HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum son of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, crossed the wire first in the CEI** 75 mile event in a ride time of 6:05:30. Danielle Mc Gunigal finished the CEI*** in a ride time in 6:30:41.  The CEI*** was originally an FEI qualifying event at a distance of 100 miles (160 km), but lost its status when it was shortened to 120 km after the footing became questionable in the inclement weather.

“I have mixed feelings about shortening the race,” said Mc Gunigal. “The footing was only getting worse. Some of the parts of the trail that we have to go over were already slippery and deep and if the race was kept at the original distance, we would have had to go over it again, so in that sense, I am glad they shortened it. But I was hoping to use this race to qualify my horse (Gold Raven) for next year, and now we have to do it at another event, so that is very disappointing.”

HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum was thrilled with his win despite the conditions.

“It was amazing. This is the sport that we most love. It’s our history,” said Sheikh Majid.  “Given the weather today, the course was amazing. But the weather made it very difficult. There wasn’t any hard part, other than the ground being a bit slippery. Other than that, it was excellent. There wasn’t anything wrong or bad.”

The rain was a recurring focus of the day, with a downpour shortly before the start of the rides. It continued throughout the day for all mandatory veterinary exams, creating a messy vet gate and slippery footing.

Two-time Endurance World Champion Valerie Kanavy and mother of Danielle McGunigal, was affected by the weather and footing. Kanavy was eliminated after her horse LM Parys fell on the second loop.

“We were crossing the road on the blacktop and she just slipped,” said Kanavy.  “She went down and I went right after. She has recovered and is doing fine now.”

The event was aptly named as an endurance test. The endurance levels of the athletes from the 23 countries participating were truly tested.  However, according to Mubarak Khalifa of the UAE the weather was no big deal. “Endurance riders are used to riding in all kinds of weather, so this is normal.”

One noticeable absentee was HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was expected to compete but never made the trip to Kentucky due to commitments in Dubai.

About the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan is the current president of the FEI. The Games are held every four years and this will be the first occurrence in the United States.

The Games will be broadcast on NBC Sports, which has marked the largest commitment to network coverage of equestrian sport in U.S. television history. The 2010 Games are expected to have a statewide economic impact of $150 million, and current sponsors include Alltech, Rolex, John Deere, Ariat International, Inc., Meydan, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, and AQHA. For more information on the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please visit

www.alltechfeigames.com.

Countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™

Jane Buchan, from Baileys Horse Feeds, joined Alltech at the company’s Kentucky headquarters recently to celebrate the final year run up to Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™.

Jane met representatives from more than 53 animal health and nutrition feed partners that have united with Alltech in an innovative programme to spread the message of the Alltech Games as far afield as Nepal, Canada, Colombia and Russia.

“It was a fascinating trip,” said Jane. “We heard how the Games came to Kentucky, how preparations are going, about the positive impact the event will have on Kentucky’s economy and gained ideas and insights into what other partners are doing to promote their association with Alltech and the Games. We also visited the Kentucky Horse Park, where the new climate-controlled indoor arena is already in use, as well as the Official Equine Hospital to the Games, Rood & Riddle.”

Feed Partners are authorized to place the official Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games logo on their packaging and there are currently around 110 million of these feed bags in circulation around the world. “With a presence in 113 countries, we have a strong sense of the global excitement and anticipation for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “It is an honour for Alltech to be the first-ever title sponsor of the Games and we look forward to welcoming the world to Kentucky.”

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, to be held in Lexington, Kentucky, USA from 25th September to 10th October 2010, is the world championships of the eight disciplines recognised by the FEI. The 16-day competition, involving 600 riding competitors and 700 horses from more than 60 countries, is expected to be attended by as many as 600,000 spectators and viewed on television by an international audience exceeding 460 million people. During the Games, the Alltech Fortnight Festival will provide visitors and local residents with nightly entertainment after the day’s competition events have ended.

USEF Announces Riders for the North American Endurance Team Challenge

The Kentucky Cup Endurance Test Event for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will bring Athletes from around the World to the Kentucky Horse Park October 14, 2009.

Along with the Test Event, the USEF is hosting the North American Endurance Team Challenge (NAETC). The NAETC features riders from five US Zones and two Canadian Zones competing against each other. Thirty US Athletes and 12 Canadian Athletes will compete along with Athletes from more than 20 other countries, for a total of field of 95 entries. For all of the Kentucky Cup Athletes – it will be their first look at a course that has been put together especially for the World Equestrian Games. The 100-mile course traverses some of the most beautiful equestrian estates in the world.

“Having the 2009 Kentucky Cup/Pre-Test event here in Lexington is a tremendous opportunity for both US riders and US horse owners,” said Athletes Committee Chair Kathryn Brunjes. “From a rider’s perspective, allowing the five U.S. Zones to field a total of 30 riders gains the U.S. the advantage of having more riders on the course than we would normally have the opportunity to field – this can only stand us in good stead for next year. The more of us on the course and gaining experience on that course puts us in great medal position for 2010. This course is also “one of our own” – this is the type of test we are accustomed to – this isn’t flat track racing – this will be a technical course over the type of terrain U.S. riders train on regularly.”

Brunjes also made the point that not only will the US have 30 horse/rider combinations representing the US Zones, but many of the foreign riders will be riding US-owned horses.

“For US horse owners, the ability to have US horses, who have been leased, loaned and/or otherwise contracted by foreign riders for this event, will show the World the quality of not just a few of our horses, but of upward to 40-60 of our horses,” said Brunjes.

The US Endurance Program had suffered a medal drought prior to winning the Team Silver at the Pan American Championship in Uruguay in April, and the Test Event is one more opportunity to fine tune the skills of Riders, Crews and Staff for next year’s World Games.

“Having the Test event in the U.S. also provides us an opportunity to further promote the U.S. endurance program, now under the leadership Chef d’Equipe and three-time World Champion Becky Hart,” said Brunjes. “Crew and groom training ­­– started in 2008 and refined in 2009 – will be put into practice at this Test Event, and this (again) can only help us in our medal quest in 2010.”

A complete list of Horse/Rider Combinations for each US Zone and for Canada can be found on the USEF Web site.

Lyons Has More Than Money Riding on 2010 Games

By the time the sun comes up in Jessamine County, Pearse Lyons has scanned the world.

The Dundalk, Ireland-born Alltech executive gets up at 4 a.m. and runs 3 or 4 miles. By 5 a.m., he’s cleaning out his overnight e-mails from Southeast Asia and Great Britain.

When not traveling, he’ll be in his office, with its panoramic view of the Alltech-owned Connemara Golf Course next door, by 8 a.m. Someday Lyons might turn that green acreage into a biotechnology research park: For now, the golfers come and go.

On Fridays he talks to everybody in the company via teleconference (“Leave your ego outside,” Lyons says). Asia Pacific kicks off at 7:30 a.m., and he wraps up with Europe at 11:30 a.m. The company has 1,900 employees with offices in 85 countries and a trading presence in 113…

Read the entire story
Date: 9-27-2009
By: www.kentucky.com

Preservation Movement

When the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program was launched in 2000, the plan was to reach half of its goal of 50,000 acres in 10 years. Despite the downturn in the economy, not only is the program still on track, but the PDR program should reach its midway goal while Lexington hosts an international crowd in town for the World Equestrian Games.

“It would be an incredible opportunity to make the world aware of the fact that we have made a long-term capital investment in our green infrastructure and in our civic identity,” said Billy Van Pelt, the PDR’s program director with LFUCG. “The reason the World Equestrian Games came to Lexington is because of the unique, rural landscape that we have here.  It’s being held outside of Europe for the very first time. And once again our global brand identity has allowed us to attract the international community that’s really been here since the ’70s.”

Under the PDR program, farmers can continue to own and farm their land while selling only the right to develop that property, under their ownership or by any potential property buyers. The program currently holds the development rights for 23,167 acres, or roughly 46 percent of its goal, Van Pelt said, and the city’s $27 million investment in the program has been boosted with roughly $31.5 million from state and federal grants.

“We’ve leveraged the local tax dollar as much as possible,” he said. “The Federal Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program has awarded us $15,997,631 to date, and the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy in Frankfort has awarded us $15,450,000.”

None of the recent federal stimulus packages have included funds for preservation grants, however in 2008 Congress approved $733 million over the next five years for land preservation.

Though the PDR program looks to preserve the rural landscape Lexington has, Van Pelt said the program is not anti-growth. “Our ranking system is set up to actually give negative points to properties that are adjacent to the Urban Services Area or that are at an interstate interchange. So the program was designed to allow for a controlled plan expansion of the urban services boundary at the right time. So I think that there’s not a question of whether we’re going to grow or not — it’s when, where and how.”

In this year’s rounds of development rights purchases, 52 farms applied for the program, with a combined 4,814 acres. Van Pelt said they are looking to buy conservation easements on 25 of them, given this year’s total funding of $3 million, which includes a $2.5 million LFUCG contribution in the last fiscal year.

Lexington is in good company, as some of the most popular areas for tourism in the country have their own conservation right programs in place. “The Lexington PDR program is now being held up as a national model with Sonoma County, Calif.; Marin County, Calif.; Suffolk County, N.Y.; Lancaster County, Pa.; and Baltimore County, Md.,” Van Pelt said.

Suffolk County is home to the Hamptons on New York’s Long Island. Sonoma County in California is one of the finest places for wine outside of Europe, and Lancaster County, Pa. is Pennsylvania Amish country.

“We’re seeing the amount of infill and redevelopment focus downtown because we are embracing the preservation of our rural area, and the reality is that people want to live in Lexington because of this unique, rural landscape that we have,” Van Pelt said. “It is our global brand identity. We’ve heard this time and time again — that we are really in the best situation, because we have a vibrant urban core that’s surrounded by a world-class landscape.”

“Our situation is somewhat unique in that we are not in areas that have been highly urbanized like California and New York and Baltimore. …  Our heritage is in agriculture,” Van Pelt said.

As far as the program is concerned, Van Pelt said, “We are right where we needed to be. The reason the program was put into place was that a broad cross-section of the community that’s represented on the Rural Land Management Board — Realtors, builders, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, historic preservation, land preservation and neighborhood groups, and Thoroughbred and farming interests — came together to discuss how we are going to handle and manage our rural landscape. And our rural landscape was being eroded by 10-acre-lot development, so in 1998, the lot minimum in the rural service area was increased from 10 acres to 40 acres. The Rural Area Land Management Plan was adopted by the planning commission in 1999; the PDR Ordinance was adopted in 2000. So all of those things came into place because there was a broad cross-section of the community that came together to collaborate to make this program a reality.”

Applications for farms hoping to enter the program are due by the last working day of January each year. The program will continue through 2020, when it is scheduled to be completed as it reaches a total of 50,000 acres.

Spotlight Festival Poster Unveiled

The spotlight will be on Lexington next year as the city hosts the World Equestrian Games.  Thursday, the city unveiled a new poster for the Spotlight Festival.  The festival is an event commemorating the 2010 games.

The print was designed by local artist Philip High, and is a montage of performers, horses, and the Lexington skyline.

Spotlight Lexington is scheduled to begin September 24th of next year, one day before the games.

Win a Trip to the World Equestrian Games Through Essay Contest From Legend®

Champion show jumper Ashlee Bond is a rising star in the equestrian world. Though she’s made a name for herself in international competition, she still takes the time to stay closely involved with her horses’ day-to-day lives.

In celebration of the close ties between riders and their horses, Bond has teamed up with Legend® by Bayer Animal Health to promote the “Enjoy the Ride” essay contest. To enter, describe in 150 words or less how you love and care for your horse and what your horse gives you in return. The author of the top essay will be awarded a trip for two to the 2010 World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The prize includes airfare to Lexington, hotel accommodations for three nights, transportation to the Horse Park, two tickets to the Games, and a $500 American Express gift card for spending money.

The essays will be judged on content and creativity relating to the theme. Organization, spelling and grammar will count for 25% of the judging. The deadline for entries is December 31, 2009. Submit your entry at enjoytheridecontest.com.

For more information and full contest rules, visit www.enjoytheridecontest.com

SUCCEED® and Wellington Classic Dressage will be hosting an exciting Holiday Gala Fundraiser on December 11 & 12, 2009, to benefit the United States Equestrian Team
(USET) Foundation. The gala will feature some of the biggest names in the equestrian world from a unique combination of disciplines, all coming together for a good cause and
a fun holiday celebration.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (USET) is the non-profit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of
America’s elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation. Many of the USET’s top
members compete in Wellington throughout the winter at the renowned Winter Equestrian Festival, and the USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser will be the perfect
opportunity to raise money for the USET Foundation and support the future of the equestrian sport.

In addition to supporting the USET Foundation, the Holiday Gala will also help families in need during the holiday season by collecting donations for the U.S. Marine Corps
Reserve charity Toys for Tots. The U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and
distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a new
toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.

Held at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, the USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser will be an equestrian event like none other. The gala will feature a
combination of clinics, fun demonstrations, team competitions, and many holiday surprises from some of the top horses and riders in the country. Equestrian journalist,
commentator, and radio host Chris Stafford will be the emcee for the event and is excited to see all of the equestrian stars who have signed up to participate.

“I think that this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the talent that we have in this country by bringing riders from all of the different disciplines together to enjoy the
festive season as well as raise money for such a worthwhile cause,” Stafford acknowledged. “Many of these riders have been on the team or aspire to be on the team
one day, and I think it is going to be a marvelous spectacle to have so many great riders together in one place. It is going to be very exciting and I am really looking forward to
being part of it.”

The list of equestrians scheduled to attend includes Steffen Peters, the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup and CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival Dressage Champion; Dressage
Olympian Courtney King-Dye; Pan Am Games Gold Medalist Pierre St. Jacques; Dressage riders and trainers; Reese Koffler-Stanfield, Kim Gentry and Stephan
Kiesewetter. Also included will be Eventing Olympic Medalists David & Karen O’Connor; 2008 U.S. Olympic Eventing Silver Medalist Gina Miles; Canadian Eventing
Olympians Hawley Bennett and Samantha St. Jacques; Eventer and trainer Cathy Wieschhoff; Show jumper Kate Levy; U.S. Four-in-Hand Driving Champion Chester
Weber; “The Man Who Listens to Horses” trainer and best-selling author Monty Roberts; Equestrian Sports Psychologist Jeanne Lambrecht; Best-selling author Tami Hoag; and
AQHA champion and trainer Lynn Palm. Several other top names are expected to take part and will soon finalize their plans.

“This USET Holiday Fundraising event is what I look forward to as the culmination of my three month, five country, Willing Partners Tour,” stated world-renowned author,
trainer and horse communicator Monty Roberts. “When my friends at SUCCEED® approached me months ago to participate, they didn’t have to say anything more than “it’s
for the kids and for the horses.” I look forward to riding with some of the best horsemen in the world!”

Gina Miles, a rider and trainer well loved in the world of eventing is looking forward to being involved with such a great cause as well. Miles noted, “I am really excited to be
participating in what will be a fun event that will promote the sport and entertain the fan base. This event is a chance to help the USET fund gold medal winning teams for the
2010 World Equestrian Games and I hope everyone will join us in Florida to support this.”

Along with the exciting equestrian performances, the Holiday Gala will feature a catered VIP dinner and bar along with a fundraising auction featuring many one-of-a-kind high
dollar items. The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center will also host a special shopping village, featuring Wellington’s favorite vendors, which will be perfect for last minute
holiday shopping.

Tickets for the USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser are on sale now. Ticket pricing will be $175 for VIP seating per night (if VIP seating is purchased for both nights the price will
be $275 for the ticket) and $30 for preferred seating (per night). There will be no discount for purchasing preferred seating for two nights. For further information on the fundraiser
or if you are interested in being a vendor at this event, please visit the fundraiser website www.succeedevent.com for details. To purchase tickets, please contact 561-227-1525 or
tickets@wellingtonclassicdressage.com. Inquiries to this email address should include “USET Fundraiser” in the subject line.

SUCCEED®, is a daily nutrient program that supports total equine digestive health for optimal appearance, temperament and performance. Thousands of horse owners and
trainers feed their horses SUCCEED®, every day, including top equestrians in nearly every breed and every performance discipline. SUCCEED®, is the official digestive
conditioning product of USEF, USEA and USDF. For more information, call 330-562-0888 or visit www.succeed-equine.com. Freedom Health, the manufacturers of
SUCCEED®, are dedicated to finding, perfecting and delivering superior, innovative products that address real and significant health-related issues for animals and the
people who care for them.

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Passes 100,000 Tickets Sold

More than 100,000 tickets have been sold for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games since Friday, bringing in more than one third of the event’s revenue goal for ticketing, according to spokeswoman Amy Walker.

Walker said tickets have been sold for all 49 competitions to buyers in all 50 states and 25 foreign countries.

The games will feature eight world championships in equestrian sport at the Kentucky Horse Park from September 25 to October 10, 2010…

Read the entire story
Date: 9-28-2009
By: www.kentucky.com

Welcome to the World Wide WEG!

The 2010 World Equestrian Games — or, to use the official moniker, the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games — are coming to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington next September and October. Public ticket sales kicked off Sept. 25 (get yours through ticketmaster.com), exactly one year prior to the opening ceremony. And so TheHorse.com wanted to start its own WEG countdown in blog form in the same time frame, to give us lots of time to discuss the preparations, planning, disciplines, and players.

I’m happy to be blogging for TheHorse.com again, my previous project having been the 2008 Olympic equestrian events in Hong Kong. But mano a mano, the WEG dwarfs the Olympic equestrian events as an undertaking. I’ll get into the details in future blog posts, but consider: the WEG will feature eight equestrian disciplines to the Olympic Games’ three (a fourth, para-equestrian dressage, was held separately, as part of the Paralympic Games).

If you don’t happen to be a fan of the International Equestrian Federation’s (FEI) eight English-leaning disciplines, you might be wondering what all the WEG fuss is about, or why you should follow the WEG preparations (or this blog, for that matter). To which I have a simple answer: The awarding of these equestrian world championships to the United States is a historic first, with the potential to do more for all horse sports and the U.S. horse industry than anything that’s come before. The Western-riding side of the equestrian fence is rooted here in the USA, no doubt about it. Thoroughbred racing: strong both here and abroad. But Europe is the powerhouse of much on the English side.

For decades American competitors have transported themselves and their horses to train and compete in Europe, where the Europeans have conveniently scheduled all preceding world championships. But the folks in Lexington evidently did a heckuva sales job and managed to convince the FEI powers that be to award the 2010 WEG to Kentucky.

For the first time, we’ll be the home team and the Europeans will have to get on a plane to come here for a world championships. Imagine if the Super Bowl were to be played in, say, Paris. Or if the All American Quarter Horse Congress were to be held in Rome. Preposterous? That’s what a lot of people probably thought of the idea of holding a WEG in the U.S. And that’s just how monumental Lexington’s successful bid was. The eyes of the equestrian world will be on Kentucky next fall.

The WEG organizers are hoping to welcome many foreign visitors as well as Americans, and that’s why they’ve announced plans to include exhibitions showcasing all facets of the US horse industry. If everybody plays their cards right, the WEG is a tremendous opportunity to introduce the best the U.S. horse industry has to offer to the world.

I learned something important in Hong Kong last summer: In Europe, equestrian sport is big business, with major media coverage, big-ticket sponsorship, and large audiences. There will be an arsenal of foreign press — magazines, TV, Web sites, you name it — in the Kentucky Horse Park, covering every move. The WEG is our starring role, and we’d better be ready for our close-up.