2012 Alltech National Horse Show Set for Oct. 31 – Nov. 4

[Lexington, KY] – Following an amazingly successful debut this year, the second edition of the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, is set for October 31 through November 4, 2012. The show will once again be held at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.
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The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th edition, closed with great excitement, receiving unanimous approval from the horse show community. The Show was watched by thousands of attendees, in addition to nearly half a million viewers online through the Alltech Ag Network.
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More than 560 horses and 350 riders from nine countries, including nine Olympic veterans, competed this year, and according to Mason Phelps, Jr., the president of the National Horse Show Association, next year’s show will build on the excitement of the 2011 debut.

 “We couldn’t have been happier with our first year effort in Kentucky. But, that being said, we are already working on a bigger and better event for next year,” he said. “We expect bigger prize money; we’ve already added an extra competition day and the American Saddlebreds will return to the Alltech National Horse Show next year. So we are very excited about what lies ahead.”
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The Show’s debut this year will go down in the record books as one of the most successful in the history of equestrian events in the United States.
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“The Alltech Arena is an ideal location for the Alltech National Horse Show, it is perfect for all the horsemen and horses, and it really captured the feel of Madison Square Garden,” noted legendary horseman George Morris after attending this year’s show. “The Alltech National Horse Show has brought back class, something that has been lacking in horse shows today.”
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“It’s been fantastic. It’s been amazing. It’s been wonderful,” agreed Alltech president and founder Dr. Pearse Lyons. “This inaugural event was a good beginning, but it was only the beginning. This show will continue to grow and next time around the city of Lexington will embrace this show more and we, in fact, will go all out to create a super experience for all who attend.”
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“We hope that everyone will mark their calendars for next year,” added Phelps. “With what we learned during our first year, I can promise you that the Alltech National Horse Show in 2012 will prove to be an amazing event.”
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Notes to the Editor:

About Alltech
Founded by Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech is a global animal health and nutrition company with more than 31 years’ experience in developing natural products that are scientifically proven to enhance animal health and performance. With more than 2650 employees in 128 countries, the company has developed a strong regional presence in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle-East, Africa and Asia.  For further information, visit www.alltech.com. For media assets, visit www.alltech.com/press.

1,000 Days to Go Celebration – New Brand and Vision Unveiled for the Alltech® FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy

[Caen, FRANCE] – The new brand and vision for the Alltech® FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 was launched in the host city of Caen by the French minister for sports, Mr. David Douillet, Mrs. Marie-Jeanne Gobert, vice president of the Basse-Normandie regional council and representatives from title sponsor, Alltech. The announcement was made in the auditorium of the Beaux-Arts museum and will be marked with 1,000 days to go on Monday, November 28, 2011 to the opening ceremony of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy.

Commenting on this milestone event, president of Alltech Dr. Pearse Lyons said, “Reaching 1,000 days to go gives us an opportunity to celebrate the world championships of equestrian sport recognizing athletes performing at their peak. Alltech is a leader in animal nutrition so it’s natural for us to ally with the FEI. This sport is rooted in a long established relationship between man and nature, and mirrors our values, as well as those of our customers and partners. Over the next 1,000 days we will work closely with the organizers and are confident that the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 will be a spectacular success and will deliver a lasting legacy for the region of Normandy and for future generations. It is an exciting time for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ as eight nations recently submitted formal expressions of interest to host the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018. We are very proud to be the title sponsor of this prestigious event and to be associated with its success.”

The new brand is based on the bond between man and horse – the respectful relationship – and includes an apple blossom pattern, one of the region’s most recognized agricultural symbols, and the word ‘Normandy’ – the host region of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014.

The modern emblem showcasing the relationship between the horse and human symbolizes the energy of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014, the speed and agility experienced at the world championships and its ability to reach out and inspire people all over the world.

The core color of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 is green, a color that holds great significance in Normandy as an agricultural region and also with Alltech, a natural animal health and nutrition company who for 20 years have served the agricultural community in France and in Normandy. In addition, white is used as a key color to reinforce the freshness of the green. White also represents the values of fairness and transparency at the heart of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 and these are the core values of Alltech’s brand.

To celebrate, the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee have marked the 1,000 days to go milestone with the commissioning of a totem pole made up of three obstacle bars pointing up towards the sky. This will be erected in the stadium Michel d’Ornano and it will house a solar powered countdown clock. In addition, an equestrian themed event will take place this weekend on Caen’s Saint-Pierre main street, Rue Saint-Pierre. The street will be branded with the new identity, park benches will be turned into hurdles and the horses of the merry-go-round and lampposts will be wearing the official colors.

1,000 footprints and horseshoe prints will invite visitors and the people of Caen on a journey to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy. Free tickets for children to have a ride on the merry-go-round will be given out and origami flyers will transform into horses featuring the new logo and brand.

The new brand is the result of more than six months of collaboration between the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee, FEI, Alltech and Whitestone International.
View the brand and watch the animation by clicking here.

LIFEFORCE Supplement a Strong Force Behind the Alltech National Horse Show

Article Courtesy of Alltech

[Lexington, KY] – LIFEFORCE has been named the Official Equine Supplement of the Alltech National Horse Show coming to the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park November 2-6.
LIFEFORCE™ is a daily, natural nutritional supplement designed for all horses at every stage of life, whether they are breeding, pleasure, or performance animals. Daily supplementation helps create an ideal digestive environment to promote overall nutrient absorption, support immune function, and optimize overall performance.
“The five active ingredients in LIFEFORCE have all been demonstrated to be effective through peer-reviewed research done on horses,” said Steve Elliott, global equine director at Alltech. “Following the successful 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games this past October in Kentucky, Alltech is committed to its support of the equestrian sport. We are honored to be involved in the Alltech National Horse Show with LIFEFORCE as the Official Equine Supplement.”
“LIFEFORCE is one of the great products offered by Alltech. It is a supplement that is well reviewed and well received in the equestrian community,” noted Mason Phelps, Jr., president of the Alltech National Horse Show. “We’re glad they are on board as our Official Equine Supplement. For those that don’t know about all of the good that LIFEFORCE does, the Alltech National Horse Show provides the perfect venue for an introduction to this excellent product.”?
LIFEFORCE is the first of several supplements to come from the Alltech Equine Advantage Series as Alltech becomes more aware of new challenges in the equine industry where their 31 years of research can provide natural solutions to these challenges.
LIFEFORCE is offering a promotion of 30% off all online orders from Nov 1 – 30 and all orders placed at the LIFEFORCE booth during the Alltech National Horse Show from Nov 2 – 6. Orders placed onsite at the Alltech National Horse Show will have free shipping within North America available.  To take advantage of the 30% off discount during the month of November, use the promotional code ‘ANHS’.
Tickets for the Alltech National Horse Show, ranging from $10-$30, are on sale and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Fifty percent of each ticket sold benefits select local and national charities. Parking at the Kentucky Horse Park is free during the event. For more information about the Alltech National Horse Show, visit www.nhs2011.org.
For more information about the Alltech National Horse Show, visit www.nhs2011.org.

Alltech unites with the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee to make the FEI World Equestrian Games a success

Laurent Beauvais, chairman of the Basse-Normandie Regional Council and of the Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee, and Dr. Pearse Lyons, president of Alltech, celebrating the announcement of Alltech as the title sponsor of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ - Normandy, July 8th 2011 - ©MC Chantrait

Caen, FRANCE -­ Laurent Beauvais, chairman of the Basse-Normandie Regional Council and Normandy 2014 Organizing Committee and Alltech President Dr. Pearse Lyons today announced that Alltech will be the title sponsor of the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy. This joint signing represents a historic partnership in the world of equestrian sports with a commitment from Alltech to the value of $10 million. The seventh edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games will officially be known as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Normandy 2014.

“Alltech is proud to continue our partnership with the World Equestrian Games,” said Alltech President and Founder Dr. Pearse Lyons. “These world championships of equestrian sport epitomize the values that we applaud: passion, excellence and performance. When the eyes of the world tune in to watch the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, we will be there. Alltech’s sponsorship of equestrian sport brings the brand to life and creates value for our partners, generating strong ties with the end consumer of our products at moments of great passion. France and Normandy in particular, with its worldwide reputation of excellence in horse breeding, is a strategic location for our company. Alltech has a long-standing history of serving the agricultural community in France, and we are thrilled to support the event in Normandy and to share in the pride of this spectacular event. Given the inherent passion the people of Normandy have for the horse, we hope to leverage this sponsorship to support the communities in which we live and work.”

Alltech’s commitment to supporting national and international equestrian sports began in 2006, when it agreed to become the first-ever title sponsor of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.  More than half a million spectators from all 50 U.S. states and 63 countries attended the 2010 event in Kentucky, and another 500 million television viewers around the world tuned in. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of Alltech France, where Alltech has offices in both Paris and Nantes. The company has a strong corporate presence throughout Europe, where 36 of its offices are located. Vice president for Alltech Europe, Mr. Marc Larousse, oversees the European region from the Paris office.

Countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Normandy 2014 officially begins on July 8, 2011. This day marks 1136 days out to the opening day of the event on August 17, 2014. More than 900 riders and 850 horses representing more than 60 nations are expected to convene in Normandy.

For more information on the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please visit www.normandie2014.com.

2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games wrap up & photo gallery
By Kim MacMillan
The first-ever FEI World Equestrian Games to be held on North American soil is now in the record books with over 507,000 people attending and human and equine athletes from 58 countries competing. The Games ran 16 days in late September and early October 2010 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.

Actor William Shatner drives one of his Saddlebred horses in the Opening Ceremonies. Shatner is a long-time Saddlebred owner. / Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography

With contributions from a large number of sponsors, including $32+ million from Title Sponsor Alltech (a company that makes yeast-based livestock and equine nutritional supplements), the Games took on a festival-like atmosphere with eight competition venues, opening and closing ceremonies, an equine village (with breed and discipline demonstrations and educational clinics), a trade fair and a sponsors’ village.

U.S. rider Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos negotiate the trout fence on cross country. They were the highest placed Americans finishing in tenth place. The U.S. team unfortunately finished out of the medals. / Photo by Jen Renth/MacMillan Photography

The next FEI World Equestrian Games are to be held in Normandy, France, in 2014. For results and more information about the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games go to www.alltechfeigames.com.

The California Cowgirls drill team entertained the crowds in the Equine Village main arena. / Photo by Dee Kochensparger/MacMillan Photography

Equine owners turn to organic selenium in antioxidant defense

The old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may soon be replaced with “a candy bar a day.” Once considered just an after-dinner treat, dark chocolate is now thought to be a healthy supplement to the diet – and it’s all because of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that slow or prevent the oxidation of chemicals. Recent studies have shown that the molecules can be helpful in maintaining health and preventing disease. But humans are not the only ones racing to get their hands on the supplement; the equine industry has also seen benefits in horses. While humans are grabbing chocolate kisses and nougats, horse owners are reaching for the organic selenium supplement Sel-Plex.

A mineral naturally found in forages and grains, selenium can often be deficient in the diet due to variations in soil content across the country. When selenium is deficient in horse diets, health challenges such as muscle damage, inadequate reproductive systems, and poor antioxidant immune defense can occur. In equine, selenium has been shown to support better tissue retention, improved colostrum and milk quality, exercise tolerance and optimized immune system.

While selenium has several roles, the most well-known is antioxidant defense. This makes it important in every cell in the body as well as in immune defense. The body produces free radicals metabolites as a normal consequence of oxygen metabolism. Selenium-requiring enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase neutralize the metabolites, rendering them harmless and protecting cellular machinery from damage.

Exercise increases oxidative metabolism markedly, resulting in the mobilization of selenium to meet increased antioxidant demand. This explains why performance horses, not to mention human athletes, have greater selenium needs than non-athletes.

Tying up, an ailment that occurs even in fit horses, usually occurs during or after exercise. Symptoms range from mild hind limb stiffness, pain and sweating to a total reluctance to move, and if left untreated, tying up can result in severe damage to muscle cells. Adding antioxidants to feed through sources such as selenium have shown to be beneficial in preventing this common condition in equine.

Currently, there are two different kinds of selenium on the market – inorganic and organic. Inorganic selenium such as sodium selenite and selenate was, until recently, the only available form of selenium for feed supplements. Sel-Plex, from Alltech, is a unique form of selenium as it is presented in the same form that is naturally present in plants. The organic selenium form is better retained and more digestible than inorganic forms, which allows the animal to build nutrient reserves against periods of increased demand without risking toxicity.

A young miniature filly was born on the Bill and Tonya Breitkreutz farm outside of Wisner on March 30. Photo by Katie Novak.

A 2001 study at the University of Kentucky showed that Sel-Plex was more beneficial than inorganic forms in increasing glutathione peroxidase activity in mares and the immune status of their foals. Fifteen pregnant mares were assigned to three different kinds of selenium supplements, including Sel-Plex, for 55 days prior to foaling. The researchers concluded that at four, six and eight weeks of age, glutathione peroxidase activity in foals from mares receiving three mg of Sel-Plex was greater than in foals from mares receiving one mg of selenite and tended to be greater in foals from mares receiving three mg selenite. In addition, they found that giving mares three mg from either source increased foal immune function, which holds possible benefit during weaning stress and may confer an advantage in decreasing muscle degradation and the time between fatigue and recovery.

Sel-Plex was also recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when it received free choice allowance for equine and beef. This development allows horse owners to offer the mineral in a loose granular form and not in a ration to their animals. This selenium source is the only product of its kind to have received this authorization.

But this is not the first approval for the selenium yeast. Sel-Plex is also the only organic selenium to have received FDA allowance in the United States for use in chicken diets in 2000, followed by turkey, swine, beef and dairy feeds, sheep, goats, equine, and most recently, for dog diets. The product also recently received a strain-specific approval as a nutritional feed additive for use in all species diets from the European Union (EU) under EU regulation 1750/2006.

The National Research council suggests 0.1 ppm selenium in the total diet for all ages and classes of horses. While most experts agree that 0.1 ppm selenium is sufficient for mature, idle horses, requirements for performance horses, growing horses and mares should be around three mg per day. This amount equates to 0.3 ppm selenium in the total diet and is the amount added by most feed manufacturers.

Equine owners may also soon turn to the organic selenium for their own antioxidant defense instead of the now popular dose of chocolate. Current research is examining selenium yeast in relation to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, aging, HIV/AIDS and other viruses. Recently, Alltech started an investigation in Africa on how the use of organic selenium such as Sel-Plex could benefit people with HIV/AIDS.

For 30 years, Alltech has provided natural nutritional solutions such as Sel-Plex for the food and feed industries. Alltech is the title sponsor of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. The event will be held for the first time outside of Europe, September 25 through October 10, 2010. For more information on Alltech or Sel-Plex, visit the Web sites at www.alltech.com or www.sel-plex.com.

Excitement Builds in Kentucky for Hosting the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

By Kim MacMillan

North American horse enthusiasts have the opportunity of a lifetime to watch world-class equestrian competition at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to be held on their home continent in Kentucky this fall. Fewer than 100 days remain before the World Equestrian Games (WEG) open in Lexington, the host city for the Games.

The 2010 World Games will be the first to be held outside of Europe, the first to have all eight disciplines (dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, para dressage, reining and vaulting) held at one site and the first to have a title sponsor, Alltech, an international company headquartered in the Lexington area that makes yeast-based animal feed supplements. Sixty-one countries will be sending horses and riders to the Games and tickets are still available.

Eventing - Becky Holder of the U.S.A. and Courageous Comet. -Photo by Kim MacMillan.

The WEG will run from September 25 through October 10, at the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP), located just north of Lexington along Interstate 75. Nestled in the heart of the Bluegrass Region, Lexington and the KHP are surrounded by thousands of acres of green fields bordered by miles upon miles of white or black board fencing with horses and cattle grazing everywhere you look.
During the 16 days of the WEG, the foliage in the area should begin to display the reds, golds and yellows that signal the coming of fall.

The WEG Venue

The Kentucky Horse Park, which is owned by the state of Kentucky, is a 1,200-acre facility that features a four-star international eventing course, as well as an international combined driving course, a new outdoor stadium, a new $40-million indoor arena, an older indoor arena, a number of other outdoor arenas, an exercise race track and over 1,300 stalls. In addition, the main part of the park is home to the International Museum of the Horse, the Hall of Champions, the Breeds Barn, the Big Barn, working blacksmith and harness making shops, antique carriages, a number of breed and discipline organization national headquarters and more. For more information about the KHP go to www.kyhorsepark.com.

Reining - Tom McCutcheon and Darlins Not Painted from the U.S.A. -Photo by Shannon Brearton.

The outdoor stadium grandstand has approximately 7,300 seats including spaces for disabled seating and terrace tables, lighting for night-time competition, concession stands and restrooms. The stadium features state-of-the-art artificial surface footing installed by OTTO Sport und Reitplatz GMBH of Germany. The footing was selected because it is safe and provides good drainage. The same surface was used at the 2006 Aachen WEG. Hugh Kincannon, Co-Chair of Show Jumping for the 2010 World Games, commented on this new surface, “The OTTO Sport footing is secure, yet forgiving. The mats provide a significant cushioning effect as horses gallop and jump, and the drainage system makes wet weather a non-issue. Their design absorbs concussion, prevents horses from slipping and retains water to minimize dust,” said Kincannon in an article in the Spring 2009 issue of Equine International magazine.

Dressage - Tina Konyot and Calecto V from the U.S.A. -Photo by Kim MacMillan.

The new indoor arena is air-conditioned and heated and has 6,000 seats and approximately 21,000 square feet of commercial exhibit space. The footing was designed by Bob Kaiser, who is renowned as a guru of natural footing, and was chosen with reining and western riding in mind, as these disciplines require a different kind of footing than those using the outdoor stadium. The indoor arena has an enclosed warm-up arena and three stable blocks (each with 104 stalls) that are also climate controlled and connected to the arena by a walkway. Eventually a fourth stable building will be added.

Pick up the July issue of Saddle Up Nebraska to read the rest of the story. To subscribe, call 1-800-888-1380.