http://www.kentucky.com/664/index.xml News, sports, and entertainment from Kentucky.com en-us Copyright 2008 Kentucky.com Ready for the World 60 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:17:37 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive's Workbench webmaster@kentucky.com http://www.kentucky.com/664/story/153812.html http://www.kentucky.com/664/story/153812.html Sun, 19 Aug 2007 07:43 EDT
By 6:30 p.m., the mournful notes of a trumpet sounded over the square, then the clip of horseshoes on stone. Trumpeters and drummers seated on gray horses -- the Portuguese Music Corps -- began the parade into the square for the opening of Aachen's 2007 World Equestrian Festival last month.

That the opening ceremony took place at the square, not at the show grounds 2 miles away, was, like everything associated with the horse show, carefully orchestrated. It highlighted the historic connection between Aachen and the annual World Equestrian Festival. It also recalled Aachen's recent triumph in holding the 2006 World Equestrian Games, which funneled hordes of international visitors from the show grounds to the city center's restaurants and stores.

Now, as Lexington leaders look to the World Equestrian Games in 2010, their counterparts in Aachen say a successful event depends on many things, but nothing more important than this: "The city and the organization must be one team," said Klaus Pavel, president of the private club that runs the annual horse show and held the World Games. "We had all the sport, then we had happenings in the city that made it one unit.

"You must unite them as much as possible."]]> http://www.kentucky.com/664/story/154433.html http://www.kentucky.com/664/story/154433.html Mon, 20 Aug 2007 07:38 EDT
That is because he's still paying bills left from the 2002 Games in Jerez.

"The people were very happy during the Games," he said sadly as he toured their former venue. "But, after the Games, it was difficult because people relaxed and forgot the Games. In Spain, it's very difficult to do a horse event and make money."

Ortiz would not disclose how much money is still owed, but says he works nearly full-time on cleaning things up.

Besides bills, the other reminders of the Games include new stables that house a municipal riding school sitting in the 74-acre Chapin complex 2 miles from the city center.]]> http://www.kentucky.com/664/story/160702.html http://www.kentucky.com/664/story/160702.html Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:13 EDT
Construction crews are widening Newtown Pike and prettying it up with a new stone wall.

Over at the World Games Foundation office, meetings run non-stop, while down at City Hall, officials contemplate how to improve downtown.

"It is exhilarating," Horse Park director John Nicholson says of all the preparations for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington. "It is on time, and it is happening with the proper sense of urgency."

The year 2010 might seem a long time away, but for an event as big as the World Games, a sense of urgency is probably necessary three years out.]]>