The American Bus Association (ABA) has announced that "A Gift from the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse," an upcoming blockbuster exhibition in the Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse, and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have been designated as two of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2010 by an elite tourism industry selection committee.
Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, indicates that "A Gift from the Desert" and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will offer excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world.
"The attractiveness of 'A Gift from the Desert' and the 2010 Games as don't-miss entertainment value is only part of why their selection this year is such a distinction for the Kentucky Horse Park," said Peter J. Pantuso, ABA's President and CEO. "The real news here is the 'A Gift from the Desert' and the 2010 Games have been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives the Kentucky Horse Park an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners."
"A Gift from the Desert" will be the first major museum exhibition to explore the fascinating history of the Arabian horse. Through original art, artifacts, and the most currently accepted scholarly research, the exhibition will be a dynamic journey tracing the origin and arrival of the proto-Arabian horse in the Near East. It will then track the Arabian's impact on the development of early civilizations, its dispersal throughout the world, its impact in the creation and refinement of other breeds, and the renaissance of Arabian breeding currently taking place in its ancestral homelands.
"A Gift from the Desert" will run May 29-October 15, 2010 and the 2010 Games will take place Sepember 25-October 10. For more information on "A Gift from the Desert," go to www.KyHorsePark.com. For more information on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park, go to www.alltechfeigames.org.
Park Hours and Rates: From March 15 through October 31, the park is open seven days a week. Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children 7-12. Children six and under are always admitted free of charge. Admission includes the International Museum of the Horse-In Association with the Smithsonian Institution-and the American Saddlebred Museum and Gift Shop.