Aachen (Germany), and in several premier equine events around the world, is especially valued for its safety properties and the outstanding drainage features.

Read more about this amazing footing.

Here what Richard Jeffery, the show jumping course designer for Rolex, has to say about this footing.

New Indoor Arena:

The pictures say it all about the new indoor. It is well on it’s way to being done. The first event in the Indoor Arena will be the second annual John Henry Memorial Equine Adoption Fair on June 27, which will also be open to the public.

Reitplatz GmbH is installing new state-of-the-art riding surfaces at the stadium, making it one of the nation’s best outdoor equestrian venues, that will be used by the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games when they take place on the facilities from September 25 until October 10, 2010.

Inauguration during Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event Currently the main stadium arena, measuring almost 130,000 sq ft., and an attached warm-up area of 40,000 sq ft., are being prepared by the German specialists in riding arena construction.  The work is likely to be finished in the middle of February, and the official inauguration is going to be held during the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event at the end of April.

The secrets of the renowned equestrian surface, the tried and tested OTTO Riding Arena Mats, are covered by 2,800 tons of a special riding sand mixture. On the equine sector, the mat system that has already proved its qualities during the 2006 Games in Aachen (Germany), and in several premier equine events aroundthe world, is especially valued for its safety properties and the outstanding drainage features.

Long-term experience in riding arena construction More than 20 years ago, company founder and CEO Werner Otto started being engaged in the construction of riding arenas. As he had been a keen rider himself for a long time, his guiding principle has always been to create an ideal environment for both horse and rider.

The OTTO Riding Arena Mat is the final result of enduring development and consistent improvements. Consisting of elastic material, it guarantees optimal flexibility which is quite important in equestrian sports to protect horses’ soundness. When riding with high speed or in narrow turns, a safe foothold is absolutely necessary. Therefore, high and deep knobs integrated on the upper side of the mat prevent horses from slipping and sustaining serious injuries. To minimize problems resulting from dust getting in the horses’ lungs, a special water retention system ensures constant moisture of the footing. But even after persistent precipitation, surplus water can easily drain off through drainage holes. The surface specialists from Germany are also responsible for the appropriate mixture of the footing. In their company-owned  laboratory in Altdorf, the exact mixture of special silica sand and synthetic fibres had been meticulously planned prior to the installation.

“We are very proud of supporting the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky with our experience and know-how in riding arena construction”, states Christian Bauer, the Sales Director for OTTO.  On the initiative of Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, plans are underway to install the OTTO footing in additional rings on the park – another challenge for the surface specialists from Germany.

The new indoor arena is progressing and is apparently still ahead of schedule for a April/May opening. I did not get pictures, as the outside has not changed that much. I am working on getting you updated pictures of the inside in the next couple of weeks.

The New Outdoor Arena:

The new outdoor arena also appears to be on schedule to be ready for Rolex. They have made significant progress since my last update a month ago. Here are a couple of panorama shots of the structure. (Click to enlarge the pics.)

They have begun to work on the arena and getting the new footing in place before the Rolex Three Day Event.

The footing has a name I hope I never have to pronounce on the podcast. It is being installed by Otto Sport-und Reitplatz GmbH is based out of Altdorf, Germany, near Nuremberg. The company’s new state-of-the-art surface is being installed in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Outdoor Stadium, which is currently under construction, as well as two warm-up ring surfaces. The surface for the Walnut Ring and its warm-up ring will total nearly 90,000 square feet. The warm up ring appears to be finished with the new surface.

The footing’s Otto Riding Arena Mat System includes special drainage features and safety properties, and the Otto perforated mats ensure that water can drain off quickly when faced with excessive rain fall and precipitation. The mats, which offer non-slip properties and the ability to absorb shock, are complemented with a special footing mixture that is ideal for equestrian competition. This system has been featured at the World Equestrian Games in Rome, Italy, in 1998 and in Aachen, Germany, in 2006, as well as in the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar.

Here is a link to the companies website and how they install these arenas: Click Here

Some other shots of the new stadium including one of the statue of Bruce Davidson which has now been moved to it’s permanent home at the entrance to the stadium.

Look for more updates coming soon!

New Outdoor Arena:

Here is a couple of panarama’s of the new outdoor arena as of 12-05-2008:

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

 View from the Hall of Champions Barn:

New Museum:

Here is the latest shot from the addition to the museum.  You can read more about the new additions to the museum here.

New Hunter Jumper Building:

Read more about the new headquarters for the USHJA.

And just for fun, when we were at the park the other day the light was just right and we took this picture of the John Henry statue.  Thought it was a nice shot that we would share:

New construction projects are popping all over the Kentucky Horse Park in preparation for the 2010 World Equestrian Games.  My wife and I spent a beautiful morning walking through the park today.  The leaves have changed, the crowds are down and besides the construction, the park is beautiful!  I have pictures of some new construction projects for you and updates on some of the larger on-going ones. 

Be sure to check out all the previous updates here.

For a point of reference here is a map of the park as it will be in 2010:  (Click to enlarge.)

The New Indoor Arena:

The last word I had was the new indoor was still ahead of schedule.  There was not much change that you could see from the outside since my last update.  They are putting the finishing touches on the outside now and appear to be relatively close to finishing the exterior. 

Click to enlarge

 The New Outdoor Arena:

They are at the stage in the construction of the new outdoor that the changes every couple of weeks are quite noticeable.  I got some interesting shots of the workers on the bleachers this time.  It gives you an appreciation for how large the bleachers are.

The roof is now mostly on the bleachers and the seats are starting to go in.  You will see them working on the bleachers below:  (Click to enlarge.)

Here is a fun shot of two construction workers on top of the roof talking on their cell phones.  I wonder if that is the only place they can get reception?

The new outdoor is certainly prominent from around the park.  The first view below is from the Hall of Champions looking past the old indoor arena.  The second view is from Ironworks Pike at the entrance ramp to Rt 75.

New Playground:

The Park has just about completed the work on a new playround for the kids.  It is located right beside the trail riding consession. 

Museum of the Horse Addition:

There is a large addition being built on to the Museum of the Horse in the Park.  It will house an exhibition called “The Arabian Horse Galleries, Celebrating the Horse from the Near East”.

Just Some Fun Pictures:

Here are some fun shots that I took the day we were at the Park.  It was a beautiful fall day in Kentucky.  Here is the Man O’War statue at the entrance to the park.

John Henry’s new statue:

The Kentucky Horse Park has become a construction zone.  When I was there the other day taking these shots I counted no less than 12 construction projects going on around the park.  It was amazing.  The World Equestrian Games sure will do a whole lot for The Kentucky Horse Park long after the games are over.  With the new indoor arena and the massive outdoor arena shown below it will certainly be “America’s Horse Park”.

You can see a map of what the park will look like in 2010 by clicking here.

New Indoor Arena:

From all reports the new indoor arena is progressing ahead of schedule.  Here is an artist’s view of what it will look like when it is finished in 2009:

I believe the above photo does not include the 4 new barns that are now planned to be attached to the indoor.  The new barns are expected to hold up to 800 horses.  You will not have to go outside at all to go from barn to arena, great for winter and those nasty weather days.

The horse’s view of the new indoor looking from Cigar Lane on the park side:

Click to enlarge this image of the new indoor.  The area with all the windows will be vendor space and a trade area:

The New Outdoor Arena:

The bleechers are getting bigger and bigger every week.  You can see the tops of them from Ironworks Pike!  Here is the latest panorma from across the pond (click to enlarge):

This is one serious erector set!

New Fencing Everywhere:

Something I noticed new in the last two weeks is some serious fence replacement work going on.  They are replacing or adding miles of this stuff.  And if you ever have been to the horse park you know how much fencing is there, a whole lot of it.

The New Central Kentucky Riding for Hope Facility:

The Central Kentucky Riding for Hope is a fantastic program for riders with disabilities.  They do great work and they are one of the most popular programs at the park.  They also are getting a new facility that should be done shortly and it is fantastic.

Here is the artists drawing and then my current picture.  They are hoping to be open this winter.

Click to enlarge: