Lisa Kemp at 2010 WEG - how many people do you think posed for this same shot?
The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) had an impact in many ways, from changing the face of the Kentucky Horse Park and leaving behind a legacy of structures that will attract even more world-class equestrian events in the future, to creating lasting memories for those that were fortunate enough to experience the event last autumn.
WEG also had a significant economic impact within the state of Kentucky, according to numbers released recently at a Kentucky Horse Park news conference. While early projections placed dollar figures at $150 to $167 million, the final study showed a greater than $201 million impact to the state.
The June 27th news conference, held in the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse lobby due to a summer downpour that morning, featured remarks from Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear; First Lady Jane Beshear; Alltech founder Dr. Pearse Lyons; Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow; and Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson.
A recording of John Nicholson’s remarks about WEG’s impact will be available soon; watch for it here. In the meantime, those wishing to learn more can view an online version of the report, available at the Kentucky Department of Travel website.
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