By Alan Lytle
FLORENCE, Ky. – Three-quarters of the estimated 800 horses from 62 countries competing in the World Equestrian Games begin arriving at the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport today. Rusty Ford, Equine Programs Manager for the Kentucky State Veterinarian's Office, says the horses must first be medically cleared before being transported to the Kentucky Horse Park.
"We have a team comprised of U-S Department of Agriculture Veterinary officials, Kentucky State Veterinary officials, and World Equestrian Games veterinarians, so we have an army of veterinary officials to process these horses, insure that they are all healthy, before we move them to the Kentucky Horse Park for their competitions in the World Equestrian Games."
Ford says the horses will spend their first 42 hours in Kentucky in barn-stalls at a newly constructed quarantine facility at the airport. The first group arriving today includes 48 horses from Liege, Belgium.