08.29.10
Posted in 2010 Games, Jamie Link, Volunteer Training, Volunteerism, World Equestrian Games, World Games 2010 Foundation at 9:36 am by Thomas
The Venue Specific training was held in 2 sessions yesterday for all those that could attend I believe we found it to be extremely useful. One of the key lessons was a video by Chris Young on Protocol, basically a top 10 list of do’s’ and don’t in dealing with an International public. A lot of his points could/should be commonsense but we can always use a refresher course on that from time to time. All and all it was a great experience, and for those of you who are still on the fence on volunteering, their is still time for you.
The pace is picking up and with only 26 days to go it only going to get quicker. Jamie Link pointed out that ticket sales are picking up, which isn’t really a surprise, at this point the expectations is somewhere in the 200 – 300,000 spectator range which would be about the perfect size for this event in my opinion.
Kentucky Colonel
Thomas Demond
KyWEGO®
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08.25.10
Posted in 2010 Games, Volunteer Training, Volunteerism, World Equestrian Games at 9:36 pm by Thomas
Last night I was at the Horse Park for some of the volunteer job specific training and came away with a very good feeling about the Games. Everything is starting to come together and I honestly do believe these Games are going to be the best for everyone from the competitors to the spectators and volunteers. As a Kentucky Colonel and a volunteer I want to say to all the other volunteers, thanks and I look forward to meeting many of you. I am signed up for 12 days during the Games and 2 days before so suspect I will get to meet a good number of you all. For those of you who haven’t signed up to volunteer but want to, their are still opportunities available so I would highly recommend doing it. The link to volunteer is given below.
Volunteer
Get Your Games Face On!
Kentucky Colonel
Thomas Demond
KyWEGO®
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Posted in 2010 Games, World Equestrian Games at 3:08 pm by Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY—30 Days to Go—With just one month to go until the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, ticket sales and hospitality purchases are ramping up as spectators from around the world prepare to witness world championship competition in eight equestrian sports.
Dressage Freestyle Price Level A has officially sold out for the world championship final on Friday, October 1. Less than 1000 tickets remain in Price Level B for that same event.
Additionally, less than 150 tickets remain in the Reining Individual Final on Thursday, September 30.
While tickets for finals rounds continue to sell most rapidly, tickets are still available for early sessions of competition in all eight disciplines. Many are available at a 30 percent discount through September 6. To purchase tickets, visit
www.alltechfeigames.com/tickets,
www.ticketmaster.com, or call 1-888-934-2010.
The Games hospitality program has sold out of Champions Club tables for Jumping. Suites for the entire Reining competition are also sold out. For a full listing of hospitality options, including passes to the Makers Mark Bourbon Village and Champions Club seating at competitions, visit
www.alltechfeigames.com/hospitality.
As the Games are rapidly approaching, the Kentucky Horse Park is being transformed to host the world. Temporary seating at several venues has neared completion, many of the 300+ temporary structures have been built, and the Alltech Experience and Kentucky Experience pavilions are taking form.
In addition, national federations for 58 countries have submitted entries for the 2010 Games. Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States have entries for all eight disciplines.
Although the Games won’t commence with the Opening Ceremonies until September 25, athletes and horses will arrive at the Kentucky Horse Park beginning September 10.
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08.23.10
Posted in 2010 Games, Keeneland, Kentucky, Lexington, University of Kentucky, World Equestrian Games at 10:45 pm by Thomas
Keeneland’s Fall Meet runs Friday, October 8th through Saturday, October 30; post time 1:00 PM.
Basic Schedule for the 3 days overlapping with the Games follows with info and the Grade races.
October 8, 2010
October 9, 2010
October 10, 2010
Traffic Impacts: Keeneland opens at 11 AM and is located on the West side of Lexington with the primary bottlenecks being Man O War/Versailles Road at the entrance to Keeneland and Versailles Road/New Circle Road ~ 2 miles East of the main entrance. The last race generally runs about 5 PM so on Friday the impact will be doubled with normal rush hour traffic. On Saturday the University of Kentucky (Wildcats) football team will be taking on the Auburn (Tigers) at home but I will post more information about that at a later date when I have more information on the expected impacts, just wanted to get that information out for people planning on coming out for the last weekend of the Games.
Keeneland area map
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08.19.10
Posted in 2010 Games, Fortnight Festival, Lexington, World Equestrian Games at 9:56 pm by Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY—36 Day to Go—Menu selections are now available for Cookin’ in the Bluegrass, a celebrity chef dinner series to be held each night of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, September 25 through October 10.
Each menu features a cocktail hour with Kentucky wines and appetizers, a three-to-five course dinner featuring Kentucky Proud products, and a dessert course. The detailed menu for each night, as well as the link to purchase tickets, is available now ( http://www.alltechfeigames.com/content.aspx?id=3776. )
Each dinner will feature two celebrity chefs, many of whom are James Beard Award-winners, and one Kentucky-based chef, cooking side-by-side at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Farmhouse restaurant. Each night, 80 guests will enjoy dining experiences that replicate the sumptuous dinners held at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.
The celebrity chefs and local Kentucky chefs have been collaborating on recipes, use of Kentucky products and how to best blend their culinary styles for the past several weeks.
“James Beard, who happened to practice the use of regional cuisine, would be delighted at the wide range of local ingredients and food products featured in the menus,” said Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation Each night will be an enlightening and enriching experience for our guests.”
The James Beard Foundation has partnered with the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games for Cookin’ in the Bluegrass. This dinner series will occur each night from September 25-October 10, 2010 in Lexington, Ky, as the Kentucky Horse Park hosts the world championships in eight equestrian sports.
Proceeds from Cookin’ in the Bluegrass will benefit the James Beard Foundation, The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
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.
Media Contact: Diane Stefanie diane@rosengrouppr.com or 212.255.8224
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Posted in 2010 Games, World Equestrian Games at 9:52 pm by Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY—37 Days to Go—National Federations for 58 countries have submitted nominated entries for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Nominated entries are submitted pending verification and approval of horse and rider qualifications.
The nominated entries list includes more than 900 athletes and more than 1,300 horses. This list will decrease some when definite entries for each discipline are submitted to the World Games 2010 Foundation beginning in mid-September.
Four nations are currently scheduled to field athletes for all eight disciplines—Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States. Additionally, 19 nations have submitted teams or individual competitors in five or more disciplines.
For a complete list of participating nations for each discipline, click here.
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08.12.10
Posted in 2010 Games, World Equestrian Games at 10:36 pm by Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY—The YMCA of Central Kentucky joins the World Games 2010 Foundation in welcoming guests from around the world during the 16 days of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, by providing facilities to athletes and guests who want to stay active during their visit.
Any person attending or participating in the Games will be allowed free guest access to the Y’s facility branches, which include Beaumont Centre Family Y, High Street Y, and North Lexington Family Y, for the duration of the Games.
“With YMCA’s located in 124 countries worldwide, this is a great opportunity for our association to welcome the world to our community,” said Jim Kelsey, marketing and communications director for the YMCA of Central Kentucky. “We’re excited to welcome new friends from all over the world while continuing to serve this community.”
The Y has been serving the Lexington community since 1853, and is a non-profit, volunteer organization with a mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
The branch facilities of the YMCA of Central Kentucky vary slightly but all of them feature state-of-the-art workout amenities including free weights, cardio equipment, group exercise classes, aquatic facilities, locker rooms with showers and more.
To gain free entry to any of the facility branches during the Games, athletes or visitors just have to show their World Equestrian Games pass or ticket to Y staff upon entering the facility. There is no limit to how many times a guest can use the facilities, and even Lexington residents attending the Games are allowed access.
For more information about the YMCA of Central Kentucky and to view the location and details of each facility branch, click here.
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08.04.10
Posted in 2010 Games, Sponsors, World Equestrian Games at 2:16 pm by Press Release
LEXINGTON, KY—51 DAYS TO GO—AT&T* will provide wireless service and devices to the World Games 2010 Foundation as the Official Wireless Service Provider of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
2010 Games will feature eight world championships of equestrian sport and are being held for the first time in the United States from September 25-October 10 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.
In addition to providing wireless services prior to and during the 16-day event, AT&T will also be leasing the Foundation Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards to be used as GPS tracking devices placed on the horses for the Endurance event. This is the first time in the history of the World Equestrian Games where Endurance athletes will be tracked using GPS throughout the 160 km competition.
“With GPS tracking devices for the Endurance competition, we are changing the way this sport is followed,” said Emmett Ross, Discipline Manager for the Endurance World Championship. “This is the first time any World Equestrian Games has individually tracked each competitor in this way, and we hope that this will also make Endurance more spectator-friendly during the 2010 Games.”
AT&T is also enhancing its Lexington network to help ensure those in town to attend the 2010 Games have a winning wireless experience. AT&T is expanding capacity and coverage surrounding the Kentucky Horse Park and other key areas in anticipation of increased voice and data traffic on its wireless network.
Overall network preparations include:
- Third additional layer of capacity added to AT&T cell sites surrounding the Kentucky Horse Park: 2G (GSM/Global System for Mobile Communications) voice and data capacity increased by 100 percent and high-speed 3G (UMTS/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) voice and data capacity increased by 280 percent.
- The addition of backhaul connectivity to cell sites surrounding the Kentucky Horse Park to increase voice and data capacity between the sites and the routing switch.
- Three mobile cell sites on wheels (COWs) which boost network capacity.
- Capacity added to cell sites in the vicinity of Kentucky Horse Park.
- The addition of backhaul connectivity to cell sites surrounding the stadium to increase voice and data capacity between the sites and the routing switch.
- An additional new 3G cell site at the Horse Park that will boost wireless services for those attending the Games.
“This is an exciting 16 days of equestrian events and folks want to capture these experiences, as they are happening, whether its through a voice call, text message, e-mail or picture or video message,” said Jim Thorpe, vice president and general manager, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets for Tennessee and Kentucky. “Our network team has been working for months to deliver the best possible wireless experience for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.”
“We’ll continue to strengthen our wireless network performance so that our customers can have the best experience with their AT&T devices,” said Mary Pat Regan, president, AT&T Kentucky. “Our network investments and upgrades have made it possible for us to continue to deliver the nation’s fastest 3G network.”
AT&T operates 30 AT&T-owned retail locations in Kentucky. Its products and services are also available at a number of other authorized dealers and national retail locations. For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T ?DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATTNews. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATT to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. 3G service not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.
Web Site Links:
AT&T Web Site
AT&T Wireless Web Site
About the AT&T 3G Network
AT&T Wireless Network News
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. Tickets to the 2010 Games are still available and can be purchased at www.alltechfeigames.com/tickets, at www.ticketmaster.com, through the Ticketmaster hotline at 1-800-745-3000, or at your local Ticketmaster outlet.
The Games will be broadcast on NBC Sports, which marks 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 $167 million, and current sponsors include Alltech, Rolex, John Deere, Ariat International, Inc., Meydan, Kentucky Ale, and UK Healthcare. For more information on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games please visit, www.alltechfeigames.com.
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08.02.10
Posted in 2010 Games, Preperations, Volunteer Training, Volunteerism, World Equestrian Games at 9:58 pm by Thomas
Attended my Volunteer Training Initiation tonight and if you didn’t guess from the title it went very well. Tonights meeting was conducted by ESCO Security Consulting , which is managing the security operations for the Games, as a meet and greet for them to interview the volunteers. ESCO’s staff was very professional and left me with a very good feeling when it comes to the security operations for the Games. The magic I often speak of in relation to the Games was certainly present in the room both among the volunteers and the staff which for me is a great environment to be in. I have given an initial commitment of 10 days, possibly 11 maybe 12 if need be because I do believe I can make a difference during these Games as I believe I have made a difference in how these Games go off. There are still volunteer opportunities available for the Games and certainly for anyone who maybe still on the fence, and I know you are out there, I would ask that you consider stepping down off that fence especially if you are a Kentuckian. I know the negative publicity that is out there about the Games, but I can say with certainty that the true legacy that these Games leave behind after October 1oth will be long lasting and will not be defined by the revenue generated during that short 16 day period.
Proud to be a Kentuckian,
Kentucky Colonel
Thomas Paul Demond
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