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Kentucky Horse Shows LLC to Install Top of the Line Footing in Hunter Arenas

Exhibitor Satisfaction and Equine Safety Are Main Priorities

February 12, 2009

Lexington, KY --- Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, the management company for hunter/jumper competitions held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, is thrilled to announce that they are resurfacing the main hunter ring (Stonelea) and large hunter schooling ring with state-of-the-art footing. The new high-tech surfaces are designed by the German company OTTO Sport- und Reitplatz GmbH and will be installed for the upcoming Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, held at the park from May 6-17, 2009.

Hugh Kincannon, manager of Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, commented, “We’ve been extremely happy with the OTTO Sport surface, which was installed in the Walnut Ring and schooling area before our summer show series last year. The footing received rave reviews from our competitors. Since both the Walnut Ring and new grand prix stadium will have the OTTO Sport surface, we feel our jumper exhibitors are well taken care of in the footing department.”

Last year the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation installed the OTTO Sport footing in the Walnut Ring and adjacent warm-up area, significantly improving the competition for jumper riders.

“We also know we can’t ignore our hunter exhibitors,” Kincannon explained. “We want to provide the same high-quality show experience for them. The normal sources of funding for projects at the Kentucky Horse Park are committed to improving the park’s infrastructure for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and beyond, so my partners and I have elected to fund these footing improvements ourselves,” he stated. “We feel these improvements to the hunter complex are crucial; it’s our responsibility, as managers, to provide excellent showing conditions for our competitors. At the Kentucky Horse Park, we are pleased to offer what we think is the best footing available.”

“OTTO Sport footing is secure yet forgiving,” noted Kincannon. “The mats provide a significant cushioning effect as horses gallop and jump, and the drainage system makes wet weather a non-issue. The mat’s design absorbs concussion, prevents horses from slipping and retains water to minimize dust.”

Hunter ring installation will begin on March 1, 2009, and will be completed in three weeks. By April 1, 2009, seventy percent of the outdoor hunter/jumper arena surfaces at the Kentucky Horse Park will be OTTO Sport footing. The OTTO Riding Arena Mat system proved its qualities during the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, and in other premier equine events around the world. It is especially valued for its safety properties and outstanding drainage features.

Installation of the OTTO Sport footing is currently underway in the new outdoor stadium, previously known as the Johnson Arena, and the stadium will be the feature grand prix ring at the horse park. This new arena will be used for competition at the upcoming Kentucky Spring Horse Shows.

John Nicholson, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation commented, “We are very pleased that Kentucky Horse Shows LLC is providing new footing for two of our hunter/jumper rings. We’ve had a very successful partnership with them over the years, which has been mutually beneficial for our organizations and for literally tens of thousands of competitors. The park has already installed new footing in our other outdoor rings, so with this addition, the majority of the outdoor competition areas at the park will have state-of-the-art footing for the benefit of horses and riders. It will also enhance our ability to draw more world-class events to the park, which will ultimately benefit the state of Kentucky for many years to come.”

The new footing in the Walnut Ring was provided by the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, and funds for the outdoor main stadium were supplied by the Commonwealth of Kentucky as part of new construction related to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and future events at the park. With top of the line footing in the hunter and jumper rings and a convenient indoor arena, Kentucky Horse Shows now provide exhibitors with a stellar show experience regardless of weather conditions.

For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC or the upcoming Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please go to www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.

To learn more about OTTO Sport- und Reitplatz GmbH, please go to

www.ottosport.com.

For more information on the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, please visit their official website at www.khpfoundation.org

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