Official Countdown to 2010 Games Begins in Lexington
Saturday, December 29, 2007
LEXINGTON, KY—Two digital clocks in downtown Lexington will mark the number of days until the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The clocks were unveiled by Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry and World Games 2010 Foundation CEO Jack Kelly, with 1000 days until the Games’ Opening Ceremonies. The Games will begin on September 25, 2010 and end on October 10, after 16 days of world championship equestrian competition at the Kentucky Horse Park.
“The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have been the talk of the town for months,” Mayor Jim Newberry said. “It will be fun to watch the countdown as we continue to focus on our preparations.”
The unveiling of these clocks marks the end of a very active year for the World Games 2010 Foundation, the organization responsible for planning, staging and conducting the Games. In the last four months of 2007 alone, the Foundation launched highly successful ticket deposit and trade show deposit programs, and announced a new major international sponsorship with Rolex, as well as a local sponsorship from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.
“The countdown clocks will be a constant reminder in our efforts to stay ahead of schedule as we prepare for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games,” said Foundation CEO Jack Kelly. “But they are also a reminder of the momentum we are gaining every day, as the excitement builds and various groups join the Games’ efforts with such tremendous enthusiasm and high levels of interest.”
The excitement is building—literally—at the Kentucky Horse Park, where a new 6,000-seat indoor arena is making significant construction progress and designs for other permanent structures are underway. Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson says the 2010 Games have given the Park a surge of momentum to make both long-needed additions and improvements, and to help build a new future for the Park.
“As the countdown clocks mark off each day, we will know that we are one day closer to a new legacy for the Kentucky Horse Park,” stated Nicholson. “As we prepare for the Games, and wait for the arrival of this incredible event, we must also remember that time will show how these Games will help usher in a new era of celebrating and honoring the horse long after October 10, 2010.”
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park September 25-October 10, 2010, are the world championships of the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), and are held every four years. The Games have never before been held outside of Europe; nor have all eight disciplines ever previously been held together at a single site— both firsts that will be achieved at the Kentucky Horse Park. The 2010 Games are expected to have a statewide economic impact of $150 million. It is anticipated that more than 600,000 spectators will attend the 16-day competition.
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