"We are heading to Kentucky," said Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph, the horse owners’ and caregivers’ non-profit education center at the University of Guelph. "And what an opportunity for us to introduce Equine Guelph to the world!"

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games has invited Equine Guelph’s EquiMania! to be the center for youth equine education over the 16-day competition coming to Lexington, Ky., next fall.

EquiMania!, Equine Guelph’s interactive traveling education centre for youth, has been a popular exhibit in Canada–featured regularly at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Can-Am All Breeds Equine Emporium, Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, and rural agricultural fairs–but this will be the first time the 5,500 lb. exhibit crosses international borders.

The Games, to be held Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, 2010, are the world championships of the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). Held outside of Europe for the first time, the competition will involve 600 riding competitors and 700 horses from more than 60 countries and is expected to attract as many as 600,000 spectators and viewed on television by an international audience exceeding 460 million