By Brenna Angel
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-951460.mp3
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Even before the Kentucky Horse Park finished construction of a new indoor arena in July 2009, equine event organizers were lining up to use the facility. But horse park officials are also looking at other ways to put the arena to use.
A maintenance crew at the Kentucky Horse Park used a power washer to clean the inside of Alltech Arena this week, blasting away dust and dirt from the arena's 5,300 stadium seats. The dirt had been kicked up and spread all over the place during the Battle of the Bluegrass truck and tractor pull held in December.
That event was one of 25 held at the arena last year that had nothing to do with horses.
"It's a new avenue for us. I think people are just really realizing what kind of facilities that we have here and the different opportunities there are," says equine events director Nicole Rivera.
It's Rivera's job to schedule the horse shows and competitions. During the 2010 World Equestrian Games, tens of thousands of visitors saw the arena and what it was designed for: sports like reining, vaulting, and dressage.
This Saturday, however, a very different sport will be hosted at the arena: mixed martial arts. The live cage fighting event won't be in the arena's show ring, but in the adjoining expo center. Later this month, the Lexington Home Builders Association will use the space for a new home and remodeling show.
"We do have two separate convention areas," says Rivera. "We have an exhibit hall that's around 21,000 square feet. And then we have another 10,000 square foot space where could do trade fairs, parties, wedding receptions, that sort of thing."
Facilities manager Royce Blevins has been with the Kentucky Horse Park for about three years. He came on board while the $45 million indoor arena was under construction.
"It is something that as an equine facility we are learning how to expand and how to bring in events that aren't necessarily associated with horses. But a lot of our visits are return visitors. They'll get to know us through the horse then come for events that might not be related to equine events."
Blevins says expanding to other types of events allows the Horse Park to fill its calendar year-round. He looks to larger facilities like Freedom Hall in Louisville, the Lexington Center, and Rupp Arena for examples.
"Most concerts in Rupp are headlining events that might want to attract 10,000-20,000 folks. Here, we would want to attract an act that might bring us five to six thousand and fill it to capacity."
The base flooring of Alltech Arena is made of clay, but Blevins says the Horse Park is considering installing a concrete floor that would make it easier to host non-equine events.
At one point, the Bluegrass Stallions basketball team played at the arena, but left early last year after low attendance. Blevins believes the facility wasn't the problem, but simply a bad time of year for the basketball organization.
And when it comes to scheduling, Rivera says horse events still take priority.
"If you have a horse show and a wedding reception going on at the same time, you just have to be very careful about parking and also the noise level coming from the reception can't interfere with the horse show. Horse safety is always our main concern."
Overall, Horse Park officials say hosting non-equine events is an added bonus for the arena. River says the marketing budget for the space is small, and inquiries about renting the facility usually come through word of mouth.
But the Kentucky Horse Park does want to maximize the potential of Alltech Arena, and plans are in the works to install new doors in the expo center to allow easy access for large items like boats and cars.