On September 25, at the “Half-Way There” celebration marking the two-years remaining until the opening of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park, park Executive Director John Nicholson announced several major horse shows that have just signed contracts to hold their events in 2009 in the new indoor arena, which is currently under construction.

Nicholson stated, “Kentucky’s investment in our new indoor arena is already paying off. For several years the managers of a number of prestigious shows have expressed an interest in holding their events at the Kentucky Horse Park, if there came a time when we had the facilities to accommodate them. In April of this year we announced that five major horse shows had already contracted with us for 2009. Today I am thrilled and honored to announce an additional three horse shows which will now hold their events in our new state-of-the-art indoor arena in 2009.”

The shows are:

- The American Vaulting Association National Vaulting Championship, July 6-12, 2009
- Clayton Woosley Hall of Fame Reining Championships, July 23-26, 2009
- Kentucky Fall Saddlebred Classic, September 30-Oct 3, 2009

Nicholson concluded, “It is a tremendous compliment to the Kentucky Horse Park and the Commonwealth of Kentucky that these show organizers have placed their confidence in us by committing their events to our new arena while it is yet unfinished. Our state will reap benefits from the investment in this arena for decades to come.”