What are the chances of this year’s even being cancelled? I know the flooding they got is really bad, and I heard from a vendor that they’re talking about potentially cancelling the event if they can’t get the grounds dried out this week…
Oh no!
The first jog is more than 2 weeks from now. It’s going to be fine.
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I did see the crazy picture posted over the weekend of the huge amount of standing water at the horse park.
But I think those were the paddocks that are on the left of the driveway as you enter the park, which are much lower than the area for the cross country course.
So hopefully it will be fine. 
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This.
I don’t think they often cancel for weather, if ever.
I remember one of the years I was there for XC it was raining off and on most of the day and rained hard at times. No flooding. I missed the photos posted online but I’d also note it’s probably not the first time they’ve gotten flooding in Kentucky and it’s not like Lexington is along the Ohio River.
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I don’t think they’ve ever canceled besides during Covid and that was just spectators.
It is 16 days away and I haven’t heard from any other vendors about canceling. The biggest concern I’d see would be the parking being mostly in grass, I vaguely remember people being towed out of parking one year.
They still ran a dressage show over the weekend, although people did scratch due to flooding on routes there. The area that floods has flooded before.
Edited to correct sleeps till KY
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There has been flooding at the horse park in the weeks before and they have never canceled. I would expect them to cancel unless there was significant flooding the week of.
This is the picture that was floating around (so to speak) on social media over the weekend. And it’s pretty crazy.
But hopefully the storm system will blow past and the water will drain off and the event will go on as planned.
I’m sure they have a way to regulate the depth of the water at the famous drop jump, right? Lol.
They do have the big indoor and the big covered ring at Kentucky that they could use for dressage and/or stadium jumping if necessary, although I would be a little surprised to see that happen. But it’s an option, anyway.
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People who made it to the dressage show had pictures and the show grounds sits up high and looked fantastic, that show moved inside as it rained all day Saturday. The biggest issue was getting to the KYHP in the first place as a lot of roads were flooded out and closed. Not a fun journey in a horse trailer.
The area in the pics is known for flooding, although normally not that bad. Park staff moved horses to higher ground days ago.
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There’s that one little underpass nearby that probably would have required a submarine to navigate over the weekend.
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It’s only 16 days away? It’s April 24-26
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Yes it’s approx. two weeks away. The 5* accounts for ~90% of KHP revenue for the entire year, so they won’t cancel unless there is literally no choice (aka COVID).
Two weeks of plenty of time for things to drain/dry up.
Also just some additional info, the campground/entrances all look clear and dry.
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That’s a crazy number.
I’m not questioning it. I’m just saying it’s crazy to think of that number compared to how much activity goes on there throughout the rest of the year.
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Yep it’s a LOT. They released that information during the first COVID cancellation. It was in a video interview with (I believe) the KHP rep, not sure exactly what their job title was.
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Seems crazy when Badminton is likely having to water a LOT due to a ridiculously unseasonably warm dry spring.
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Kentucky took all their rain. That’s what I keep telling my mom who lives in England
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Does anyone happen to know how many spectators they normally get for the event? And how much the tickets cost?
From someone who lives in the bluegrass and works across from the horse park…. It’s gonna be fine. This ground soaks up the quick! Sun is on the horizon and it’ll be good to go.
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I want to say for XC day, they get around 80K in spectators but I could be wrong. We paid $25/each for ground admission for Saturday.
I don’t know about headcounts for the other days, but for SJ we paid $62/each (basic plain seats, no specialty seating) and the entire stadium is usually sold out. I feel like I’ve heard it seats around 8k people but don’t know that for sure either.
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Wow! That’s a lot of people.
I was there for a horse show in early May a couple of years ago, and I was impressed at how great the place looked so soon afterwards.
But now I’m even more impressed.
