Horses and Hope trail ride at Horse Park
will raise funds for breast cancer programs

Horses and Hope, a group created by First Lady Jane Beshear, will sponsor a fund-raising trail ride at the Kentucky Horse Park Sunday, Sept. 18. The ride will feature 10 miles of marked trails and open fields.

Beshear, a horsewoman herself, created Horses and Hope to raise money to provide breast cancer education and mammography screening to horse industry workers. The organization is a partnership with the Kentucky Cancer Program.

During the event, riders may explore the park by choosing one of two options: A two-hour “Guided Tour” of the Horse Park or an “On Your Own Tour” of the park trails, riding anytime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Pre-registration is $50; on-site or after-Aug. 18, registration is $65. Special $100 registration is encouraged, with $50 going to direct program support and being fully tax deductible. The event is limited to the first 250 registrants.

In addition to the trail ride, the registration fee includes a commemorative “Horses and Hope” pink
bandana, free park admission and access to park attractions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., live music, featuring Shades of Grass, an acoustic bluegrass band, and a BBQ dinner.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. All riders must check in and receive an armband. The trail ride begins at 11 a.m. Riders must be off the trails by 3 p.m. Live music begins at the Alltech Arena at 3:30 p.m.

The First Lady will recognize breast cancer survivors and give awards for the most “pinked out” horse and the most “pinked out” rider.

Since its inception Horses and Hope has taken education messages to more than 400,000 fans and 6,000 equine workers and has screened more than 350 women in the industry for breast cancer. The group holds events all around Kentucky. It started at Kentucky’s four Thoroughbred racetracks and has expanded to include other equine venues, including the 2010 World’s Championship Horse Show.