The Buzz

If you drove through downtown last week, you probably noticed that the digital countdown clocks for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games weren’t working.
Don’t panic. The Games haven’t been canceled or moved to Dubai.
“A part” failed in the clock system and has to be replaced, says Krista Greathouse, Mayor Jim Newberry’s liaison to the Games.
The [...]

The British Broadcasting Corp. is planning television coverage of the Alltech FEI European Championships in August at Windsor Castle.
For American riders who can’t travel to England this summer, the BBC images could be their best look at the competition before they face many of the same riders in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at [...]

LeRoy Neiman couldn’t attend Tuesday’s unveiling of his official painting for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games so he sent his “electrons,” as one speaker put it.
He sent a short video message that began: “I’m LeRoy Neiman and I’m a New York painter.”
That’s like saying “I’m Barack Obama and I’m an Illinois politician.”
At 87, Neiman [...]

You’ve heard of “Joe the Plumber.”
Now there’s “Joe the Horse.”
He’s otherwise known as Alysheba or simply “America’s horse” — the world’s third richest Thoroughbred, with purse earnings of $6,679,242.
On Thursday, it was announced that the Kentucky Derby winner, who has spent the last eight years in the royal stables of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, [...]

When the history of the current national financial crisis is written, Kentucky may emerge as something of a pioneer in (of all things) the Wall Street bond market.
At the same time, the state may have gotten a good deal for the taxpayers.
“On Oct. 7, Kentucky sold $400 million worth of bonds to finance education and [...]

If you can’t wait for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to begin in two years, the organizers at the World Games 2010 Foundation have a couple of free toys for you.
You can now download a dozen different desktop wallpapers featuring Games’ events at www.feigames2010.org/wallpapers.
There’s also a free digital clock that counts down to the [...]

Pearse Lyons is an Irishman.
“The Irish are the laziest men in the world,” he told the Kentucky Chamber’s Economic Summit and Annual Meeting on Tuesday.
(You could almost hear someone say, “How lazy are they?”)
“We always marry pregnant women,” he said, without missing a beat.
There was a twitter of laughter that quickly became a roar as [...]

Mike Nalepa, editor of the first edition of “Fodor’s Essential USA” travel guide, was on CNN’s Your Money on Sunday to discuss less expensive road trips as substitutes for traditional vacations this year.
“You recommend Kentucky bluegrass country,” the program’s host, Ali Velshi, said to Nalepa.
“Kentucky is an overlooked — it’s flyover country for most people, [...]

Mike Nalepa, editor of the first edition of “Fodor’s Essential USA” travel guide, was on CNN’s Your Money on Sunday to discuss less expensive road trips as substitutes for traditional vacations this year.
“You recommend Kentucky bluegrass country,” the program’s host, Ali Velshi, said to Nalepa.
“Kentucky is an overlooked — it’s flyover country for most people, [...]

Ahhhh, it’s spring in Kentucky!
The bluegrass is growing.
The trees are leafing.
The flowers are blooming.
A “Wildcat cement truck” is in front of the Man o’ War statue at the Kentucky Horse Park, a truly ”beautiful” sight, says John Nicholson, the park’s executive director.
It reminds Nicholson that current construction — arena, stadium, museum expansion, new roads, etc. [...]