AMHA Plans for Morgan Exhibit Expansion at KY Horse Park
Thursday, June 29, 2006
The Board of Directors of the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) recently announced the approval of expenditures up to $25,000 for the expansion of the Morgan horse exhibit at the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) in Lexington, KY. This is considered Phase I in the Board’s mission to increase the Morgan display from 400 square feet to approximately 800 square feet, pending plan approval by KHP. AMHA is currently working on a development timeline in order to complete this expansion prior to the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
AMHA will work closely with the KHP and the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) in regards to plan approval and site development of the expansion. AMHA and AHA are working together to provide new storage space the Park will need once expansions of these two organizations’ exhibits are completed.
AMHA began working on the possibility of a larger presence at the Kentucky Horse Park in February 2003 when they appointed Regions 3 Representative Ed Creighton as the Board’s Park liaison. The Morgan horse has had a presence at the Park since the 1980s, but many involved felt that more could be done to promote the Morgan at the KHP.
In 2003 AMHA began construction to develop and educational exhibit at the Park focusing on horse ownership. KHP then offered AMHA the opportunity to include an exciting attraction, two horse ride simulators — similar to the ones used by jockeys for Thoroughbred training and by actor Toby McGuire during his preparation for the role as Red Pollard in the movie “Seabiscuit” — to augment the educational aspects of the exhibit. The entire project was made possible through member donations.
Since the opening of the exhibit in May 2004, more than 20,000 people had taken a ride on one of the simulators, and Park officials estimated that five times as many people visited the Morgan exhibit. Management of the exhibit has been a coordination of AMHA and the Park. The Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm situated on 1,200 acres. The park features two outstanding museums, twin theaters and presentations on nearly 50 different breeds of horses, including the Morgan exhibit.
Founded in 1909, the American Morgan Horse Association is a non-profit organization serving more than 50,000 Morgan horse owners, breeders, exhibitors, and enthusiasts throughout the United States. AMHA serves as a parent organization to more than 90 recognized Morgan horse clubs.
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