16-night Dinner Series hosted by the James Beard Foundation at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Farmhouse

LEXINGTON, KY—Ticket sales will begin on Friday, March 5, for sumptuous dinners with America’s award winning chefs and leading chefs from around Kentucky, at Cooking in the Bluegrass: A Celebrity Chef Dinner Series.

The dinner series will be hosted by the James Beard Foundation at the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation’s Farmhouse each of the 16 nights of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The Games feature the world championships in eight equestrian sports and are being held in Kentucky for the first time from September 25-October 10, 2010.

Tickets are $300.00 per person, and can be purchased through http://www.alltechfeigames.com/content.aspx?id=3778.

A maximum of eight tickets will be available per purchase, as interest is very strong. Seating is limited to approximately 80 guests per evening, replicating the dining experience of the James Beard House in New York City. For special groups and parties over eight, please contact Lisa Wallace, Hospitality Catering Services Manager, at 859-255-2010.

Each ticket grants access to a delectable menu utilizing the expertise of two celebrity chefs, paired with Kentucky’s best culinary talent, using Kentucky Proud Products. The schedule and menu for each evening will be released in late summer.

“This dining experience is going to be a truly special occasion to ticketholders,” said Don Pritchard of Global Food Service Solutions and food services consultant to the World Games 2010 Foundation. “This cuisine, with local products and top chefs, will create a memorable evening for guests who enjoy the flavors and delicacies of the culinary world.”

The dinner series stems from collaboration between the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the James Beard Foundation and Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, and is sponsored by Kentucky Proud, a program of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, funded by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund.  Proceeds from the event benefit the partner organizations.

More information about the program and participating chefs can be found at www.alltechfeigames.com.

On May 24, the James Beard Foundation will also offer a kick-off “Bluegrass Experience” at the James Beard House in New York to honor the World Equestrian Games culinary events.

About the James Beard Foundation
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, James Beard, who died in 1985, was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Today, the Beard Foundation continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships to culinary schools, and publications, and by maintaining the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit www.jamesbeard.org. Find insights on food at the James Beard Foundation’s blog Delights & Prejudices. Join the James Beard Foundation on Facebook. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Twitter.

Wanted to get the word out that we have created a Facebook fan page for Volunteering at the Kentucky Horse Park.  We are always looking to get the word out about the wonderful opportunities to volunteer at the Kentucky Horse Park.  The John Henry Adoption Fair is next month and we can always use volunteers for that as well as the new exhibit, “A Gift from the Desert”, coming to the Museum in May that will run through the World Equestrian Games.   The fan page will provide updated information on volunteer opportunities at the Kentucky Horse Park as well as insights to what it is like to be a volunteer at the Kentucky Horse Park, the coolest horse park in the World.

Tickets to all events are now on sale. To purchase tickets to Kentucky Cup Dressage, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and Kentucky Cup Jumping, visit https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/team.asp?SponsorID=2513.

“This final series of test events will be an important test of the planning for many of the competition aspects of the Games,” said Kate Jackson, Vice President of Competition for the World Games 2010 Foundation. “By hosting sessions of different disciplines on several days, we will really be able to test many of our procedures for the actual Games.”

Kentucky Cup Dressage will begin the week of official test events. The schedule includes:

Tuesday, April 20                              9:00 a.m.             Dressage Grand Prix

Wednesday, April 21                        10:00 a.m.           Grand Prix Special

Thursday, April 22                            7:00 p.m.             Dressage Freestyle

The Freestyle competition on April 22 is a ticketed event priced at $15. All Kentucky Cup Dressage events will be held in the Outdoor Stadium. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event includes:

Thursday, April 22                            9:00 a.m.              Dressage
Friday, April 23                                 9:00 a.m.              Dressage
Saturday, April 24                             9:00 a.m.              Cross Country
Sunday, April 25                               Noon                     Jumping

For more information about the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, go to www.rk3de.org.

Kentucky Cup Jumping will complete the official test events for the 2010 Games. The schedule includes:

Friday, April 23                                 7:00 p.m.             Warm –Up class
Saturday, April 24                             7:00 p.m.             Jumping Grand Prix
Sunday, April 25                                6:00 p.m.            Speed Class

Saturday’s Jumping Grand Prix is a ticketed event priced at $20. Tickets to the Speed Class on Sunday will be $15. All Kentucky Cup Jumping sessions will be held in the Outdoor Stadium.

“Our Maker’s Mark traditions and heritage are rooted in Kentucky, which is why we’re so thrilled to be a partner of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games,” said Bill Samuels Jr., president and chief executive officer of Maker’s Mark. “Bourbon and horses are a natural pair – especially in Kentucky where their histories run deep. We’re looking forward to making our ‘mark’ on the games.” 

Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear also noted the significance of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games’ announcement. “Bourbon is a part of the fabric of Kentucky and Maker’s Mark is a world-class spirit,” she said. “It’s only fitting that they are part of this international event that showcases our wonderful Commonwealth.”  

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and are held every four years. The Games have never before been staged outside of Europe, nor have all eight disciplines competed at a single site – both firsts that will be achieved at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. 

“Having the Games’ American debut held right here in Kentucky makes this an historic occasion,” said Terry Johnson, vice president of sales for the Foundation. “We’re proud that Maker’s Mark is part of an event that not only has worldwide recognition, but will also have a very positive economic impact on the state of Kentucky.”

Maker’s Mark will sponsor the Games’ main hospitality tent that will be visited by thousands of horse and bourbon enthusiasts from around the world. The tent will feature the “world of bourbon” and include a wide variety of brands.

About the 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). 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 and the University of Kentucky. For more information on the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please visit www.alltechfeigames.com.

About Maker’s Mark

In 1954, at a small Victorian distillery in Loretto, Ky., Bill Samuels, Sr., made the first 19 barrels of whisky, which six years later would herald the modern era of bourbon. Using limestone water from the distillery’s spring-fed lake and a mash consisting of corn, barley and soft, red, gentle winter wheat, Mr. Samuels created a bourbon that brought “good taste” and “taste-good” together for the first time. Today, Maker’s Mark continues to handcraft its bourbon exactly the same way, in small batches by passionate individuals who are committed to craft, heritage and tradition. Maker’s Mark bourbon whisky is 45% alc./vol., and is distilled, aged and bottled by the Maker’s Mark Distillery, Inc., in Loretto, Ky. Maker’s Mark makes its bourbon carefully, and please enjoy it that way. 

Bill and Jamie with the custom Barrel head for the Games

The World Equestrian Radio personal radio receiver will allow patrons to listen to live commentary and information while viewing a specific event or discipline. Users will be able to hear unique commentary and information pertaining specifically to the event they are attending.

The radio receivers cost $45. Units may be pre-ordered at, www.weg2010store.com/woeqra.html. Customers will pick up their pre-purchased receivers when they arrive at the Kentucky Horse Park for the 2010 Games. A limited number of units will also be available for purchase on site during the event.

The price includes expert commentary for Vaulting, Dressage, Reining, Eventing Dressage and Eventing Jumping, Driving Dressage and Para-Dressage. Presently, commentators include:

· Dressage—Cathy Connelly, noted trainer and commentator

· Eventing—Jean Mitchell, former FEI judge and commentator; Betsy Steiner, World Championship Dressage rider

· Vaulting—Nancy Stevens Brown , trainer, coach, commentator

· Reining— Rick Weaver, Current NRHA President, past Futurity winner

“World Equestrian Radio will give spectators the opportunity to hear the competition from an insider’s perspective,” said Kate Jackson, Vice President of Competitions for the Foundation. “It will essentially be like attending a private clinic on the discipline and is also a great way for non-equestrians to learn more about what they are watching.”

The commentators are top professionals that have a broad reaching knowledge of their disciplines and will provide a compelling insight for the listener. Before the events and during the breaks the listener will have the opportunity to hear updates from the other disciplines as well as event information.

The World Equestrian Radio service providers are Speakeasy, LTD and Flight Line Radio.

Starting today, anyone interested in the Games can visit www.alltechfeigames.com and complete a video training program to become a 2010 Alltech FEI WEGspert.

The training program showcases the eight equestrian disciplines of the Games, the Kentucky Horse Park, what spectators can see and do during their visit, and how to be involved.

“We want Kentuckians, Americans and international fans to become ambassadors for the Games,” said Jamie Link, CEO of the World Games 2010 Foundation. “This program will educate people around the world about why the Games are coming to Kentucky and how they can share in the excitement.”

After completing the 2010 Alltech FEI WEGspert training, fans will be provided links to additional information. Two promotional videos about the Games will be available to download.

“We want fans to share the program and these videos with their own civic, equine and business groups,” said Amy Walker, Public Relations Manager for the Foundation. “The 2010 Games will be America’s largest sporting event this year, and our WEGspert training will be an excellent resource for various groups to become informed and involved.”

The WEGspert training program was created in partnership with Promogistics LLC, a Kentucky-owned and -operated company specializing in online training and education, as well as live training and corporate events. Find out more at www.promogistics.com.

Visit www.alltechfeigames.com to become a 2010 Alltech FEI WEGspert, and to find the latest information on ticketing, accommodations and travel.

From a hay steaming machine to horse cloning, several vendors at the Games are marketing a technological product that has been developed to bring something new to the industry.

Several years ago Peter Hopkins took a business chance that today is helping hundreds of horses across America. Hopkins, who made his living operating a home inspection company, switched gears in 1999 when he was introduced to infrared technology.

While Hopkins was training to use infrared technology for housing inspections at the Boston Infrared Training Center, he came across a brochure advertising the same technology for use on horses. For Hopkins, that was the brainwave that later became EquineIR.

After a year using infrared for home inspections, Hopkins switched gears from housing to horses and worked closely with veterinarians and other thermographers to learn about equine thermography.

“I spoke with many veterinarians and people in the business,” Hopkins said. “I realized that it was very much a useful market. X-ray is anatomical imaging that sees the bone; identifying muscle and tissue injuries are not typically seen with x-ray.”

Thermal imaging for horses is a series of images taken of a horse from several feet away. The cameras, which can be as sensitive as 1/20^th of a degree, detect temperature and produce an image that shows heat variations throughout a horse’s body. Hopkins, and other certified thermographers, take images of a horse and prepare a report, which is then interpreted by a veterinarian trained in thermography.

For horses, and all other mammals, heat is often an indicator of injury or stress because blood flow increases in areas that need healing. Veterinarians are able to pinpoint areas of concern after viewing thermal images, and then take steps to diagnose the problem.

When I go to inspect horses I am never going to know more [about them] than the owners,” Hopkins said. “But what they expect is that I am going to take good images and prepare good reports so that the veterinarian can review it and help them understand.”

Hopkins preformed his first scan on a racehorse in training. His infrared images indicated a hot spot in the horse’s leg and a few days later a veterinarian confirmed the horse had a fracture. He told Hopkins that the image potentially saved the horse’s life.

“If you have a horse, unless their name is Mr. Ed, they can’t speak their pain,” Hopkins said. “In the medical world it is often a guessing game.”

Many clients have come to Hopkins with suspicions of problems and unidentified lameness, but he hopes the company can also be used before problems occur. If sport horses are scanned before they event, Hopkins believes his technology can help prevent some of these injuries.

EquineIR will be launching their product at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in hopes of bringing exposure to an alternative method of injury prevention. Unlike many processes, thermal imaging does not require the horse to be touched, but owners end up with a visual that can help diagnose problems.

“The biggest purpose is that we help horses,” Hopkins said. “I didn’t have any idea of where this was going to go, but we identify things that other technologies aren’t successful with. Our goal is to help hundreds of thousands of equine athletes.”

For more information, view www.equineir.com, email info@equineir.com or call toll free 888-722-6447