07.07.10

Patina Restaurant Group to Provide First-Class Catering for World-Class Hospitality Program at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

Posted in 2010 Games, Suppliers, Vendor Spotlight, World Equestrian Games at 11:15 pm by Press Release

LEXINGTON, KY—79 days to go—Patina Restaurant Group, a bi-coastal boutique catering company, will be providing first-class catering for a world-class hospitality program at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The 2010 Games will feature eight world championships in equestrian sport and are being held for the first time in the United States from September 25-Ocotober 10 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.

As the Official Food Provider for the Hospitality Program of the 2010 Games, Patina will provide food for Hospitality offerings at each venue, in addition to the James Beard Celebrity Chef Dinner Series, at the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation’s Farmhouse.

“I am extremely excited that we’ve selected Patina Restaurant Group to be our exclusive caterer for the hospitality program for the 2010 Games,” said Kim Bennett, Director of Hospitality Programs for the World Games 2010 Foundation. “Their quality, presentation, and service of food are unparallel to anyone else in the premium segment of the food service industries. I’m positive that we will provide a world-class hospitality program and partnering with Patina Restaurant Group elevates that expectation.”

Patina’s Sports & Entertainment division has unique experience with major sports arenas, such as Arvest Ballpark, and a broad array of entertainment and performing arts venues. Past successes include the US Open Tennis Championships, the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, and the 2004 Breeder’s Cup, among others.

“We are proud to be the caterer for the 2010 Games – which provides the challenge of preparing food to a mix of athletes, spectators, sponsors and VIPs,” said Nick Valenti, Restaurateur and longtime PRG CEO.

“PRG’s Chef and Founder, Joachim Splichal, will be hosting and cooking for one of the exclusive James Beard nights,” Valenti continued. “We will pay homage to local Kentucky farmers and foods at the September 30^th dinner while presenting our signature Patina culinary style.”
About Patina Restaurant Group

Patina Restaurant Group (www.patinagroup.com), a bi-coastal boutique company, is a leader in the premium segment of the restaurant industry. On the East Coast, its portfolio features New York City’s world-famous Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, Rock Center Café, The Sea Grill, Brasserie, Brasserie 8 1/2, Café Centro, Naples 45, The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera and La Fonda Del Sol. Other East Coast properties include Tutto Italia Ristorante at the Epcot World Showcase in Orlando, FL.

On the West Coast the portfolio includes the renowned, Michelin-starred Patina Restaurant in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse, Café Pinot at the Maguire Gardens, Zucca Ristorante, Pinot Bistro, Catal and three other restaurants in Anaheim’s Downtown Disney District®, Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas and catering and food service in museums and cultural centers throughout California.

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 UK Healthcare. For more information on the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please visit www.alltechfeigames.com.

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02.01.10

2010 Games Trade Show Vendor Spotlight: Equine IR

Posted in Vendor Spotlight at 2:16 am by Thomas

For all vendors, the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games trade show will be a place to sell their products to equine enthusiasts from around the world. But for some, the event will help them educate the public about a product they created from scratch.

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

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