MEDIA ALERT
Contact Cindy Rullman
859-259-4209
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WHO:  John and Elizabeth Fort of Peachtree Racing Stable, Inc. and the Kentucky Horse Park

WHAT:  Memorial service for Kentucky Derby contender and stallion Invisible Ink

WHEN:  Friday, September 16, 2011, at 11am

WHERE:  Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions

WHY:  Invisible Ink was not the type of horse who would normally be buried at the Hall of Champions alongside some of the greatest of the racing industry’s stars.  However, the Kentucky Horse Park agreed with his owners, John and Elizabeth Fort, that Invisible Ink earned a place there, to stand as a permanent reminder that the heart of a champion beats in every horse, regardless of breed, discipline, or success on the racetrack or in the show ring.  All a horse needs is someone to believe in him. 

Beautifully bred Invisible Ink (Thunder Gulch-Conquistress, by Conquistador Cielo) stole the hearts of many who don’t normally follow Thoroughbred racing by winning a much-publicized battle against a life-threatening illness as a 2-year-old, thanks to the valiant efforts of his owners and a team of people who wouldn’t give up on him.  He went on to earn the respect of the Thoroughbred industry when he came back from that illness to place second in the Kentucky Derby (G1).  His career earnings were $465,088.

While John Fort admits that Invisible Ink may not have been an outstanding racehorse, he “has been a very special horse to us and to literally thousands of other people across the nation. I know because I have received their e-mails and phone calls. You're lucky in this business to come across a horse like Invisible Ink."  Even Paul Harvey told Invisible Ink’s story on is radio broadcast.

Invisible Ink died in Pennsylvania on July 7.  He will be buried at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions this week and remembered in a public memorial service.
 
Read more about Invisible Ink’s story in a beautiful tribute by Steve Haskin: http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse-racing-steve-haskin/archive/2011/07/07/the-loss-of-a-thoroughbred.aspx

HOW:  Media availability with John and Elizabeth Fort and John Nicholson. Members of the media should park in the main parking lot at the Visitor Center.  Golf cart shuttles will be available from there to the Hall of Champions beginning at 10:30am.  The public is invited to attend.

Editor's note:  Photos of Invisible Ink are available for use by the media by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  Photos above (c) Louise Reinagel.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 29, 2011)—The Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse (IMH), in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History, announced today that it will host the exhibition, The Horse, from October 22, 2011, through April 6, 2012. The IMH is a major lender to the exhibition.

"We are thrilled to be able to bring this world-class exhibition to Kentucky," said Bill Cooke, director of the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse. "The American Museum of Natural History is truly one of the world’s great natural history museums, and they did a masterful job in developing an exhibition that not only illuminates the timeless union between humans and horses, but does so in an amazingly entertaining way. We are excited that this will be our first blockbuster-level exhibition while schools are in session. I have no doubt that both teachers and their students will love The Horse."

From the horse’s earliest ancestors grazing on the plains of what is now Nebraska, to a magnificent contemporary Deborah Butterfield horse sculpture, the eternal bond between horses and humans is explored in the largest equestrian traveling exhibition ever assembled. The Horse graphically portrays the horse’s impact on trade, transportation, labor, warfare, culture, and sports.  It showcases spectacular fossils, models, dioramas, and cultural objects from around the world, including many from the American Museum of Natural History’s world famous collections.

The New York Times called this exhibition "charming and illuminating" and "an uplifting example of how horses enrich our lives."  The New York Post said, "You absolutely must see it."

The Horse is divided into six major sections: The Evolution of Horses; Horses and Hunters; Domesticating Horses; The Nature of Horses; How We Shaped Horses and Horses Shaped Us; and, An Enduring Bond. These themes are illuminated by more than 140 artifacts and cultural objects from around the world including a complete Samurai saddle from Japan, a full suit of 15th-century German horse armor, and Native American horse accoutrements. Bringing the exhibit to life are a stunning 220-square foot diorama that depicts the horse’s ancestors, a high-definition video that captures in slow motion the rippling muscles of a Thoroughbred race horse, and an interactive video of a life-size horse where visitors can investigate a horse’s pulmonary and digestive systems and other biological traits.

"This extraordinary, entertaining and informative exhibition is a perfect fit for the Kentucky Horse Park, which exists to celebrate man’s relationship with the horse; a relationship that has endured through the millennia," said Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson.  "This amazing and most beautiful of creatures has never lost its ability to look for the good – and bring out the best – in mankind as a partner, teammate and friend.  That’s why we never lose our fascination with them, and why we are so excited to have this exhibition coming to our park."
 
The Horse is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, United Arab Emirates; the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau-Ottawa; The Field Museum, Chicago; and the San Diego Natural History Museum. Curator of the exhibition is Ross MacPhee.

"The human-horse relationship was almost predestined," MacPhee said. "Puny but clever, enterprising humans needed an animate energy source that was both mobile and controllable — hence the domestic horse. What no one could have foreseen was that, over the millennia, while we molded the horse to our ends, the horse also molded us by changing the scale and scope of what could be carried, traded, fought over, or used to make life better — in short, civilization as we know it."

For more information on The Horse, go to www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/, www.imh.org, or www.kyhorsepark.com.

Admission to The Horse is included with park admission, or a "museums only" ticket may be purchased for $8 for adults or $4 for children ages 7-12, which also includes admission to the entire International Museum of the Horse, the Al Marah Arabian Horse Galleries and the American Saddlebred Museum.

Park Hours and Rates: Through November 6, the park is open seven days a week.  Admission is $16 for adults, $8 for children 7-12. From November 7 to March 14, the park is open Wednesdays through Sundays.  Winter admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 7-12. Children age 6 and under are always admitted free of charge.  Admission includes the International Museum of the Horse – a Smithsonian Affiliate, and the American Saddlebred Museum.

Editor's Note:  High resolution images from the exhibition are available for use with this release by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

Watch a video walk-through of the exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.

Adoptable Horses from the
Kentucky Equine Humane Center
For more information about these or any of the other adoptable horses, contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or www.kyehc.org.

WINSTON
Breed: Quarter Horse Cross
Color: Dark Bay
Age: 5 years
Gender: Gelding
Height: 14.1
History: Pasture Pet
Suitability: Pleasure/Show

Winston is a nice gelding who is ready for a new home. He is easy to handle and groom and LOVES attention. Winston has a great personality, and is a beautiful mover. Winston is learning some ground work, has been ridden under saddle and will need additional training with both. Winston gets along well with both geldings and mares when turned out in a herd.

SAMMY
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color: Bay
Age: 2 years
Gender: Gelding
Height: 15.2
History: No Training

Sammy is a blank page! He has been residing in a pasture with light handling and growing like a weed. He is cooperative and wants to learn. Sammy currently resides with geldings, mares and gets along well for being a youngster. Sammy loves being groomed and is good for the vet and farrier. He is sound and has potential for any discipline.

SAM
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color: Bay
Age: 2 years
Gender: Gelding
Height: 15.1
History: No Training

Like Sammy, above, Sam too is a blank page!  Sam has been doing ground work and has been started under saddle. He is cooperative and wants to learn. Sam currently resides with geldings, mares and gets along well for being a youngster. Sam loves being groomed and is good for the vet and farrier. He is sound and has potential for any discipline.

MIKE
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color: Bay
Age: 7 years
Gender: Gelding
Height: 16.1
History: Racing

Mike is a very kind gentle giant. He stands well for farrier and grooming. His temperament is so easy going all the volunteers enjoy grooming him. The highlight of his day is receiving a peppermint candy from a cheerful visitor! Having been significantly raced in the past we feel he will be best suited for trail or flat work.

Adoptable Horses from the Kentucky Horse Park
We’re looking for good homes for two of our former Parade of Breeds stars.  If you are interested in either of the horses below, please contact Ashlea Gullett-Beeson in our Equine Department for more information, 859-259-4256 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

ORIGINAL ZIN, “Legend”
16.2 h. Thoroughbred, 2001

Legend is quite a character. He retired from the racetrack and spent two years in our Breeds Barn representing the Thoroughbred and the sport of racing. He enjoys entertaining the staff with his inquisitive, sometimes goofy personality.

Legend is suitable for an intermediate-advanced adult rider doing low-level dressage and trail riding. He also wouldn’t object to being a pasture ornament. He’s quite the looker – chestnut with chrome and a big blaze. He plays well with others, trailers, stands for the vet and farrier, clips, bathes and ties. He is currently barefoot.

BHF Wind Dancer, “Dancer” (Winds of Warr x Khemos Love Song)
15.1 h. Arabian, foaled 1992

If you’re looking for a sweet, cuddly horse, Dancer is your man. He retired from a show career and spent a year in our Breeds Barn representing the Arabian breed. He loves people and attention, and would be the perfect back-yard pony for a family.

Dancer is suitable for very light riding or as a pasture companion. He is bay with a black mane and tail. He gets along great with other horses, and is happy to live in the pasture 24/7. He trailers, stands for vet and farrier, clips, bathes and ties. He is currently barefoot. Easy keeper.

This weekend, July 15-17, you can meet Sato, a Thoroughbred who is an extremely rare palomino pinto sabino.

This 16-hand stallion is registered with The Jockey Club and the American Paint Horse Association.

He has the flashy coloration of a Paint and the sleek, elegant conformation of a Thoroughbred, making him one show-stopping piece of equine eye candy. Sato will be appearing courtesy of BreyerFest so come out and see him!

Watch a video of him, shot at the Kentucky Horse Park on July 14, 2011:

Meet the Kentucky Equine Humane Center's adoptable horse of the week: Derby! 

Derby is a 4-year-old Thoroughbred mare, 15.3 hands, who is busy absorbing all kinds of new experiences at KyEHC.  She is cautious yet curious when introduced to new objects and obstacles but is learning to explore her new world more confidently.

Derby gets along in a herd with both mares and geldings. She is sound for any discipline, a quick learner, and ready for a new home and career. 

For more information about her or any of the other adoptable horses at the Kentucky Equine Humane Center, contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to www.kyehc.org