World’s Championship Horse Show Proves Horses Can Do More Than Race in Kentucky

Freedom Hall will be the site of the 110th annual World’s Championship Horse Show Aug. 18 - 24. The world’s richest and most prestigious horse show is held in conjunction with the Kentucky State Fair and crowns world champion Saddlebreds in different divisions. Horses compete in divisions including Five-Gaited, Three-Gaited, Fine Harness, Saddlebred Pleasure, Saddlebred Equitation, Hackney/ Harness Ponies, Roadster Ponies and Roadster Horses.  The show attracts spectators and competitors from across the world and includes over 2,000 horses competing for more than $1 million in awards. Tickets for the show go on sale Monday, June 24, 2013 at 10 a.m. The show offers discounted ticket prices, depending upon show date and date of purchase.

Advance session seating (Upper Level seats only) and advanced gate admission must be purchased by midnight Wednesday, August 14, 2012. Tickets are available at the Freedom Hall Ticket Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Call 1-800-745-3000, or visit  www.ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets using ticketFast. A weeklong reserved seat ticket with one gate admission per session is $205.00 plus $7.00 postage and handling. For weekly reserved seats call 1-800-231-8085. All prices include facility fee.

Those new to the World’s Championship Horse Show or those who want to see more can also check out the free morning performances at 9:00 a.m. Monday, Aug. 19 through Saturday, Aug. 24 with paid gate admission to the Kentucky State Fair. Seating will be available in the upper level of Freedom Hall.

A panel of equestrian professionals will judge the World’s Championship Horse Show competitions. Judges for the 2013 World’s Championship Horse Show include: Steve Crabtree of Elizabethtown, Ky., Fran and Kim Crumpler of Simpsonville, Ky., George Knight of Lexington, Ky., and Kent Swalla of Columbia, Mo.

Those wishing to compete in this year’s horse show must enter online at www.kystatefair.org/wchs by July 9, 2013. Rules for competitive entries can be found in the free World’s Championship Horse Show premium book, which can be viewed online at www.kystatefair.org. Premium books can also be requested by calling the WCHS office at (502)367-5000 or writing to:

Kentucky State Fair Horse Show Office, P.O. Box 37130, Louisville, KY, 40233. The Kentucky State Fair is an 11-day celebration of the history, heritage and culture of the Bluegrass State. Nearly 600,000 attend America’s largest indoor fair, which uses all 1.2 million square feet of contiguous exhibit space at the Kentucky Exposition Center. While its roots are in agriculture, the Kentucky State Fair has grown into a trade and public education exposition, as well as a major entertainment venue. The World’s Championship Horse Show, held during the Fair, is the world’s richest and most prestigious saddlebred show. Attendees and exhibit ors contribute over $16.8 million annually in economic impact.  The Kentucky State Fair & World’s Championship Horse Show are owned and produced by the Kentucky State Fair Board, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet.

For more information on the World’s Championship Horse Show or other Kentucky State Fair events, visit www.kystatefair.org.