Hats Off Day to Celebrate Kentucky's Horse Industry this Saturday, Aug 4, 2012
Hats Off to Kentucky's Horse Industry Day is a celebration of the horse and its impact on the state of Kentucky. The day offers fun family activities including arts and crafts for children, pony rides, interactive educational booths, thrilling equestrian competition, and it's all free! Hats Off Day is the only day of the year an entire family can enjoy the Kentucky Horse Park and all it has to offer, at no cost!
The horse industry in Kentucky generates 80,000 - 100,000 in direct and indirect jobs, and impacts our economy by an estimated 8 billion dollars!
In celebration of the horse, Kentuckians flock to the Kentucky Horse Park on Hats Off 
Day for a free day of family fun and an opportunity to learn more about horses and the amazing things they do for our great state.
Events include children’s activities, free pony rides, educational booths, interactive equine stations, $50,000 Grand Prix Show Jumping, and much more!
The Rood & Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix, a challenging show jumping competition between top international horses and riders, is the featured evening entertainment of Hats Off Day and is taking place in the beautiful outdoor Rolex Stadium. A silent and live auction will benefit the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and the Kentucky Equine Humane Center.
2012 promises to be very exciting! There’s something for everyone -- competition, great amenities and fantastic entertainment for the whole family. See the schedule of events
Discount Admission to Kentucky Horse Park for Spring!
Coming to the park during Spring Break?
"War Horse" Books Delivered to Kentucky Schools as Kentucky Horse Park Literacy Program Expands
LEXINGTON, Ky (Dec. 15, 2011) - The Kentucky Horse Park is proud to announce its expanded Kentucky Horse Park Literacy Program (KHPLP), which combines horse-themed books and experiences with live horses to inspire a life-long love of horses and reading.
Formerly known as the Black Stallion Literacy Project, the program has already distributed in excess of 15,000 books to more than 10,000 first- and fourth- grade children in its first two years. Now operating as the Kentucky Horse Park Literacy Program, it will expand to other grades to broaden literacy and the love of horses to a greater number of schools in more counties.
This year, the program has already introduced "War Horse" by Michael Morpurgo, prior to the opening of the film based on the book. The program also will include Meghan McCarthy's "Seabiscuit, the Wonder Horse" for younger children.
"We love children. We love horses. And in Kentucky we need them both to succeed, so we are delighted to be able to expand our Kentucky Horse Park Literacy Program which will allow us to reach out to far more children across the Commonwealth," said Mollie Jameson, volunteer chair for KHPLP.
"Literacy and horses are each vital to Kentucky's future," said Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson. "In our Kentucky Horse Park Literacy Program, not only do children develop a love of reading, but we also hope that they will begin to appreciate the tremendous gift that they have inherited as heirs of the Horse Capital of the World.
"We are especially pleased to include 'War Horse' this year. It's a wonderful tale of honor, courage, nobility, duty and sacrifice on the parts of both the people and the horses in the story. And with Steven Spielberg's movie - based on the book - coming out soon, we know that the books will be a big hit with school-age readers."
Books for first graders will be delivered to participating schools by one of the Kentucky Horse Park's resident horses in February and March. Once the children have each taken a turn meeting the horse in person, each is given "Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse" by Meghan McCarthy, to read and keep. After reading the book, most classes will visit the Kentucky Horse Park on April 10. They will watch a live reenactment of the famous Seabiscuit/War Admiral match race, including music, live horses, real jockeys, period costumes, antique cars, award ceremony and paddock scene. They will also be invited to visit the gravesite of the real War Admiral, who is buried at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Fourth-grade students in Fayette, Woodford, Bourbon, Grant, Scott, Clark and Madison counties have already received 4,500 copies of Michael Morpurgo's "War Horse" book. On March 29 in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park, these fourth-graders will enjoy a live equine production. They will also have the option of touring the blockbuster exhibition, "The Horse," in the International Museum of the Horse, a Smithsonian Affiliate, at a special discounted school rate.
The KHPLP has already reached out to share the love of reading and horses to children at the UKHealthCare Kentucky Children's Hospital. Also, 2120 books recently were delivered to seven elementary schools in Clay County, where every child in kindergarten to sixth grade received an age-appropriate book published by Scholastic. Toys for Tots received 600 books written by Walter Farley for its Christmas drive in Scott County, and the Blue Grass Farms Charities received 60 books to distribute to children of local horse farm workers.
The Kentucky Horse Park Literacy Program is funded entirely through private donations and led by a dedicated group of community volunteers. The program's 2011-2012 sponsors include: Kentucky Bank, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, UKHealthCare Kentucky Children's Hospital, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, PNC Bank, The Little Foundation, Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, and other generous donors.
For more information contact Mollie Jameson, 859-509-1915 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Editor's Note: Watch a short video overview of the program: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2fGTmyBLq0&;feature=youtu.be
Give "THE HORSE" for Christmas!
"The Horse" is the most recent blockbuster exhibition in the International Museum of the Horse here at the Kentucky Horse Park.
"The Horse" beautifully explores how nature's most majestic creature has shaped our world through140 artifacts and cultural objects from around the world including a complete Samurai saddle from Japan, a full suit of 15th-century German horse armor, and Native American horse accoutrements. Bringing the exhibit to life are a stunning 220-square foot diorama that depicts the horse’s ancestors, a high-definition video that captures in slow motion the rippling muscles of a Thoroughbred race horse, and an interactive video of a life-size horse where visitors can investigate a horse’s pulmonary and digestive systems and other biological traits.
Assembled by the American Museum of Natural History, "The Horse" is the largest travelling exhibition of equine art, artifacts and memorabilia ever assembled and it's on display through April 6, 2012.
Tickets to "The Horse" will make great Christmas gifts for the horse lover in your family, or for those who are simply interested in history and art. It's also full of interactive exhibits for kids.
"The Horse" is included with Kentucky Horse Park admission for only $10, or you can purchase a "museum only" ticket for $8, which will also include the American Saddlebred Museum.
To purchase tickets for "The Horse," call 859-259-4280 or stop by the Kentucky Horse Park Wed-Sun, 9am to 5pm.
Get more information on this fantastic exhibition,"THE HORSE."
Message from First Lady Jane Beshear - Free Ovarian Cancer Screenings
Ovarian cancer is ranked 5th among cancer killers for American women.
Most women have no symptoms until the disease has progressed toward its advanced stages and as the disease progresses, survival rates sharply drop. However, women can be cured with existing treatment methods if they detect the cancer early.
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and last week, I took part in announcement at the University of Kentucky (UK) on a 24-year-long study conducted by the Ovarian Cancer Screening Program that showed annual screening greatly improves early detection and can save lives. Since the program began in 1987, more than 200,000 screenings have been performed on more than 37,000 Kentucky women and they have found more than 447 ovarian tumors and 76 detected malignancies.
The Ovarian Cancer Screening Program offers free screenings and are available at six locations throughout the state that include:
• Markey Cancer Center, 800 Rose Street, UK, Lexington
• Floyd County Health Department, 283 Goble Street, Prestonsburg
• Hardin County Health Department, 580 Westport Rd, Elizabethtown
• Mason County Health Department, 120 West 3rd Street, Maysville
• McCracken County Health Department, 916 Kentucky Avenue, Paducah
• Pulaski County Health Department, 45 Roberts Street, Somerset
The screening procedure is painless and lasts around 15 minutes.
Women are the primary caretakers in many our Kentucky families, but they often put her own well-being below that of their children and spouses. I strongly urge women to take advantage of these free screenings across the state because taking responsibility for our own health will ultimately improve the health of our loved ones.
The Ovarian Cancer Screening Program is open to women age 50 or older, or women over the age of 25 who have a family history of ovarian cancer.
For more information, call (859) 323-4687 or (800) 766-8279.
Thank you,
First Lady Jane Beshear
Help Us Plant Free Trees in Kentucky!
Help Us Plant FREE TREES in Kentucky!
The Kentucky State Parks have an opportunity to acquire funding to plant trees through the "Odwalla Plant a Tree" program.
Please click on the link below to vote for Kentucky, then forward this to your friends. It will only take a few seconds and won't cost a penny. You can plant one for each of your email addresses. You can also plant one additional tree per email by using the code ODWSPR.
Your votes can help us reforest our state parks, which will be a benefit to everyone!
Thank you!
Just click here: Plant trees in Kentucky!
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