Archive for the ‘Visitor Info’ Category

Time is Running Out to Experience the 2010 Alltech FEI WEG for Only $20; Last Day for Discounted Price is May 31

Grounds Pass tickets to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are just $20, but only until May 31. Starting June 1, Grounds Pass tickets will increase to $25.

Grounds Pass tickets can be purchased at www.alltechfeigames.com, www.ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet, and at (800) 745-3000.

Grounds Pass tickets allow entry to the 2010 Games for the selected day of purchase and will give spectators access to a wide range of non-competition activities at the Kentucky Horse Park venue. Activities include shopping at more than 250 Trade Show booths; sampling bourbon or listening to Bluegrass music in the Kentucky Experience; and many of the Kentucky Horse Park’s world-renowned exhibits and museums.

In addition, spectators will be entertained and educated in the Equine Village, which will present more than 40 exhibitors and some of the world’s top equine entertainment acts and clinicians, including Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, John Lyons, and the kid-friendly Equimania. More.


Lextran shuttle to go to Horse Park during World Equestrian Games

Lextran will run a direct bus route from downtown Lexington to the Kentucky Horse Park during the two weeks of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The $10 round-trip ride will allow residents and guests to park their cars downtown and go directly to the park, said Lextran spokeswoman Jill Barnett. “This will allow the people of Lexington who want to experience the Games to get out there without any hassle,” Barnett said.


Parking changes afoot for Games

Up to now, officials with the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have said parking for the Games would be at Coldstream Research Park, with free shuttles to the Kentucky Horse Park. An exception would be some pricey parking for VIPs near the park’s campground.

However, that plan seems to be changing rapidly— and WEG officials won’t divulge the details.

Recently, Spy Coast Farm, a hunter jumper farm on Ironworks Pike, agreed to lease a 65-acre parcel next to the campground to the Kentucky Horse Park after being approached by park officials, farm manager David Mansfield said.

“They’re going to use some of it for storage and some of it for parking,” Mansfield said. The land is being lent and leased, Mansfield said, because Spy Coast Farm is a sport horse breeding and training facility whose owners want to help the Games.

“We’re committed to what they’re doing there and thought it was the right thing to do,” Mansfield said.


Grounds Pass 101: Everything You Need and Want to Know About a Grounds Pass to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

What is a Grounds Pass ticket?
Grounds Pass tickets allow entry to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games for the selected day of purchase and will give spectators access to a wide range of activities at the Kentucky Horse Park venue. Activities include shopping at more than 250 trade show booths; exciting exhibits and entertainment at the Kentucky Experience tourism pavilion and the Alltech Experience pavilions, along with many of the Kentucky Horse Park’s world-renowned exhibits and museums.

Please note that a Grounds Pass ticket does not include access or seating in competition venues.

What is a Flex Grounds Pass ticket?
The Flex Grounds Pass can be used for entry on any one day of choice, without selecting a specific date of attendance at the time of purchase. A limited quantity of Flex Grounds Pass tickets will be available for $30.

Please note that a Flex Grounds Pass ticket does not include access or seating in competition venues. More.


Grounds Pass Tickets Now on Sale 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

Offering Includes Free Childs Ticket; Host of Venue Activities

Grounds Pass tickets for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will go on sale Friday, April 16 at 10 AM.

Tickets are now available for purchase through www.ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet, and via the Ticketmaster hotline at 1-800-745-3000.

Grounds Pass tickets will be priced at $25 each, but from April 16 through May 31, as a special promotion, tickets are now available for $20.  Each Grounds Pass will allow entry to the 2010 Games venue for the selected date of purchase.

To provide for an affordable, family-friendly event, admission for children 12 years of age and under will be free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult.

A limited quantity of Flex Grounds Pass tickets will be available for $30.  The Flex Grounds Pass can be used for entry on any one day of choice, without selecting a specific date of attendance at the time of purchase.

Grounds Pass tickets allow entry to the 2010 Games for the selected day of purchase and will give spectators access to a wide range of activities at the Kentucky Horse Park venue.   Activities include shopping at more than 250 Trade Show booths; exciting exhibits and entertainment at the Kentucky Experience tourism pavilion and the Alltech Experience pavilions; and many of the Kentucky Horse Parks world-renowned exhibits and museums.

In addition, spectators will be entertained and educated in the Equine Village, which will present more than 40 exhibitors and some of the worlds top equine entertainment acts and clinicians, including Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, and the kid-friendly Equimania.

If you have purchased competition tickets you do not need to purchase a grounds pass for that same day. This is an opportunity to add on to your order. For example, if you have Reining tickets for September 26 and September 28 and wish to visit the park on September 27 you would want to purchase a Grounds Pass ticket.

Grounds Pass tickets are available for 13 days during the Games, excluding the competition days of Endurance, Eventing Cross Country, and Driving Marathon.  Spectators who wish to purchase admission for these competitions should visit www.ticketmaster.com.

About the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The Games are held every four years and this will be the first occurrence in the United States.

The Games will be broadcast on NBC Sports, which has marked the largest commitment to network coverage of equestrian sport in U.S. television history. Current sponsors include Alltech, Rolex, John Deere, Ariat International, Inc., Meydan and Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. For more information on the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please visit www.alltechfeigames.com.


Alltech Celebrates Six Months to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™; Tickets to the Prestigious Championships Now Available

Release: April 01 2010
Author: By Susanna Elliott

In six months, the world’s finest equine athletes will gallop into Kentucky’s Bluegrass region for the most prestigious, global equestrian championships—the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The Alltech FEI Games, will take place in Lexington, KY, USA, from September 25–October 10. Like the Olympics, the World Equestrian Games are held every four years and are the world championships for the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

“In just six short months, all eyes will be on Alltech and Kentucky as we welcome the world for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in their American debut,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, resident and founder of Alltech. “Will you be joining us? The time to purchase tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime event is now as hundreds of thousands of global visitors will be journeying to the horse capital of the world to witness the pinnacle of equestrian sport.”

Tickets to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have already been sold to buyers in all 50 U.S. states and 50 countries. They are available for purchase through Ticketmaster via www.ticketmaster.com, (800-) 745-3000 or at all Ticketmaster outlets. Prices range from $25 to $150, providing a wide range of options for spectators. More.


World Equestrian Games expected to be an economic engine with plenty of horsepower

If the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games hold exactly to budget, the event at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington will show a profit of $52, according to Jamie Link, head of the local organizing committee for the games, which represent world championships in eight horse sports.

But Link, chief executive of the World Games 2010 Foundation, told Kentucky legislators recently that the $76million event is based on a very conservative budget, and based on commitments so far — six months from the games’ 16-day run Sept. 25-Oct. 10 — he is confident it will turn a much larger profit, which can be used to create a lasting legacy for the horse park.

Already, organizers say they have about 60 percent of expected revenues from the games in hand, including about half of the $30million budgeted from tickets, and $21million of $24million budgeted from sponsorships. More.


Immigration Guide for Visitors

You are incredibly excited as you receive the confirmation that you now have tickets to the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games™ (the “Games”) to be held in Lexington, Kentucky. You have reserved a hotel room and roundtrip flight for your family. However, it is critical that you engage in one other bit of logistical planning for your exciting trip — ensuring that you will have the proper documents to enter the United States to attend the Games. This summary provides an overview of the key steps for tourists attending the Games to take in order to ensure that they meet the immigration requirements of the United States.

Step One - Ensuring You Have a Valid and Unexpired Passport

Please make sure that you have a valid passport that has validity of more than six months beyond the date that you plan to depart the United States after the Games. If your passport is due to expire earlier than that, you should take steps to renew it now. While the United States has a reciprocity agreement with certain countries that provide a six month extension automatic extension of an expiring passport, it is best not to rely on this provision even if it is available.

Step Two - Determining If You Qualify to Use the Visa Waiver (Without A Visa) Program

The next step is that you should determine whether you are from a country that is covered by the Visa Waiver Program. Currently, 35 countries participate in the Visa Waiver Program (”VWP”): Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

If you are from one of these countries, you may be eligible to travel to the U.S. without a visa issued by a U.S. Embassy. The major requirements that apply to users of the Visa Waiver Program are as follows. You:

  1. Seek admission as a business visitor or tourist for 90 days or less;

  1. Are a national of a Visa Waiver country;

  1. Present an electronic passport or machine-readable passport issued by a Visa Waiver country;

  1. Arrive on an authorized carrier if arriving by air or sea;

  1. Do not represent a (welfare, health, safety or security) threat to the United States;

  1. Have not violated a U.S. immigration law during a previous VWP visit;

  1. Possess a round-trip plane ticket;

  1. Have proof of financial solvency; and

  1. Waive any right to review or appeal a decision regarding admissibility to the United States or to contest any action for exclusion or removal from the United States.

Certain people are ineligible to use the Visa Waiver program. These include those who:

  1. Have violated the conditions of entry on a past trip to the U.S. such as having overstayed their authorized stay, and those who have been excluded or deported;

  1. Those who have been arrested for any offense or crime;

  1. Those who have a serious communicable disease (such as infectious tuberculosis);

  1. Those who are drug abusers or addicts or who have ever trafficked in illegal drugs;

  1. Those who have ever been refused a U.S. visa or entry into the U.S.; and

  1. Those who have a mental or physical disorder.

If one is eligible to use the Visa Program and is from a Visa Waiver program and meets the above requirements, then one must:

1. Register for “ESTA” - the Electronic System for Travel Authorization AND receive an authorization through ESTA before boarding a U.S-bound airplane or vessel. Each family member must obtain their own ESTA approval, including children. More information on ESTA can be found at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/. It is best not to wait till the last minute in case the website has an outage or you discover that you have an admissibility issue.

2. Fill out a green I-94W form on the airplane.

3. Upon arrival in the United States, get on the line for Visitors and Other Nonimmigrants. When you walk up to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (”CBP”) booth, you should present the CBP officer with your passport and the green I-94W card. All going well, the CBP Officer will stamp your I-94W card, and write or print on it the date by which you depart the United States.

4. When you later depart the United States after your visit to the World Equestrian Games, you must hand back your I-94W card so your exit can be properly recorded.

5. You may receive questions or requests for documents from U.S. CBP when it determines whether to let you enter the United States. Please see the next section for what to do if this occurs, and what documents you will want to have in hand to present, if necessary.

Step Three - If You Qualify to Use the Visa Waiver Program - Review These Tips

In addition to having a valid, machine-readable passport, and a round-trip ticket, we recommend that you have the following documents in hand to present to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (”CBP”) but to present to CBP only if necessary:

1. Your round-trip plane ticket preferably with a specific date for your return abroad;

2. Your tickets for the World Equestrian Games;

3. Printout of your hotel reservations;

4. Proof of adequate funds to cover your dates of stay in the U.S., such as the last few months of statements from a bank account showing a sufficient balance and your latest pay statement;

5. Proof of your home outside the U.S. (copy of deed or lease, plus translation if necessary);

6. Proof of ties to your home country that will cause you to return after you attend the Games, including, for example, a letter from your employer giving you leave to be in the U.S. for the applicable period of weeks before you return to your job, or a letter from your school confirming the date you must return to resume school. A recent paystub from your employer is helpful as well.

Remember that you have the burden of proof.

Alternate Step Three - If You Need to Apply for a B-2 (Tourist/Visitor) Visa

In some cases, prospective attendees at the World Equestrian Games will not be from a Visa Waiver country, will not be eligible for the Visa Waiver program (such as due to a previous arrest, conviction or overstay), and will not have a valid and unexpired B-2 visa in their passports. In such situations, an individual must make an advance appointment to apply for a B-2 visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. You must prove you have a residence abroad that you will maintain, are coming for a temporary period, and have sufficient funds for your visit and return. While individual situations may vary, generally the steps are as follows:

1. Locate the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that has jurisdiction (decision-making authority) over your country of citizenship or residence. You can locate a list of U.S. Embassy and Consular posts here: http://www.usembassy.gov/

2. Visit the U.S. Embassy’s website and locate the list of what you will need to make an appointment. In some cases, one must file the central application form (DS-156, which is being phased out gradually at U.S. Embassies by DS-160) before you can schedule an appointment. You must schedule an interview appointment for each family member. At some U.S. Embassies, there can be a wait of several months for an appointment, and at other posts, appointments may be available with no wait: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/wait/tempvisitors_wait.php

3. Gather all documents that the specific U.S. Embassy requires and bring them to the interview. This varies from U.S. Embassy to U.S. Embassy. A nonexclusive list of documents that typically applies are:

Mandatory for All Applicants

A. Passport valid for at least six months beyond end date of intended U.S. visit;

B. Visa Application Forms submitted online with barcode and printed and brought to interview. This will be DS-156 and in some cases DS-157 (the DS-157 is not filed electronically) for most applicants, but these forms are being completely phased out by the DS-160 form before April 30th;

C. Photograph that meets U.S. Department of State specifications; and

D. Machine readable visa application filing fee, and, in some cases, an additional reciprocity fee (if you come from a country on the list). See the website for how to file the filing fee, which typically must be paid before the interview so the applicant has a receipt in hand.

Be Prepared to Present

E. Round-trip plane reservation;

F. Reservation for the World Equestrian Games;

G. Hotel Reservations;

H. Proof of funds to live during U.S. trip without working (bank accounts, pay records, etc.);

I. Proof of ties to your home country (job letter from employer regarding vacation and return to work date, letter from school etc.);

J. Proof of ties to family (birth, marriage certificate etc) particularly dependent to principal family member; and

K. Other items listed on particular U.S. Embassy web.

If you secure a B-2 or B-1/B-2 visa, you must fill out a white (not green) I-94 card on the U.S. bound flight.

Some Things to Watch Out For

1. If you have ever been arrested or convicted of a crime, you still must disclose the matter on the Visa Application form even if you were pardoned or if the record was sealed. Failing to do so may result in a charge of immigration fraud and you may be permanently barred from the United States. It is advisable to retain a lawyer about how to handle this issue BEFORE you apply.

2. You must list all prior visa applications on the form where indicated. You can assume that the U.S. Embassy already knows about it and failing to properly list prior visa applications, especially denials, can lead to a fraud charge. You would be wise to consult with an attorney before applying if you have a previous denial of a U.S. visa application.

3. You have the burden of proving you will return to your country of origin after the Games and failure to do so may result in a denial. This is the most common reason for a denial.

4. Similarly, if you previously violated your status due to an overstay of your I-94 card entry/departure card or because you worked illegally, you should seek legal advice.

5. Some U.S. Embassies take longer to process visa applications as measured from the date of the interview to visa issuance, so, again, you should apply well in advance of your intended U.S. entry date. In addition, some U.S. Embassies will run extra security checks on visa applicants from particular countries including especially Middle Eastern countries, which can increase processing times from weeks to many months.

6. The U.S. Embassy will issue a visa for a duration no longer than that specified in the Reciprocity Table found at: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/reciprocity/reciprocity_3272.html. A visa is valid for presentation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at any time during its period of validity and within its prescribed number of usages (if not designated as multiple entry). However, the visa does not control how long you may remain in the United States. You must depart by the date specified on your I-94 card and ensure the airline or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security takes back your I-94 card departure upon departure, so you are credited with leaving on time.

7. For those who are not coming to the Games as a visitor/tourist, but rather to work, separate application procedures apply, so you would not follow this guide.

This summary is just that, a summary of important immigration issues, and does not constitute legal advice for your particular situation. Please contact a lawyer for legal advice if you have questions or concerns.

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Ticket Sales, Travel Plans on Track for 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

Visitors to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games should make their ticket purchases and reserve their accommodations quickly, as the World Games 2010 Foundation is well on track to meet, and exceed, its projected sales goals.

Fans around the world are planning trips to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY from September 25 through October 10, 2010, for eight world championships in equestrian sport. The 2010 Games will mark the first occurrence of this event outside of Europe.

Company is coming, said Jamie Link, CEO of the World Games 2010 Foundation. With the arrival of 2010, we are seeing a steady increase in sales each day as people around the world make their plans and purchase their tickets to the 2010 Games. We strongly recommend that fans make their plans now before the best seats are gone.” More.


WEG ticket sales grow slowly, international interest increases

- lblackford@herald-leader.com

After a slow start to ticket sales to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, organizers say they’re seeing an uptick, particularly from overseas.

“With the arrival of 2010, we are seeing a steady increase in sales each day as people around the world make their plans and purchase their tickets to the Games,” said Jamie Link, CEO of the World Games Foundation, which is putting on the event at the Kentucky Horse Park from Sept. 25 to Oct. 10.

Ticket sales are at the 160,000 mark. That’s still a long way from the available 600,000, but organizers say they believe tickets will continue to move as the event gets closer.

Currently, only competition tickets to the eight events are on sale. General admission tickets will go on sale in the spring. Despite the global recession, there is more interest from abroad, particularly Europe, where all previous World Equestrian Games have been held.

“We’ve really seen sales pick up from countries like Great Britain, France and Germany,” said Terry Johnson, the vice-president of marketing. “We’ve also had a strong push from South Africa.” There have also been ticket sales from Canada, Australia and Mexico.

Johnson said he wasn’t sure exactly why South Africa was well-represented, except they will have athletes at the Games. More.


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