FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2009Lexington, KY - As thousands of visitors travel to Lexington, Ky., to watch the world’s premier equestrians compete for top honors at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, there is another reason to explore the city in the heart of the bluegrass.Horse Capital Productions, LLC, a Lexington-based company, will present the 2010 International Equestrian Festival™, to be held simultaneously with the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The 2010 International Equestrian Festival will run September 25-October 10, 2010, at the state-of-the-art 100,000 sq. ft. Lexington Convention Center, located in downtown Lexington.“The 2010 International Equestrian Festival™ will highlight local, regional and international businesses. By showcasing area proprietors and attractions, the 2010 International Equestrian Festival provides an economic driver for Lexington, the commonwealth of Kentucky and the entire region,” said Kimberly Eilers Brown, Cofounder and Managing Partner of Horse Capital Productions, LLC.The multimillion dollar event will feature world-class educational seminars, demonstrations, and convention activities, as well as shopping with high-end retailers from around the world.A portion of the proceeds from the 2010 International Equestrian Festival™ will be donated to local, national and international charitable horse organizations, according to Anne Buchanan, Horse Capital Productions’ Chief Executive Officer and Founder.###Media contact: 859.223-2010 

KENTUCKY DERBY-WINNING JOCKEY CALVIN BOREL TO BE THE NEXT GUEST ON BLOODHORSE.COM “TALKIN’ HORSES”

Borel’s upset aboard Mine That Bird in the 135^th running of the Kentucky Derby May 2 produced was the second-biggest payout in Derby history. You can relive the excitement with Borel on “Talkin’ Horses,” Thurs., May 7, at Noon ET on BloodHorse.com.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — May 5 — Calvin Borel, the hard-working and unassuming Thoroughbred jockey who won his second Kentucky Derby aboard 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird, will be the special guest on BloodHorse.com’s “Talkin’ Horses” podcast this week on Thursday, May 7, at Noon, ET, sponsored byOCD™ Pellets. Fans and racing enthusiasts are invited to submit their questions for Calvin Borel now through Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, by visitinghttp://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/Talkin-Horses/

The 42-year-old Louisiana native, whose brother Cecil is a successful trainer on the Louisiana and Midwest circuits, used the same path to the winner’s circle – along the inside rail – with Mine That Bird that he took with Street Sense two years ago. It was a huge weekend for Borel, who also won the Kentucky Oaks the previous day by 20-1/4 lengths with Rachel Alexandra, becoming only the seventh jockey in history to accomplish that feat.

Borel displayed his genuine passion for riding and winning as he walked Mine That Bird down the stretch to the winner’s circle, playing to the crowd, laughing, and shouting “50 to 1! 50 to 1!” Equally evident following the Derby was Borel’s work ethic. Rather than shirking his duty in favor of celebration, Borel rode in the next race of the day.

“All I ever wanted to be was a jockey,” he has been quoted as saying. “A lot of kids make plans to be firemen, cowboys, or astronauts, but I knew by eight that I wanted to ride races.” Borel, who credits agent Jerry Hissam for much of his success, is a Louisville resident and is engaged to Lisa Funk. So far in 2009, Borel’s mounts have earned more than $3.6 million. In 2007, he won his 800^thrace at Churchill Downs and in 2005 became the 45^th jockey to reach the 4,000-win plateau.

To submit a question for Calvin Borel and participate in the podcast, visitBloodHorse.com at http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/Talkin-Horses/. This special edition of BloodHorse.com “Talkin’ Horses” is sponsored by OCD™ Pellets. For more information, visit www.OCDPellets.com.

About BloodHorse.com:

BloodHorse.com was voted the #1 horse industry Web site in 2007, 2005, and 2002 by the American Horse Publications Association, and was previously selected as a Top Seven Equestrian Web site by Forbes magazine. It is the preferred choice of industry professionals and racing enthusiasts alike for up-to-the-minute racing news and information. From award-winning, comprehensive editorial to fan-favorite Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown Mania channels and the engaging BloodHorse.com “Talkin’ Horses” feature, there is something for all Thoroughbred racing professionals and enthusiasts. BloodHorse.com is operated by Blood-Horse Publications, the Thoroughbred industry’s foremost publishing company. Blood-Horse Publications also publishes The Blood-Horse, the leading weekly Thoroughbred racing and breeding news and information magazine; the award-winning The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care, a monthly equine health care magazine; The Blood-Horse MarketWatch, a newsletter for Thoroughbred investors; the official Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup souvenir magazines; Auction Edge; and Keeneland magazine. In addition, Blood-Horse Publications also publishes equine-related books and videos under the Eclipse Press banner, and operates a family of award-winning Web sites includingTheHorse.com, StallionRegister.com, ExclusivelyEquine.com, the official store of Blood-Horse Publications, and TrueNicks.com.

Documentary - “What About the Horse?” Questions Public Awareness

Voluntary Instinct Productions’ documentary entitled “What About the Horse?” explores Land Development and the fate and exploitation of wild and domestic Horses in North America.

New York, NY (Web.com/PRWEB ) January 23, 2008 — Voluntary Instinct Productions - To recap on a long standing issue; ‘NPR’s All Things Considered’ reported Oct.16, 2007 that approximately 60,000 horses were slaughtered annually at the Belgian-owned Carvel International Horse Slaughter plant in Dekalb, Illinois. Carvel was the third and final of three foreign owned horse slaughter plants to be closed in the US in fall 2007, somewhat affecting this $20,000,000 export business. This is a sore subject in the equine circles, but why has it primarily remained there? Voluntary Instinct’s three part documentary series entitled “What About the Horse?” http://www.voluntaryinstinct.org/index.html, will explore the fate and exploitation of our wild and domestic horses, to unveil the core issues of how this situation has gotten so out of hand and why so few people know anything about it.

Despite legislation obtained by the Humane Society lobbying to ban horse slaughter within the US, we continue to export horses to Mexico and Canada for slaughter, and onto Europe and Asia for consumption. The export business continues, but unfortunately the horses don’t fair as well with the live transport. The conditions are very difficult and cruel to the animals. Some are transported by aircraft, but usually traveling days overseas in uncommonly tight quarters, without food or water, in a mad rush to their immediate demise. The fear and abuse these animals withstand is immense. Compounded by the brutal conditions in which they are now slaughtered (without FDA regulations). Sometimes selling for less 15 cent per pound. Race and Show horses, former pets and protected wild horses among others are bought very inexpensively at auctions, unbeknownst to the seller, specifically for slaughter purposes.American’s don’t typically eat horse meat. This could be associated with the connotation that US freedom was built on the backs of these creatures. Wars were fought, livestock managed, transportation provided, hunting accelerated, mail delivered, sports enhanced, races won and ponies given to little girls while emotional attachments were made for life.Yet the current economic mantra appears to be that few things are sacred and everything has a price. Therefore, why shouldn’t the very animal that this country’s freedom was built on the backs of, be sold for consumption over seas? Have horses completely served their purpose since the advent of the automobile and impending demise of the cowboy? Are they now just an economic drain? Perhaps any other purpose is purely sport and human indulgence?Adding to the problem, agricultural areas are being sold and over developed, with little regard to grazing and roaming needs for wild and domestic horses among other animals. And these resources are only further stressed by over zealous horse breeders.But still, Wythe Pharmaceuticals of New Jersey continues to reproduce horses at an alarming rate in Canada since PMU farms were banned in the US in 2002. These PMU farms are apparently necessary to produce Premarin, in order to keep the hormonal nightmare of Menopause at bay. Unfortunately many Premarin users have no idea how this drug is produced or the long suffering inflicted upon the equine.Just as most manufacturing companies aren’t interested in accommodating the bi-products of their productivity, we now have a surplus of unwanted foals, with most going on to slaughter.        However, there is an upside to all this equine drama. In some countries these American horses obviously bring a pretty penny and look very nice on a plate with a sprig of parsley. Could this equine export be just another necessary bi- product of capitalism, which we have somehow managed to exploit even further? Read the full article at http://www.prnewsnow.com/Public_Release/Art_And_Entertainment/177338.html 

Boro explores idea of training facility on fort land BY JENNA O’DONNELL Staff Writer 

Oceanport officials are considering a thoroughbred horse training facility as part of plans for the reuse of Fort Monmouth acreage.

Mayor Michael Mahon introduced the subject of a training facility at the Feb. 7 Borough Council meeting during which Councilman Gerald “Jay” Briscione was designated as the council liaison to Monmouth Park racetrack.

According to Briscione, Dennis Drazin, of the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, had approached him to ask if there was land in the borough to house a training facility.

Briscione cited concerns that the association was losing many horses to out-of-state racetracks and/or facilities as the reason a center might be needed and should be included in the borough’s plans for Oceanport’s Fort Monmouth plans.

“It wasn’t ever part of the plan. Something like this had never been brought up,” Briscione said. “The need for this has come about because of the increased competition from other states. There is no place for New Jersey horsemen to go after Monmouth Park closes for the season. So they talked to the state about opening a training facility.”

Oceanport would be a logical site for such a facility because it is equidistant to many of the racetracks that the trainers would send horses to race at aside from Monmouth Park, Briscione said.

“[The proposed facility] would probably be similar to something you’d see along Route 537 in Colts Neck,” Briscione said. “It would probably be a barn or a number of barns with a training track and a lot of paddocks for the horses to be turned out. [Drazin] asked if we had the land for that.”

 Read the full article at http://hub.gmnews.com/news/2008/0221/Front_Page/002.html 

Posted by The Republican Newsroom February 10, 2008 12:24PM

By JOHN APPLETONjappleton@repub.comBELCHERTOWN - After focusing mostly on farms in town during its first year, the Agricultural Commission is devoting attention this year on those who own horse stables and provide services to the many people in Belchertown who own horses. ”I see it as the next step,” said Grace M. Adzima, who is co-chair of the commission established in 2006 by the Town Meeting. ”There are several commercial operations and there are well over 100 people who own horses in Belchertown. We still have enough land that people can have a horse in their back yard,” Adzima said. Last year, the Agricultural Commission published a directory of farms in town and came up with different ways to bring farmers together to talk about steps that could be taken to help them survive and prosper at a time when economic difficulties and development are wiping out many small farms, particularly in the Northeast. Adzima said the commission will continue doing what it can with those who raise crops and livestock on their farms but will branch out to work with two other major groups, focusing on those who own stables and horses this year and reaching out more to those in the logging business next year. The commission will conduct a gathering of people who own horses or run equine businesses Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. It will feature a discussion of winter horse care and serve as a forum for learning more about the needs and goals of those involved, much as the January meetings of farmers have the past two years.  Read the full article at http://blog.masslive.com/breakingnews/2008/02/towns_focuses_on_horse_service.html 

By Julie Bryant

Feb 4, 2008, 10:42 

College Station, Texas - February 1, 2008 Over the past few weeks there has been more and more talk about the odds of a recession in the United States. Economist’s opinions are mixed as to whether we will have a recession, but all agree that, at the least, the economy is slowing and headed towards slower growth.

Whether an economic slowdown or an actual recession, both have implications for the broader horse industry that are worth considering, says David P. Anderson, PhD, Texas AgriLife Extension Economist at Texas A&M University.

Recession

Recessions are defined as negative economic activity, as measured by GDP, lasting more than a few months, spread across the economy. That means that the economy actually shrinks in size during a recession. The last recession took place in 2001.

Annual GDP growth has averaged about 5 percent, in current dollars, annually, over the last decade. This growth has been fueled by rising worker productivity, stable prices, a lack of inflationary pressure, falling real prices for some goods, and the expansion of new technologies and new products.

“This economic slowdown can be traced, probably first and foremost, to the rapid rise in energy prices,” Anderson said. “Over the last 3 years, oil prices have more than doubled to $100 per barrel. Gasoline and diesel prices have risen from $1.00 to over $3.00 per gallon. That increase in price has the effect of reducing the amount of money consumers have to spend on other items.” Since consumer spending is, roughly, 70 percent of GDP the resulting change in spending should be expected to have an effect on economic growth. In addition, nearly everything we buy is transported to its final destination, sold in stores lit by electricity, and is produced using higher cost energy.

Read the full article at http://www.bridleandbit.com/artman/publish/article_21030.shtml 

Westin resort would be open in time for Equestrian GamesBy Alex Davis  alexdavis@courier-journal.comThe Courier-Journal 

Plans for a 267-room hotel at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington are “back on track” after months of delays, state officials said yesterday.

In a preliminary vote, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority agreed to issue bonds for the project on behalf of the hotel’s developers. The state won’t be obligated to pay the debt, but issuance by a state agency will allow investors to avoid Kentucky income tax on the bonds’ interest.

State documents show that the hotel, a Westin, would have a stucco and limestone exterior, a shale roof, an outdoor swimming pool and about 300,000 square feet of overall space. It would open in time for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Horse Park. 

The resort project will cost an estimated $88 million, said Brad Burgess, one of the developers. The average room would cost $184 a night, he said, and the hotel would have a 74 percent overall occupancy rate.

A groundbreaking had been scheduled for December, but state officials said the project’s financing was delayed because of problems related to the national subprime mortgage crisis.

If a financing package falls into place in the coming weeks, construction could begin early next month. When the resort is completed, it will be turned over to a nonprofit group, the Bluegrass Equine & Tourism Foundation, with Gov. Steve Beshear appointing a majority of the foundation’s board members.

The foundation will own the hotel, and any profits after debt service are to go to the state’s equine and tourism industries. The resort’s day-to-day operations will be run by Dallas-based Prism Hotels, according to documents submitted to the state.

The documents also show that the resort would feature an art gallery, a specialty grocery, a day camp for children and a network of walking trails accented with sculptures by local artists.

Creating the nonprofit group was the only way to make the project viable, Burgess said, adding that without tax-exempt status, the venture wouldn’t generate enough profit to attract private investors.

Burgess also will serve on the nonprofit’s board, as will Phil Osborne of the Preston-Osborne public relations firm. The governor initially wasn’t involved in making appointments to the foundation board, and Osborne said the new structure will allow for more checks and balances.

Read the full article at  http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/BUSINESS/802010379/1024/NEWS0101

Governor Rendell Announces Improvements to Horse and Harness Racing Administration

By Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

 HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 15 –”Thanks, in part, to the hard work of each of the commissions and their staffs, two of the new racetracks authorized in Act 71 are up and running and the third is under construction,” said Governor Rendell. “The Sire Stakes and Breeders Funds for both commissions are providing unprecedented support for the future of Pennsylvania’s equine industry, and the addition of gaming to racetracks is bringing more racing fans to the state than ever before.”

 Pennsylvania is home to three standardbred racetracks - the Meadows in Washington County, Pocono Downs in Luzerne County and Harrah’s Chester Downs in Delaware County - and three thoroughbred tracks - Philadelphia Park, Penn National in Dauphin County and Presque Isle Downs in Erie. A fourth harness track was recently licensed in Lawrence County.The reorganization does not affect the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology and Research Laboratory, which tests at random and for all winning racehorses to ensure that the horses are racing on their own ability and the skill of their jockeys and drivers.The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.