Reining to be the First Test Event for 2010 WEG

The Kentucky Cup Reining will not only be the first event to slide into the new indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in July, it also will be the first official test for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. A four-star FEI event, the Kentucky Cup Reining offers a similar format to the Games in both nation's cup competitions and individual championships. The Nation's Cup team competition will be July 21 and the individual finals will be July 23.

"Every discipline that is in the World Equestrian Games, by FEI regulations, is required to host a test event leading up to the main event," said National Reining Horse Association Executive Director Dan Wall. "By doing this test event, they can literally test the facilities and make sure the management team is prepared to run an event the magnitude of the World Games."

Nations expected to field teams include Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland and the United States. Additionally, many nations are anticipated to send athletes for the individual competition, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, France, Spain and Uruguay.

"This is a test reining event, but the anticipation and excitement leading up to the Games in 2010 is unlike anything I've ever seen," Wall added.

Participants in the Kentucky Cup Reining will be among the first to compete in the newly opened indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park, giving them a first glimpse at the same structures where 2010 Games reining championships will be held. This opportunity is important for all nations interested in bringing home medals from Kentucky in 2010.

Tickets for the individual finals are available from the World Games Box Office at greatly reduced prices to encourage everyone to come and enjoy the relatively new FEI sport of reining. More information on how and where to buy tickets will be announced as it becomes available.

Reining was added to the FEI as a discipline in 2000 and was featured for the first time in 2002 at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain. The reining competitions at the 2006 Games in Aachen, Germany, launched the discipline and its athletes into fame, with sold-out performances and loud, fanatical crowds.

As the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games come to Kentucky, the sport of reining is sure to enjoy a sort of "homecoming" in the United States as the only western discipline recognized by the FEI. Plans are under way to feature reining in new and exciting ways in 2010, including a newly approved schedule format allowing for more public sessions of the discipline.

Reining superstars like AQHA Professional Horsemen Tim McQuay, Matt Mills and Pete Kyle along with two-time FEI World Reining Masters champion Rudi Kronsteiner, 2006 World Equestrian Games individual champion Duane Latimer and NRHA's only $3 million rider Shawn Flarida.

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fdration Equestre Internationale (FEI). Her Royal Highness Princess Haya is the current president of the FEI. The Games are held every four years and this will be the first occurrence in the United States.

The Games will be broadcast on NBC Sports, which has marked the largest commitment to network coverage of equestrian sport in U.S. television history. The 2010 Games are expected to have a statewide economic impact of $150 million, and current sponsors include Alltech, Rolex, John Deere, Ariat International Inc. and Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. For more information on the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please visit www.alltechfeigames.com.