Harness the Fun in Kentucky’s Horse Headquarters
Georgetown kicks off spring with three horse-centric events
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
GEORGETOWN, KY – FEBRUARY 5, 2019 – Harness the fun in Kentucky’s Horse Headquarters at these horse-centric events: Keeneland Spring Meet, Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Horsey Hundred and venues: Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm and Whispering Woods Riding Stables.
A day at the (horse) races
Keeneland’s 2019 Spring Race Meet opens April 4, and continues through April 26 – and Georgetown has 15 different hotels, located 20 minutes north and deeper in Kentucky Horse Country, for guests in town for one of horse racing’s most anticipated annual events. A highlight of the Spring Meet is the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Race.
The gates at Keeneland gates open at 11 a.m. with first post at 1:05 p.m. daily. Come earlier and rub elbows with trainers, jockeys and owners over a homestyle breakfast at the Keenland Track Kitchen. Take a guided or self-guided tour of this National Historic Landmark whose beautiful grounds include the stone Clubhouse, paddling and training tracks, walking ring, stable area and library. Details and tickets at www.keeneland.com.
Ultimate test of horse and rider
One of the world’s most prestigious equestrian events gallops into the Kentucky Horse Park April 25-28: The Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event showcases the Olympic sport of Eventing, kicking off with a First Horse Inspection on Wednesday and featuring three disciplines: dressage, Thursday and Friday; cross-country, Saturday; and stadium jumping, Sunday. Each discipline tests the resolve of the timeless partnership between horse and rider.
Produced annually by Equestrian Events, Inc., a non-profit charitable Kentucky corporation, this is the only Four Star Event in the Western Hemisphere and is attended annually by more than 100,000 spectators and seen by millions on worldwide telecasts, including a telecast on NBC in the United States.
Saddle up for a cycle
This year’s Horsey Hundred (May 24-26) mixes things up, changing route directions to add challenge and more excitement to the weekend event that has cyclists riding routes through rolling farm country and along historic sites and scenic vistas made even more beautiful with woodlands, streams, bourbon distilleries and horses pasturing in fields. All rides start and finish at Georgetown College, with routes stretching from 25 to 100 miles.
The Horsey Hundred is not a race but an opportunity for cyclists to share their passion and the camaraderie of 2,000-plus like-minded souls amidst the setting of Kentucky Horse Country. Sponsored by the Bluegrass Cycling Club, it is a family-friendly, tandem-friendly event with the thrill of rolling hills, ice cream floats, tasty lunch and a Friday night party with live music and food trucks. Details and registration at www.horseyhundred.com.
Meet some four-legged friends
Feed carrots to a former Kentucky Derby winner and a Hollywood hottie: Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center welcomes spring with regular tour times – 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. – giving visitors a chance to pet and feed former horseracing champions like Silver Charm and Popcorn Deelites, equine star of “Seabiscuit.” Ride like the wind at Whispering Woods Riding Stables, opening for the season in mid-March and showing off Kentucky’s backcountry the best way possible – on the back of a horse.
In addition to these events, Georgetown features the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, May 8-12, and the Kentucky Spring Classic, May 15-19, bringing together 10,000 horses and 5,000 individual competitors over the course of six weeks at the Kentucky Horse Park. www.KentuckyHorseShows.com
For more information about these events and other reasons to spend time in Georgetown, visit www.GeorgetownKy.com.
###
