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EQUITANA USA has announced the programming for the event’s three-day celebration of the horse. The Oct. 1-3 event at the Kentucky Horse Park will host events ranging from celebrity and industry notable appearances and talks, to horse exhibitions and kid-centric events. The exhibition and trade show features all breeds and classifications of the horse and is the first in-person, North American iteration of the world’s largest equine trade show in over a decade.

The list of celebrities appearing or presenting at EQUITANA USA includes former Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear, an active rider and horse enthusiast who is serving as the official spokesperson for the event. "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" alum Carson Kresley, an American Saddlebred owner and exhibitor, also is scheduled to appear. Other industry notables expected include Nic Roldan, top U.S. polo player; Dressage Grand Prix rider and trainer Micah Deligdish; notable coach and educator Colton Woods; and natural horsemanship trainer Pat Parelli.

The Friday (Oct. 3) schedule of events kicks off with a two-day eventing clinic with U.S. Olympic equestrian Phillip Dutton, who is hot off his jumping final appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Games last week. Other clinics offered include sessions with 2016 Dressage Olympic Bronze Medalist Laura Graves, competitive show jumper and social media sensation Ronny Riemer and body work expert Jim Masterson.

Panels and roundtable topics include sessions on improving accessibility to equine activities for minority populations, connecting self-care with horse care, horsemanship, sustainability, and the social responsibility of industry influencers, among others.

EQUITANA USA’s special events for 2021 feature a masterclass from the Retired Racehorse Project, a Jump Chute Exhibition from Spy Coast Farm, a Max Corcoran Horsemanship Seminar presented by USEA and the Horseless Horse Show presented by USHJA.

There also will be kid-specific content, such as horse painting with Breyer, a bouncy horse bash presented by the EQUUS Foundation, and a meet the horses and ownership seminar with Rising Starr Rescue.

The day events also are followed each evening with the premier equine theatrical production EQUUS Evolution. It takes place in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park and is sure to be the highlight of the event’s family experience.

The full schedule of events, sessions, panels and activities can be found online at equitanausa.com. There, you can also find tickets for the event, along with those for EQUUS Evolution. The full EQUITANA USA day programming includes the exhibitions, educational and performance content, as well as the full trade show and marketplace of equine industry products and services.

Tickets for the full EQUITANA USA show are $27 (ages 13+), $10 (ages 6-12), and free for children five and under and include on-site parking, free United States Equestrian Federation fan membership and admission into the Kentucky Horse Park, which includes access to the International Museum of the Horse, American Saddlebred Museum and Hall of Champions. EQUUS Evolution evening event tickets start at $30 for value seating.

For more information about EQUITANA USA, visit www.equitanausa.com or www.kyhorsepark.com.

-- via EQUITANA USA