It is ironic we are at the end of 2021 and their is a sense of deja vue with what 2022 will bring. I heard the news today that Betty White had died and I think that just puts the punctuation on this year and certainly not in a good way. I certainly send condolences to her friends and family but really she always came across as though she was everyone’s friend and I know I certainly feel a deep sense of loss with her passing.
Our thoughts and prayers also continue to be with our breathern in Kentucky who lost so much earlier in the month to the freak tornadoes and we will continue to provide support any way we can. As I write this storms are moving back into Kentucky that have the potential to spin up tornadoes and cause flash flooding that will persist into the start of 2022 so I hope and pray that everyone will stay safe.
I do want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I do believe that 2022 will be a better year, not because I think the craziness of this decade will suddenly stop. As my son pointed out if you say 2022, it sounds like Twenty Twenty Two, like the second coming of 2020. The reason I think it will be better is because as human beings we are very adaptable and we will never stop fighting and we will never stop caring about our follow humans even when some days the news makes you think otherwise, in that regard, turn off the news and go talk to your neighbors and that alone will make for a better year.
The last three months have really been about figuring out what the new normal is and finding some semblance of solid ground from which to build. Some may say it is too soon to say we know what the new norm will look like, and I will agree I think it will be this time next year before we are sure what that looks like but I at least feel realistic in my belief that we can get it figured out.
Now, what does that mean in regards to something like the World Equestrian Games, as we have known for some time there was no expectation that we would see them in their same format as we did in Lexington in 2010, amazing how much difference the span of 10 years has made! With the economic fall out from the Covid Pandemic I would expect all horse events to feel significant negative impacts for upwards of the next 10 years. So the notion that anyone would broach the idea of trying to reconstitute an event on the scale of the 2010 World Equestrian Games before sometime after 2032 seems unrealistic.
In many peoples minds then, the World Equestrian Games are something in the past, never to be seen again, same was said about many things in human history but as long as a spark of an idea survives it can always be rekindled. I for one will continue to keep that spark alive because I will always believe in the power of the horse to prevail and to unite humankind in a way that is an in-explainable as it is wondrous for as Winston Churchill has been credited with saying, “There is something about the outside of a Horse that is good for the inside of man” and I for one very much believe that.
In closing I will say that I keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers and wish the best for everyone in these trying times. Please take care of yourselves and all your furry family members as well.
Mill Spring, NC – March 25, 2020 – In response to the Governor of North Carolina’s mandate on Monday, March 23 to cancel events with 50 or more people through May 15, 2020, Tryon Resort and Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) are canceling additional events and competitions. The complete list of canceled events includes: Tryon Welcome Series – March 19-April 12Tryon Spring 1 and 2 – April 29-May 10Tryon Spring Dressage 1 and 2 – April 16-19 and May 2-3The Katydid CDE at TIEC – April 23-26Comedy Night – April 3Easter Brunch – April 12 (available for carryout only) Layover stalls and onsite lodging are available by contacting lodging@tryon.com or stabling@tryon.com or by calling 828.863.1015. Decisions about future competitions and events will be made as new information becomes available. Please visit our website for the latest updates related to our venue:https://bit.ly/39OiSup Sincerely, Sharon Allred DeckerCOO, Tryon Equestrian PartnersCarolinas Operations
A decade ago at the close of 2009, the plans were well underway for the 2010 World Equestrian Games here in Lexington, Kentucky. The Aachen Games of 2006, four years prior had been considered a success and so there was much optimism for the success of our Games. Almost ten years later I would say our optimism was well placed in that the investments that were made ten plus years ago continue to pay off and certainly strengthened Lexington’s Horse Capital of the World mantra and so the future for Lexington continues to look bright. The Games in 2014 and 2018 were fraught with a number of issues with the Games at Tryon even being besieged by the remnants of a Hurricane.
Now as we close out 2019 though, the future for the World Equestrian Games is not so bright. For all practical purposes, the Games no longer exist in their single venue form. Now the individual championships are held in separate locations at different times which is simpler to do but takes away some of the grandness of the World Equestrian Games format. This tends to diminish the level of general media attention Equestrian sports get overall but is probably healthier for the individual sports because WEG was starting to suffer from the same sort of bloat that the Olympics are known for.
My hope is that one day, probably 20 years in the future we will bring back the full World Equestrian Games to the Kentucky Horse Park for at least one more go because I do think it is a worthwhile endeavor.
In the near term, I want to wish everyone a Very Happy New Year for 2020, may this new decade bring you great happiness and joy in all your endeavors, equestrian and otherwise.
I know its not quite the New Year here in Kentucky but in reality more than half the World has celebrated the New Year at this point. It’s amazing to think another year has went by and maybe the last World Equestrian Games has been played. I am one to look forward more then back, not with the intent of forgetting the past but learning from it and building something better.
So we here in Central Kentucky wish everyone World Wide a Very Happy New Year, may it bring you much joy and prosperity.
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