Book your Hotel Reservations for the AHP Lexington Seminar Online

June 17-19 ~ Hilton Lexington / Downtown ~ Lexington, Kentucky

The AHP "40th Anniversary" Seminar will be held on June 17-19, 2010 at the Hilton Lexington / Downtown. Overlooking Triangle Park, the Hilton’s stylish accommodations reflect the rich history of the Bluegrass and feature comfortable furniture, inviting décor and modern lifestyle amenities, including executive desks, cable TV with premium channels, wireless high - speed internet, dual-line telephones with voicemail, data ports, refrigerators, bottled water, room service, and plush Sleep Number Beds. The landmark hotel is central to scores of exciting Lexington attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, and entertainment venues. AHP attendees will enjoy an extraordinary hotel experience with distinctive service, inviting ambiance and deluxe lifestyle amenities, including indoor heated pool and spa, business center, fitness club, WiFi, meeting and event space, airport shuttle, a jewelry store, and Lexington’s hottest dining and nightlife.

The AHP Hotel Group Rate offers AHP attendees two levels of accommodations.

• Standard Room: $119 Single or Double 2pp, $10 additional person
• Executive Club Floor Room: $144 Single or Double 2pp, $10 additional person.

(Applicable local and state taxes not included in above rates)

Cutoff date for reservations is May 28, 2010.
Rates are good from June 12, 2010 - June 23, 2010 based on availability.

Online room reservations: AHP members can click on the link below to make reservations. You will be directed to the property's home page with the code already entered in the appropriate field. All you need to do to begin the reservation is enter your arrival and departure dates and your Hilton Honors account number if you have one.

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/LEXDTHF-HORSEP-20100612/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

Phone room reservations: Call 859-231-9000 and use the American Horse Publications group code (HORSEP).

Hotel address:

Hilton Lexington / Downtown

369 West Line Street

Lexington, KY 40507

Phone: 859-231-9000

http://www.lexingtondowntownhotel.com/

Step Back in Time at the Mary Todd Lincoln House

One of the more popular tourist destinations in Lexington is the Mary Todd Lincoln House, which was the home for seven years of the future wife of President Abraham Lincoln when she was a child.

Todd Lincoln moved into the house in downtown Lexington when she was 14 years old. She lived there between 1832 and 1839 before moving to live with her sister, Mrs. Ninian Edwards, in Springfield, Ill. It was in Springfield where she ended up marrying the future 16th president of the United States.

The house itself was built around 1803-1806 and was originally "The Sign of the Green Tree" inn. It was then purchased by Robert S. Todd, who was involved in the grocery business and a cotton manufacturing firm in the city. In his time, Todd was also the president of the Lexington Branch of the Bank of Kentucky and a 24-year member of the Kentucky General Assembly.

In the 1830s, during the time when Mrs. Lincoln lived in Lexington, the city had less than 7,000 residents. However, it was considered one of the "big" cities of the (at that time) western United States and comparable to "Philadelphia and Boston because of its wealth and sophistication," according to the National Register of Historic Places.

Being one of the wealthier men in town, Mr. Todd had many important guests at the house, including one of the great U.S. Senators, Henry Clay, the leader of the Whig Party and a three-time presidential candidate. Clay also has an estate in Lexington, which people can visit and, time permitting, will be another blog entry here.

The Mary Todd Lincoln House is the first historic site restored in honor of a First Lady. It is operated by the Kentucky Mansions Preservation Foundation, Inc., and was opened to the public on June 9, 1977. According to the National Register of Historic Places, "After Robert S. Todd's death, the home was auctioned. An inventory from this auction became the guide to furnish the house museum, and some family pieces have been returned to the home through donations by the Todd and Lincoln families." Here's a photo gallery, which offers a glimpse into the house and what you can see there.

The Mary Todd Lincoln House is located within walking distance – a short block away – from the Lexington Hilton, where the AHP seminar will be held. The street address is 578 West Main St. Just ask at the hotel desk for the location and they will point you in the right direction. The house is open Monday through Saturday (Mar. 15-Nov. 30), with guided tours available between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a fee for admission. For more information, call 859-233-9999 or go to www.Mtlhouse.org.

Photo Credits: Photo of Mary Todd Lincoln House courtesy of Mary Todd Lincoln House Museum. Photo of Mary Todd Lincoln courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints and Photo Division.

More than Horses at the Kentucky Horse Park

In just a few short months, many of you will be coming to Lexington, Ky. for the 2010 AHP 40th Anniversary Seminar. There will be much to do at the event itself, but there will also be some down time for exploring the countryside surrounding the city.

While driving around the area, you will get to see some beautiful sights, including historic buildings, large thoroughbred farms that seem to go on forever and, of course, lots of horses grazing on the sweet Kentucky bluegrass.

One of the places you will most likely want to see is the Kentucky Horse Park, which showcases the beauty and grace of horses from around the world. There are many exhibits to see in the Horse Park, such as the Parade of Breeds and the Hall of Champions. In addition, you will also get to see some of the new buildings created for the upcoming 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which will be taking place in the park this autumn. And, of course, you will get to see the many horses that call the Horse Park home.

While horses are the main attraction at the Horse Park, there are some other things to look out for as you walk around, especially the beautiful horse statues.

There are currently 15 horse statues standing throughout the park. Some are life size, while others are smaller in stature. Three of the top fan favorites are located right at the entry of the park – Man O'War, Secretariat and Promise and Frisky.

The Man O'War statue first stood over the great stallion's grave on the grounds of Sam Riddle's Faraway Farm where he died in 1948. Arguably the greatest thoroughbred in horse racing history, "Big Red" won 20 of 21 races before retiring to stud at that farm, which is only a few miles away from the park. In 1997, both the statue, which was created by Herbert Haseltine, and Man O'War's grave were moved to the Horse Park where they now stand. Buried along with Man O'War are a few of his offspring, including his Triple Crown winning son, War Admiral.

Standing a short distance away from Man O'War is the statue of Secretariat, the other horse some consider the greatest thoroughbred in history. Secretariat captured the hearts of America when he won the Triple Crown in 1973, clinching his championship run with an incredible 31-length victory in the Belmont Stakes. The statue was created by Edwin Boguki, and shows the other "Big Red" entering a winner's circle with his jockey, Ron Turcotte, riding him, while his groom Eddie Sweat leads the way.

Promise and Frisky is one of the "fun" statues in the Horse Park. It stands between Man O'War and Secretariat, and is actually two separate statues that were showcased together. Created by Gwen Reardon, the two playful young horses are located in the flower garden in front of the Visitor's Information Center at the park's entrance.

So, as you walk around the Kentucky Horse Park and admire the horses, the beautiful landscape and all the other exhibits, keep your eye out for the horse statues. They are some of the park's hidden gems that you won't want to miss.

Photos by Rick Capone