Upcoming Fun at the Kentucky Horse Park
More reasons to plan your trip!
The Kentucky Horse Park is tackling 2017 head-on with lots of exciting advancements and activities to ensure the park remains a Kentucky staple and family-friendly facility for all. The Kentucky Horse Park or KHP is nestled in the beautiful landscape of Lexington and hosts many exciting events such as Rolex, Road to the Horse, the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover and much more — but it isn’t just all shows and ribbons! The KHP is home to priceless museums and some of the equestrian world’s favorite faces, and offers a variety of activities throughout the year for people of all ages to enjoy. Laura Prewitt, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park, gave us the lowdown on some exciting changes and events around the Park.
If you know horses, you know Man o’ War. One of the iconic names in horse racing will celebrate his 100th memorial birthday on Wednesday, March 29th and the park intends to celebrate this astounding horse throughout the year! Kicking off the celebration, the park will host the Man o’ War: The Mostest Horse That Ever Was exhibit at the International Museum of the Horse from the 29th of March until November 1, 2017. At the conclusion of the celebration period, they will host a memorial day of passing for this legend with a replay of the radio announcement released upon his death.
The Man o’ War memorial. Flickr/David Ohmer/CC
In tribute to Man o’ War’s legacy, many Lexington community staples will also be commemorating his birthday: Makers Mark will be releasing a commemorative bottle design, Alltech is producing a wheat ale in honor of the celebration, Crank and Boom (a most delicious ice creamery) will feature a special blend and there will be the reveal of a mural displayed in Man o’ War’s honor in downtown Lexington. In addition to these activities there will be Man o’ War tours, special merchandise, and dinners hosted to celebrate the 100th birthday of this special horse.
The Park has also undergone a bit of a facelift recently, including a revamping and modernization of the Visitor Center! Thanks to some new lighting and updated carpeting and fixtures, the new and improved Visitor Center has a more timeless feel. In addition to those updates, new roofing was also placed on several barns to ensure that the horses that live on and visit the property have the best care possible.
A new champion has been added to the Hall of Champions at the Park! You will want to stop by and visit with all of the Park’s champions including Go For Gin, Be A Bono, Funny Cide, and the newest addition: a Saddlebred by the name of Bono. Bono is the first Saddlebred to be included in the KHP’s Hall of Champions since the passing of Gypsy Supreme in 2010. The team at the KHP are very excited to share his career with all of the Parks guests.
With other upcoming events such as the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event (April 27-30th), the 2017 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championships (May 4-7th), the High Hope Steeplechase (May 21st), and the Glo Run (May 26th), you are bound to find something you will love this year at the Kentucky Horse Park. Laura Prewitt says the exhibits are more interactive than ever before and that all of the staff has put in hours of hard work to make the Park a beautiful and entertaining place for people of all backgrounds to enjoy. So head on down to gorgeous Lexington and make a stop at the Kentucky Horse Park. Who can argue with a equestrian themed vacation?
For more information on the Kentucky Horse Park and all of its upcoming events and open exhibits, please visit http://www.kyhorsepark.com/.
Go riding!
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