The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have come to a close. As with any major event — a wedding, a huge project, even the holiday season — its conclusion brings a mixture of sadness and relief.

Sadness, for the special time never seems to last long enough to savor, after the months or years of planning and hard work. Relief, at seeing the event come off successfully and knowing that the burden is finally off one’s shoulders. 

We’ve been hearing about the WEG for so long that it’s almost hard to believe it’s over. Like any massive undertaking, the Lexington, Kentucky, event had its share of bumps along the way. Foremost among them had to be the economic downturn that led to budget cuts and lower-than-anticipated ticket sales (although WEG organizers yesterday announced that the total attendance figure for the sixteen days topped half a million). A change in organization management midstream led to challenges. There were complaints about price-gouging on everything from tickets and lodging to concessions and souvenirs. Some vendors at the Kentucky Horse Park site, who had paid princely sums for booth space, felt stung by the change in the economic winds. 

Even so, I think that the 2010 WEG will be regarded as a success. In its role as US ambassador to the world, Kentucky impressed with its friendliness and helpfulness. Visitors both foreign and domestic thrilled to see the Bluegrass, the Thoroughbred farms, and the all-American breeds on display. Reining enthusiasts watched the jumping. Jumpers took in endurance. Endurance riders enjoyed dressage. And everyone embraced the newcomer sport, para-equestrian dressage, the sight of able-bodied athletes schooling alongside those with physical disabilties making for an atmosphere of true inclusiveness