The Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show has new governance

To most people driving past the rows and rows of stables erected at the fairgrounds, the World Championship Horse Show probably looks the same as it did last year.

It’s one of the Kentucky State Fair’s signature events, first moving to the fairgrounds in 1909. It’s been held in Freedom Hall since the building was completed. The World Championship Horse Show describes itself as “the world’s richest and most prestigious horse show.”

But this year is different. After a U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) compliance report found numerous horse safety and cleanliness concerns, the Kentucky State Fair Board, which oversees the show, decided to split from USEF, its longtime governing body.

It’s a decision that has been met with frustration and concern from some members of the equestrian community who count on the federation to provide things like impartial adjudication, drug testing and various sport rules and standards.

The fair board, in announcing the decision, attributed it in part to a disagreement over a rule violation from last year’s show.

“Given the show’s prestige, an impartial governing agency is essential to ensure fair treatment for all exhibitors and to enforce all competition rules,” they said in the release.

In a statement to Kentucky Public Radio, state fair board spokesperson Ian Cox said USEF violated a 1995 agreement by supporting shows that they consider in competition with the World Championship Horse Show. He also cited a lack of “on-site enforcement.”

“Our shows comply with federal, state, and local laws, and we’re always looking for ways to enhance the event for all involved,” Cox said.

The equestrian federation said they “stand behind” their regulations and procedures, saying they have stood the test of time.

“It is only natural for people to have diverse opinions and make assumptions, which can occur when they do not have all the facts,” a USEF spokesperson said in a statement.

The board announced the show’s new governing agency: the Equine Sports Council in February. It’s a relatively new organization, roughly five years old. It brands itself as a body designed for people without Olympics-ambitions — the U.S. Equestrian Federation has purview over that selection process.

It is unclear how much the Equine Sports Council is present on-site at the show this year, but Cox said officials are available at all times, and there’s an option for independent arbitration should a dispute occur.

The fallout

In a letter in the Saddlehorse Report , trainer Melissa Moore from Versailles said her family has long had a connection to the show, but she was upset about the change. She said she is not showing at the championship this year.

“I am glad my parents are not alive to see what has happened to this prestigious show,” Moore wrote. “I sincerely hope you reconsider this non-transparent move to an infantile governing body. Our industry is at stake.”

But with the future of the show up in the air, many are more reluctant to take a public stand. Many have been airing their grievances in anonymous horse chat rooms instead.

“It’s a cluster,” one participant wrote. “It is so totally up in the air about which way the whole thing is going to go that it is going to make for a very odd show season.”

“The show management effed up and doesn’t want to play by USEF rules anymore because they can’t follow common sense in some cases,” another wrote.

“This is a bad move overall,” wrote another. “I just can’t see how this will do anything positive for the breed.”

The breed in question is largely the American saddlebred horse. The World Championship Horse Show is their big event each year. But the breed's registry, the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association, was taken aback by the decision to no longer license with USEF.

The association appears to be moving forward with an entirely new direction. Last month, the organization released the results of a member survey on a totally new championship horse show, which it says will debut in 2025.

“The announcement of the new show and survey has generated excitement and optimism for the industry,” said association Executive Director David Mount. “More than 1,300 individuals responded to the survey, which is an outstanding indicator of the level of interest.”

Anecdotally, several attendees at this year’s horse show said they have friends who decided not to attend due to the upheaval.

Cox with the state fair board said their show is “the most prestigious” saddlebred show in the world.

“We have no concerns and this year’s high level of participation and quality reflects our show’s good health,” Cox said.

According to the letter from the state fair board to the saddlebred association in March, the board decided to stick with their decision even after a “months-long campaign” waged by the saddlebred association to try to have the decision reversed, to no avail.

In a letter to the saddlebred community , Edward “Hoppy” Bennett, a member of the Kentucky State Fair Board and member of the saddlebred association, said their input was noted, but the board’s decision is final. He said other people in the industry support the shift.

“We don’t — and should not — rely on the ASHBA to provide input into our business decisions, and this one is no different,” Bennett wrote. “Secondly, we came together as a Board and determined that this decision to replace the USEF would be best not only for us, but for all involved.”

Allegations against the show

In USEF’s compliance report of the championship horse show last year, the inspectors came back to the fair with 15 required improvements that the fair needed to make. They ranged from concerns about electrical wiring lying close to large puddles of water to concerns about the show’s preparedness for accidents.

Last year, the show made headlines when a young girl’s horse suddenly died, falling on top of her during the competition. An autopsy later showed that the horse died of an aneurysm. The USEF report noted that it took 30 minutes for an ambulance to get to Freedom Hall, although medical personnel were on the scene to assist the girl until they could arrive.

In a Facebook post from the girl’s parents, they note that she was eventually transported to Norton’s Children’s Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.

But that wasn’t the end of USEF’s concerns. They also noted horse safety issues, primarily missing door stops at the bottom of sliding doors, which could allow horses to get their legs stuck, potentially resulting in catastrophic injuries.

In his letter, state fair board member Bennett called the report “a punch list of notes and violations,” which he said the show quickly fixed, but USEF was still unhappy.

“Around every corner, we found that the USEF was pinning us with violations and guidelines, as well as undermining our state held offices such as our fire marshals, state veterinarians and electricians,” Bennett said. “This doesn’t benefit us, our exhibitors, nor our event — so we sought alternatives.”

A USEF spokesperson said in a statement that the show had had similar issues in the past and did not believe they were adequately addressed.

“The Kentucky State Fair Board chose against accommodating USEF requests for improvements in addressing safety and compliance concerns that could impact equine and human safety and well-being,” the spokesperson said.

In the meantime, the saddlebred association appears poised to move forward with their own show, one controlled by its members rather than an external organization. It might still be held in Kentucky — the association said it is considering holding the competition at the Kentucky Exposition Center or possibly the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, among five other facilities.

USEF also hasn’t ruled out returning to the championship show, despite the volatile split. In a statement, USEF said they are still “interested in working collaboratively” with competitions, but only those that meet their rules and requirements.

Kentucky Public Radio Reporter Justin Hicks contributed to this story.

State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.