FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Coming To Kentucky
The FEI World Equestrian Games, featuring top riders from around the world in eight equestrian disciplines, are being held outside Europe for the first time since their inception in 1990. These world championships of equestrian sports will be held at our very own Kentucky Horse Park September 25-October 10, 2010. The WEG comes around every four years in between the summer Olympics.
Sponsored by Kentucky-based Alltech, a global leader among health companies for providing all-natural nutritional solutions, the organizational committee is currently promoting the games for volunteers, sponsors, and ticket sales.
World Championships For Equestrian Disciplines
Show jumping
Jump a course of 10-13 jumps within a specific time budget. Riders receive penalties for knocking down rails, refusing a fence, or falling. All riders with clear rounds under the time limit compete in a jump-off with fewer jumps on a more difficult course.
Dressage
Derived from the French term “training,” dressage is often described as horse ballet. Horses are judged on a series of required movements including piaffe (trotting in place), passage (slow-motion trot), collected and extended gaits, and one and two tempi changes (a skipping motion as the horse changes lead every canter stride or every other canter stride).
Eventing
The triathalon of equestrian sports, eventing includes a show jumping phase, a dressage phase, and an endurance or cross-country phase. In cross-country, riders compete over a outdoor course in a specific time frame in which they are judged at each obstacle.
Driving
Held for teams of four horses, this event includes two days of dressage tests, a marathon, and an intricate course marked by cones. Individual and team winners are determined by fewest faults throughout the events.
Endurance
A 160-mile race run in the fastest-time possible. Awards are given for individuals and teams as well as a veterinary recognition for best-conditioned horse.
Vaulting
Gymnastic on horseback–moving horseback that is (I call them crazy people). Vaulters are judged on a required moves and a freestyle test and compete as inviduals, pairs, or teams.
Reining
This judged event shows off the athleticism and training of a ranch-type horse. They are known for their impressive sliding stops from a dead gallop, and flying turns on the haunches. Contestants perform one of 10 required patterns.
Para-Equestrian
Near and dear to my heart, riders with disabilities compete in dressage. This is the first time this event will be held at the World Equestrian Games.
Kentucky Horse Park Preparations
Currently, the Kentucky Horse Park has 1,084 stalls, 7 warm-up rings, 3 outdoor stadiums, cross-country/marathon course, 3 outdoor show rings, 1 indoor arena, 5 dressage rings, 4 polo fields, a quarter-mile training track, and a steeple-chase track.
There are millions of dollars going into improvements on the Park for the World Equestrian Games, which will also expand the park into more large horse events in the future. Improvements include
- a new 6,000 seat, climate-controlled indoor arena
- a new 8-10,000 seat outdoor stadium (with room for 20,000 temporary seats)
- a resort hotel and conference center
- other park-wide improvements.
Anticipated Impact
Event coordinators are anticipating
- attendance: 600-700,000
- economic impact: $150 million
- participating nations: 60 plus
- athletes: 800 riders and 900 horses
- media attendance: 2,000
- TV viewers: 500 million
- Tradeshow booths: 400 plus
Tickets and Volunteering
Tickets are not yet available for events at the World Equestrian Games. They recently selected a vendor to handle the ticketing. General admission tickets as well as individual event tickets will eventually be made available to the general public. (I’ll post more information as soon as I hear that tickets are actually available. Check my 2010 World Equestrian Games category for most recent news.)
The organizers are now accepting registrations from those who are interested in volunteering before and at the event. Benefits of volunteering include:
- exclusive 2010 WEG apparrel
- customized credentials for volunteer identification for access to assignment areas
- volunteer hospitality with food and drinks while on duty
- recognition in media forums
- post event volunteer reception
Volunteers must sign a waiver; parent/guardian signature required if under 18. Volunteers also must speak fluent English and are required to attend a volunteer training and orientation. You must provide your own lodging and transportation.
My husband hasn’t heard this yet, but I’m really hoping to volunteer at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. I think I could handle taking a two-week vacation to hang out at this historic event. I’m also really really hoping to get tickets to the show jumping and para-equestrian events. Hopefully they will be in my price range. I figure I’ve got two and half years, so there’s a chance I can make this a reality.
For more information about the event in general, visit the official 2010 FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games website. Visit the following pages for more information on volunteering, to sign-up to receive ticket information as it becomes available and for the e-newsletter, or to view a PDF of the media kit with park, historic, and overview information.
Check back periodically as I will continue to post updates about the FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 as I receive them. Maybe I’ll see some of you there?
I think that they are already selling tickets for some events. I’m pretty sure I have gotten promotional emails about ticket purchases.
Yeah, I got those too. They made a big deal about the company they chose to handle the ticketing and outlined how it’s going to work. I’m pretty sure they aren’t actually available yet.
Sounds like it’s going to be a great event. I’ll keep looking out for posts about it, who knows maybe I can make it.
Geez, then I might have hope. I knew I couldn’t afford tickets at those prices and then airfare. But if I had that time to save, just maybe I could pull it off. Would love to go and also be able to see the new museum for the Arabian horse that is being built at the KHP in time for this event.
Hi. Im from South Africa. I would like to know, can anyone tell me how much the tickets are?
Thanks
Martli,
Thanks for stopping by my blog. So far, ticket pricing and information has not been released yet. It will be posted on the Games main website when it is available. http://www.feigames2010.org/.
Thanks for the response
will check the website.
My husband and I were coming home from a trip yesterday and pasted the KHP and man I gotta say that new building they are putting up is BIG. It looks very nice, hope they get some great use from it.
Hi there, I was considering volunteering aswell.. I just hope I can raise the money in time to get there.. I live in Australia
Also, I think some tickets were already offered to members of USEF, so some have already been reserved.
(http://www.kentucky.com/646/story/258681.html)
I hope to see some dressage.. especially the Grand Prix Freestyle in particular..
If I can snatch tickets to it in time!
-Sarah
I have thought about “renting” out two of the guest bedrooms in my home, along with possibly 2 – 4 horse stalls, for the 2010 games. One has a ensuite bathroom and the other a bath about 3 feet from the bedroom door. The bigger bedroom has a queen size bed in it and enought floor space to accomodate a sleeping bag or inflatable mattress, so as many as 4 people could share it, like a husband and wife and two small children. The other bedroom has a double size bed. I could also provide a light breakfast of pastries and/or fruit. The Horse Park is about 30 minutes away. Does anybody know if there would be an interest in this sort of lodging arrangement? Don’t suggest I contact the “authorized” lodging company for the games, as they want way-y-y too much money for their services.
BTW, plans for the hotel at the Horse Park have been scrapped for now.
Donna,
I’m quite sure that people will be looking for these kind of arrangements of WEG. You’re actually the second person from the area I’ve talked to who has mentioned doing that. I could potentially set up a bulletin board page here on this site where people like you can “advertise” your lodging availability. And I would do it just to be nice — no charge for homeowners sharing space. I’ve got considerable internet marketing skills, so I think I could go a long way to getting an audience looking for what you are offering.
If anyone else is considering renting your home or space in your home out for the games, contact me and we’ll see how we can get the word out.
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I am writing concerning renting my house for the games. I have spoke with a reality company but no price on their services. I have heard it is expensive. Our house is on Iron Works about eight miles from the horse park. It’s about five thousand square feet sitting on five acres. Could you email me with info. about renting?
I would like to offer my house for rent for the games. I see a similar question above but no answer. Any suggestions?
Thanks
[...] 60; photo credit: flying tigerIt’s been two years since I wrote my first post outlining the upcoming World Equestrian Games. Then it felt like this nebulous future event that wasn’t really real, and now it’s [...]
I would be interested in renting a room for my daughter and I for the 8th and 9th of October.