LETTER FROM THE USPC LEADERS

Welcome to USPC Festival 2021! Thank you for coming to Lexington and Kentucky to celebrate a great Pony Club tradition. It is especially wonderful to welcome you and so many of your Pony Club colleagues… members, volunteers, families…after what has been a long and sometimes tedious year filled with shutdowns, disappointments, and sometimes great frustration. However, Pony Club and its extended family worked exceptionally hard to carry on with programming, competitions, and general fun in 2020 and early 2021, albeit in sometimes quite different ways than those to which we are accustomed.

Needless to say, we are delighted that you are here, and we hope that you will take advantage of the many offerings of this special Festival 2021.

Throughout the week there will be numerous Pony Club activities, competitions, clinics, workshops, and, of course, shopping at the Trade Fair. Kentucky is the Horse Capital of the world, and the impressive Kentucky Horse Park showcases so many aspects of equestrian-related opportunities, different breeds and sports, and the many reasons that horses have become, perhaps, our most cherished member of the animal kingdom.

A few interesting facts about Lexington, Kentucky, and the Bluegrass Region: • The water that passes through the massive limestone shelf that lies beneath the bluegrass pastures feeds the soil and grasses. The high mineral content in the soils leads to stronger bones and greater durability in horses and helps maintain Lexington’s reputation as Horse Capital of the World. • With 1,200 acres, the Kentucky Horse Park is a working farm with 50 breeds of horses. Over 30 equine national, regional, and state equine organizations and associations are headquartered in the park, including the United States Equestrian Federation and, of course, the United States Pony Clubs. • There are about 450 horse farms found in the Bluegrass Region (Lexington, Midway, Paris, and Georgetown) nurturing all breeds. • Many champions make their home in Lexington. Kentucky Derby winners Funny Cide and Go for Gin, plus Standardbred Pacers Western Dreamer and Staying Together all live at the Kentucky Horse Park. • Lexington has produced the greatest number of legendary horses in the world. One such horse, Man o’ War, has a memorial just outside the Visitors Center here at the Kentucky Horse Park. Throughout the park, there are sculptures, photographs, and other historical information about countless horses, competitors, trainers, course designers, and so many more who have influenced horses and horse sport. We hope that you find the time to see how many of these you can find!

We encourage you to have a wonderful time at Festival 2021, and to be sure to take in as much as you can. You will be creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Teresa Woods USPC Executive Director

Ben Duke USPC President