LEXINGTON, Ky. — One of the Kentucky’s biggest tourist and out-of-state attractions recently received big bucks from the state budget for a facelift. The Kentucky Horse Park is seeing its allotment in the state budget nearly double from just two years ago.
Between tourists and competitors, the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington sees over one million visitors every year, from across the country and across the globe. It’s why the Kentucky General Assembly devoted $39 million to the park in the state budget for renovation and construction of facilities.
$36 million comes from the state’s onetime spending budget, the rest, $3 million, is part of the state’s recurring expenses for the biennium.
“We touch all aspects of the park with this budget from the tourist side to the competitor, to the campground it really does stretch our entire operation,” said Lee Carter, president of the Kentucky Horse Park.
$15 million will go toward construction of competition barns and stalls alone. Carter said another $5 million will go toward finishing the second phase of a two-phase project updating the International Museum of the Horse. $9.5 million be spent on the on-site restaurant and entertainment pavilions. Carter said the park serves many purposes to Kentucky.
“We’re open 365, we are a working horse farm and so this is an opportunity for some that if they’ve never been around a horse for them to see a horse up close and personal to understand what a special relationship, we as people can have with our equine friends,” Carter said.
Just last week at least 80,000 people attended the three-day event at the park. Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said investing in the Kentucky Horse Park is investing in tourism.
“When people come here to attend events or participate in events at the Horse Park, they’re spending money in Kentucky; they stay at our hotels, they buy gas here,” Thayer said.
The Kentucky Horse Park is owned and operated by the state. Thayer said they compete with similar, privately owned parks in other states to attract the international competition audience.
“Kentucky is the horse capital of the world, but to stay that way, we’ve got to make sure we have the facilities to keep up with other states. When you’re number one, people are always going to be trying to knock you down,” Thayer said.
“We need to stay current; we need to stay competitive; our equine competitors they have choices of venues to go to,” Carter said.
The park opened in 1978 and is a working equestrian farm and training and competition center. Park leaders also say it’s the only park dedicated to man’s relationship with the horse.
Kentucky Horse Park is 1,229-acres in size.