Posted on Fri, Mar. 21, 2008

WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES

Riders from all 120 counties may open ceremonies

By Jack Brammer

JBRAMMER@HERALD-LEADER.COM

FRANKFORT --

Like a Western epic, horseback riders from all 120 counties in Kentucky could carry vials of water to the Kentucky Horse Park to kick off the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

That's the dream of Kentucky first lady Jane Beshear, a member of the board of directors of the World Games 2010 Foundation, which is organizing the games at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

As the Olympics opens its games with the symbol of fire, the World Games uses water from every previous event.

"The idea of this is that everybody in the state will be able to participate in the World Games, and hopefully they will develop activities around their gathering of the water in every county," Beshear said. "As the riders on horseback go through their county with the collected water, there will be activities and excitement generated, and the people will feel they are a part of what's happening."

Beshear emphasized Thursday that plans for "The Great Kentucky Ride" are tentative. She first mentioned them while speaking before a House committee on a tourism bill and later elaborated on them in an interview.

An idea of Prince Philip, the inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games were held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1990. They were next held in 1994 at The Hague, in the Netherlands. That was followed in 1998 by Rome and in 2002 by Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Aachen, Germany hosted the events in 2006.

Water from each site has been combined into a vessel and will be placed in a fountain at the horse park.

"The area that is providing the site for the games (Kentucky) also adds to that water in the fountain, so in four years that whole conglomeration will go to the next site," said Beshear, who trains horses at the family's Clark County farm for equestrian competitions.

Asked whether anyone has been designated to pour the final vessel of Kentucky water into the fountain, Mrs. Beshear said, "No, as I said this is a plan at this time. However, I think it's a win-win situation for everyone."

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