December 20, 2010 -- In 2011, the Bluegrass Futurity Stallion Auction will be in the form of an online auction.

The auction website is scheduled to be up by January 17, a link to which will be accessible from the Bluegrass Futurity website, www.bluegrassfuturity.com.

The Auction is scheduled to take place beginning January 17 through January 30. Viewers will be able to see the current bid of each stallion, as well as place their own bids. There will be links for stallions that have videos or websites that can be linked in order to learn more about the stallion and his offspring.

"For the last decade we have needed a new indoor arena to stay competitive with the country's growing demand for equestrian competition facilities and to enhance our ability to attract large events to the Commonwealth of Kentucky," said John Nicholson, executive director of the park. "Our expectations were very high for this arena, so I am especially happy to report that five months before completion, those expectations have already been exceeded by the number of large events which have contracted with us and by several others which are pending."

"It is gratifying to see that the investment in the Kentucky Horse Park is paying off with these new events that will help boost tourism in Kentucky," said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow. "This helps to confirm the important role the Kentucky Horse Park and our Commonwealth have in the equine industry."

Beginning this July, first-time events scheduled for the new indoor arena include:

• American Vaulting Association National Vaulting Championship (July 9-12, 2009, estimated 150 competitors)
• North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (July 22-29, 2009, 200 competitors)
• WEG Reining Test Event (July 15-18, 2009, 75 competitors)
• WEG Vaulting Test Event (July 28-August 2, 2009, 150 competitors)
• National Reining Horse Association Tradition Futurity and East Coast Affiliate Championships (September 9-13, 2009, also contract agreements for 2011-2012, 600 competitors)
• Arabian Horse Association Sport Horse National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (September 21-27, 2009, also contract agreements for 2011-2014, 1,000 competitors)
• Kentucky Winter Indoor Hunter Jumper Show (November 13-15, 20-22, 2009 and yearly thereafter, 350 competitors each show)
• Kentucky Hunter Jumper Association Show (December 30, 2009-January 3, 2010, Jan 6-10, 2010 and yearly thereafter, 350 competitors each show)
• Kentucky Winter Indoor Hunter Jumper Show (January 29-31, 2010, February 5-7, 2010, March 5-7, 2010 and yearly thereafter, 350 competitors each show)
• Kentucky Winter Indoor Hunter Jumper Show (April 9-11, 2010, 600 competitors)
• Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship (May 3-9, 2010, 1,500-2,000 competitors)
• Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (September 25-October 10, 2010, part of the whole facility rental)
• Carriage Association of America National Carriage Show (July 1-3, 2011, 400 attendees).

A number of events which already take place at the Kentucky Horse Park will return, but are contracted for the indoor arena for the first time. This has allowed the park to book additional events in the existing covered arena. These include:

• John Henry Memorial Equine Adoption Fair (June 27, 2009, 500 attendees)
• Clayton Woosely Hall of Fame Reining (July 23-26, 2009, 250 competitors)
• USEF Pony Finals (August 5-9, 2009, 1,500 competitors)
• Kentucky Fall Saddlebred Classic (September 30-October 3, 2009, 300 competitors)
• Don MacBeth Memorial Fund Celebrity Team Penning (October 19, 2009, 1,000-1,500 attendees)
• Kentucky Arabian Bluegrass Classic (April 9-11, 2010, 350 competitors)

Nearly all of these events are included with admission to the Kentucky Horse Park, which gives Kentuckians and other visitors to Kentucky more value for their ticket and more exposure for the world of horse sports.

For information on renting the new indoor arena at the Kentucky Horse Park for special events, contact Sheila Forbes at 859-259-4205 or Sheila.forbes@ky.gov.

Ever seen a horse with curly hair? Or one that stands just 36 inches tall? How about a Spanish Conquistador's mount or a real equine movie star?

All these and more await you at the Kentucky Horse Park's Breeds Barn in Lexington, Ky. The barn is a treasure trove of equines in all sizes, shapes and colors. This horseshoe-shaped facility houses 24 horses, each representing one of the world's different breeds.

Twice daily from mid-March through October, park visitors gather here for the Parade of Breeds, an entertaining and educational presentation complete with music, costumes, and performances appropriate to each breed.

In between shows or during the off-season, visitors can get "up close and personal" with the Breeds Barn residents. Adjacent to each open-view stall is a plaque describing the individual horse and its breed, plus a flag designating the breed's country of origin. You can observe the horses being bathed, groomed and fed--even trained, on occasion.

"Even the cleaning of the stalls can be viewed. We encourage the public to come around to the backside of the barn and see where the elbow grease comes into play," Breeds Barn manager Denny Chapman said. "We want everyone who enters the Breeds Barn to be able to touch a horse, even if we're not having a show."

Here's a look at some of the "regulars" and the breeds they represent:

The park's American Saddlebred representative is an 8-year-old chestnut gelding named Times Up, who is on loan from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo. Nicknamed "Latte," he stands 16.2 hands high and is shown as a three-gaited pleasure horse in the Parade of Breeds. "He also carries the flag in our opening ceremonies, and can be ridden in appropriate Saddlebred Western attire," says Chapman.

When it comes to dramatic entrances, the Park's 9-year-old Andalusian, Maluso III, takes the cake. A striking black gelding donated by Lorraine McDaniel of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., he "...often carries Zorro in the Parade of Breeds show, with whip cracking and everything!" Chapman explains. A majestic yet gentle animal with a flair for entertainment, Maluso is a fitting ambassador of this influential Spanish breed that once served in battle.

The pride of the Nez Perce Indian nation is the spotted Appaloosa. He is renowned for not only his colorful coat, but his easy-going disposition. The Park's Appaloosa is Pretty Boy Floyd, a flashy gelding with white-tipped ears, a mottled nose and the customary white around the eye. A popular attraction when shown in Native American costume, he was donated by Elson and Susan Holliday of Slade, Ky.

One of two Friesian horses in the Breeds Barn, 14-year-old Thomas is a magnificent example of Holland's only native breed, which traces its roots to the primitive European Forest Horse. He was donated by Dr. Don Jacobs of Georgetown, Ky., and is known for his coal-black color, his high knee action and his hairy ("feathered") legs.

"Thomas is shown in several different disciplines, but probably the most crowd-pleasing is when he's shown in medieval attire, either by a knight, a Joan of Arc persona, or a medieval royal lady whose outfit was custom made for our show," Chapman said.

Some of the world's finest sport horses are warmbloods. These are a collection of types that include the Hanoverian, a performance horse from northern Germany with substance, stamina and style. The park's representative is the 15-year-old gelding Carte Blanche. A retired three-day-eventer donated by Mari Okamoto of Chiba, Japan, "CB's" resume includes the prestigious Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, which is held at the park.

For a glimpse of the Old West, check out Kiger Cougar. A 15-year-old Kiger Mustang stallion, he was originally captured in the wild and donated to the park by trainer Bobby Ingersoll of Pleasant Grove, Calif. The Kiger bears the dun and grulla coloring and the primitive markings of his Spanish ancestors. He is also proficient in pleasure and trail riding, endurance, Western performance and even driving.

Kiger Cougar, it seems, is no exception. Blessed with natural "cow sense," he held his own against Quarter Horses in the 1992 World's Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity. "He's probably the best-known Kiger Mustang in the country," Chapman said, "and he's shown here at the Breeds Barn doing athletic movements, like spins and rollbacks, in Western performance."