LEXINGTON, Kentucky – When the Kentucky Horse Park opened in September of 1978 with the World Three-Day Championships, few would have dreamed that 25 years later the park would not only be an ambassador for the equine industry, but also a leader in Kentucky Tourism.

For local equestrians trying to piece together a vacation for this spring or summer, keep in mind that the Kentucky Horse Park will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a world-exclusive exhibition called All The Queen’s Horses: The Role of the Horse in British History. Presented by the International Museum of the Horse from April 26 through August 24, All The Queen’s Horses is the most spectacular and comprehensive exhibition ever to explore the role of the horse in the British Isle for more than 12,000 years.

The story will be represented through more than 500 artifacts and paintings assembled from more than 70 of the finest museums and private collections in the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – all told, worth about $100 million.

Artifacts include the earliest known example of human art ever found in Britain – a flat bone with a detailed incised horse’s head dating from 10,000 BC. Other artifacts include a 3rd century BC Scottish pony head armor; a gilded bronze Roman cavalry helmet with mask; selected pieces of the famous 12th century Lewis chessmen; Henry V’s war saddle; Henry VIII’s Burgundian horse armor; Elizabeth I’s sidesaddle; the spurs of Charles I; miniature carriages of Queen Victoria’s children, and various items from the current Royal Family.

All the Queen’s Horses will also feature a stellar collection of 60 paintings selected not only for their artistic merit, but also for their ability to enhance the exhibition’s outstanding collection of artifacts. Some of the artists represented include George Stubbs, J. F. Herring, Sr., Charles Landseer, James Pollard, Sir Alfred Munnings, John Wootton and Joshua Ross.

One of the exhibition’s highlights will be the complete reconstruction of a sixth century gravesite of an Anglo-Saxon warrior and horse. This extremely significant site was discovered near Cambridge in 1997. A fiberglass reproduction of the burial pit will be cast and, shortly before the exhibition opens, archaeologists will transport the actual grave goods and skeletons to the Horse Park where they will be placed into the pit as they were originally found. This will be the first public exhibition of the material.

The horse has been an integral part of British history for more than two millennium. In 55 BC, Celtic warriors used cavalry and horse-drawn chariots to oppose Caesar’s invasion. As a result, horses were essential cargo for the successful second Roman invasion in 45 AD, and remained a critical element in Rome’s four centuries of occupation. In the 9th century, Viking raiders were routinely stole horses from local inhabitants, providing the marauders with the mobility necessary to seek their plunder.

Horses have played an important role in the English monarchy since the early Anglo-Saxon rulers. When William the Conqueror and his Norman knights invaded the island in 1066, their advanced cavalry techniques and larger horses won the day at Hastings. In the fourteenth century Edward III integrated mounted archers using the native longbow into his army. The added mobility provided by the horse combined with the archer’s skill elevated the English to one of the most respected military forces in Europe. Henry VIII, an avid fan of the medieval tournament, imported heavier breeding stock from the continent in an effort to develop an English horse capable of carrying the heavy armor of the day - this despite the fact that the heavy warhorse had already become passé on the battlefield. Charles II was known to have raced against his courtiers in Newmarket, and established the Town Plate race that he won in 1671.

In England today, the Royal family remains intimately involved with horses. Queen Elizabeth II is still an avid rider and also maintains a stable of excellent Thoroughbred runners. Prince Philip remains one of the leading carriage competitors in the world, while Princess Anne has represented her country as a member of the English three-day-event team. All members of the Royal family will be providing pieces for the exhibition.

Much of the material presented in All the Queen’s Horses will be directly associated with British monarchs including Henry V, Henry VIII, Charles I, Charles II, Elizabeth I, Victoria, George V, George VI, Edward VIII and Elizabeth II.

More Special Events

The 2003 event calendar features something every weekend throughout the summer – and again includes some of the most prestigious equine events in the country. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day event, the only four-star three-day event held in the Western Hemisphere, will run from April 24 through April 27. Also returning are the High Hopes Steeplechase on May 18, one of the few remaining steeplechase races in the country, and the 23rd annual Egyptian Event, June 3 through 7, with more than $100,000 in prize money for competing top Egyptian Arabian horses.

The honor All The Queen’s Horses, the Parade of Breeds show features the Wetwang Chariot, a chariot reconstructed for BBC Television’s “Meet the Ancestors” program based on archaeological evidence unearth in Wetwang Slack on England’s eastern coast. Kentucky Horse Park staff willd rive the chariot and two Welsh ponies throughout the run of the exhibition, both to entertain park visitors and to assist archeologists with professional feedback on their 21st century adaptation of Iron age technology.

The Parade of Breeds also showcases a number of individual breeds and costumes with a British Connecticut, including ladies side-saddle and a knight in glorious color, in addition to presenting authentic show and competition attire and exciting costumes from America’s wild west. The Parade of Breeds show will be presented daily from 11 am to 2 pm during the main summer season.

Retired quarter horse Sgt. Pepper Feature will return as one of the featured horses presented at the Hall of Champions this year and will be honored with a special day of his own as he enjoys his 25th year along with the park’s 25th anniversary. Pepper resides at the Hall of Champions with other elite horses – including thoroughbreds Cigar and John Henry; standarbreds Staying Together and Western Dreamer; and saddlebred show horse CH Gypsy Supreme.

And one of the all-time favorite features of the Kentucky Horse Park, the movie “Thou Shalt Fly Without Wings,” which won an Academy Award© nomination in 1978, has been digitally remastered in honor of the park’s 25th anniversary and will be show daily in the Visitor Information Center.

There are so many other events highlighting the spring at summer in Kentucky. If you’re looking to make a trip south, call them or log on to www.kyhorse.com to start planning.

Kentucky Horse Park

International Museum

of the Horse

4089 Iron Works Parkway

Lexington, KY 40511

1-800-678-8813

www.kyhorsepark.com

General admission – $19.50 (adults), $13.50 (youth 7-12), free (kids 6 and under); Hours – March 15 through October 31, open 7 days a week, 9 am to 5 pm.

ABOUT THE PARK – Located in Lexington, Kentucky, the heart of the Bluegrass, the Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm with 1,200 acres surrounded by 30 miles of white plank fencing. The park is like none other in the world. Dedicated to man’s relationship with the horse, the park features two outstanding museums, twin theaters and nearly 50 different breeds of horses. All of these elements combine to make a visit to the park an enjoyable learning experience for everyone – from those unfamiliar with the horse to the horse expert.