Lexington, Kentucky is gearing up for the equine equivalent of the Olympics when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games come to town this fall. Whether you’re traveling to Lexington for the special event or prefer to explore the Horse Capital in quieter times, Patti Nickell uncovers the experiences that enthusiasts and novices can explore all year long.

With due respect to William Shakespeare, if ever there were a kingdom for a horse, it would be here, in this bucolic region of central Kentucky, known generally as the Bluegrass, and more specifically, as the “Horse Capital of the World.”

If you have any doubt, sign up for a tour that will take you to a few of the 450 Thoroughbred farms that spread across five counties surrounding Lexington.

There, you’ll find farms with storied names – Calumet, Spendthrift, Gainesway, Three Chimneys – which are home to the biggest names in the equine world; Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Breeders Cup winners, horses whose success on the track allow them to command astronomical breeding fees once they “retire.”

However, come September, it won’t be home-grown horses in the spotlight, but their counterparts from around the world who will be coming to compete in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Often simplified as being an “equine Olympics,” the Games will crown champions in eight disciplines: dressage, driving, endurance racing, eventing, jumping, para dressage, reining, and vaulting. Some 800 riders and 900 horses from 60 countries will be making their way to the Kentucky Horse Park for the prestigious competition which will run from September 25 to October 10.

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Lexingtonians are justifiably proud of their role as host, especially when you consider that the United States lags behind much of the rest of the world in its appreciation for equestrian sport, and this will mark the first time the Games have been held outside of Europe (the last two competitions have been held in Jerez de Frontera, Spain and Aachen, Germany, and it’s back to Europe for the 2014 Games in Normandie, France.)

Lexington residents are especially proud when you consider that this smallish (population 270,000) southern city beat out Dubai, the glamor capital of the Mideast for the honor of hosting. How did they do it?

John Nicholson, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park, explains, “It was a tough decision for the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) board to make,” he says, “especially since the Arabian Peninsula, and indeed, all of the Middle East has a horse culture that dates back thousands of years.”

In the end, says Nicholson, it was one primary factor that gave Lexington the edge. For the first time in the Games’ history, all eight of the events will be able to be held in a single venue-the 1,200-acre Horse Park, which, with the addition of its new, state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor arenas, can boast one of the best equestrian facilities in the world.

When it is not playing host to the world’s best riders and their mounts, the park, the only one of its kind in the world (dedicated exclusively to man’s 5,000-year love affair with the horse) functions as a working horse farm, educational theme park and equine competition facility.

It’s also Lexington’s top tourist attraction. About a million visitors a year arrive at its entrance, marked by the impressive statue of Man o’ War, generally considered the greatest Thoroughbred of all time. They come to see the Hall of Champions at Kentucky Horse Park, where retired superstars such as Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide and Standardbred Triple Crown winner Western Dreamer reside, along with champion Saddlebred and Quarter horses.

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They come for the twice-daily (March through October) Parade of Breeds, a chance to see some of the other 53 breeds-from the enormous English Shire to the dainty Spanish Paso Fino, from the Appaloosa, beloved by the American Indians to the stately Arabian, beloved by the desert sheikhs-which call the park home. They come to visit the International Museum of the Horse www.imh.org, a Smithsonian affiliate and the largest equestrian museum in the world, and the American Saddlebred Museum, dedicated to America’s only native breed.

And depending on what time of year they come, they can see horse shows, steeplechase, polo, and every April, the Kentucky Rolex Three-Day Event, an Olympic-level triathlon (dressage, cross country and show jumping.)

Still, the Horse Park and Lexington have never seen anything quite on a par with the upcoming Games, with some 600,000 tickets expected to be sold. While Nicholson knows he has his work cut out for him this fall, he is looking beyond the Games to the park’s future.

“We already know we have the best equine facility in the world,” he says. “After the Games, everyone will know it.”

By Patricia Nickell for PeterGreenberg.com. Patti Nickell is a contributing travel writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader and an avid equestrienne.