The Kentucky Horse Park Commission voted on Friday, Jan. 13th to withdraw from consideration for hosting the 2022 World Equestrian Games (WEG).
Commission members expressed concerns regarding staging of the games and the potential conflict that hosting would create with the long-term goals of the Kentucky Horse Park, including limitations on potential Horse Park-generated revenue opportunities.
“We do not think it would be economically feasible for the park to host the 2022 games,” Tandy Patrick, chair of the Kentucky Horse Park Commission, told the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Information on the website stated that the park has had “an open dialogue with the public through several visioning sessions,” but that “a recent survey of the park’s assets found $12 million in deferred maintenance expenses.”
The Kentucky Horse Park hosted the 2010 WEG, the first venue outside of Europe to host the games. This development leaves just one other candidate in the bidding process ‒ Samorin, Slovakia.