Lexington, KY - Windsor Castle, the thousand-year-old fortress that has been transformed into a royal palace for Queen Elizabeth II is hardly a place where you would expect to find burgoo, Corvettes and bourbon barrels, but you will, when the Kentucky Village opens on the Castle grounds for the Alltech FEI European Jumping and Dressage Championships, August 25-30. The half football field-size village is a promotional device for the commonwealth and Alltech, the animal nutrition company and main sponsor of the FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington. "What we're trying to do with this experience is to get people interested in Kentucky as a state, and who we are as a culture, and to hopefully convince them to come here in 2010 for the Games," said Kelly Welker, executive director of Alltech's Games Administration Management Equestrian Systems (GAMES) department.
The setting will be an unusual showcase for the state, Welker said. "It is a really spectacular venue. It's the first time these two events (Jumping and Dressage) have been held together at the championship level. So, it's a pretty big deal." Because the World Equestrian Games have never been held off their continent, Europeans may need some coaxing to attend the Games in Lexington. Aimed not only to get them here, but to stay a while and tour the state, and to try signature products. "This is really a teaser and an invitation to people in Europe to come and see what we're really about," added Tom Stephens, an Alltech corporate counsel and director of the Alltech Fortnight Festival.
Strolling through the village, much of it covered but with open spaces and gardens, a Kentuckian will see many familiar sights, but international visitors might be learning about Kentucky for the first time. Approaching the village, a visitor will be greeted by white plank fencing and hay bales, symbolizing Kentucky's equine and farming industries. A prominent Kentucky horse farm, still to be determined, will have a presence at the Village. Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, from Lexington, will display the care required for the four-legged stars of the Games.
Music will be prominent, including Bluegrass and an ensemble of singers led by University of Kentucky opera director, Dr. Everett McCorvey. Bourbon distiller Maker's Mark will offer tastes and tell visitors how the spirit is made, it's history and importance to our economy. The official winery of the Village could be Equus Run Vineyards from Midway, depending on how much local wine it can export to Europe. Alltech's own Kentucky Ale will be the official beer on tap. "We're also going to have a few Corvettes dot the exterior of the Kentucky Village experience," said Stephens. "We'll explain to people that all of the Corvettes are manufactured in Bowling Green."
Other displays will promote day travel and tourism in Kentucky like parks, lakes and caves. Maps and brochures will be offered. Information on the Games in Kentucky will be available. In an adjunct warm-up arena, "We're going to educate people about the (equine) disciplines," Welker said. "Our website will also be up so people can pull down information on travel, competition schedules and tickets. We'll have loads of displays and people to promote the Games."
Inside the Village's technology center, Alltech will promote its research into nutrigenomics, which involves the study of nutrition at the cellular level. For example, scientists could take a sample from a human or an animal and examine the DNA, according to Welker. "Then you could design a feeding program for that person or animal to help them perform at peak levels," she said.
There will be a paint the horse competition in the village where students from across England will paint their juried designs on artificial horses. One horse will be reserved for children to scrawl personal messages. The horse is expected to go up for auction with proceeds going to the Alltech-Muhammad Ali Center Global Education and Charitable Foundation, as one of the most famous Kentuckians of all time, Muhammad Ali, a native of Louisville, has partnered with Alltech.
Alltech's presence at European horse events this year is a strategic prelude to what will be staged in Kentucky in 2010. Alltech already helped sponsor the Royal Windsor Horse Show in May and in December will lend its name to the Olympia Grand Prix Horse Show as well. The championship horse show at the end of August will be "basically the last major (equine) event in the United Kingdom before the World Equestrian Games, so that adds some significance to it," said Stephens.