Admittedly, I’m not a horse person. Yes, I enjoy going to Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Kentucky Downs, but I don’t think the occasional $2 window qualifies me as a horse person.

For well over a year, the state has been talking about the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington which begin Sept. 25. With a more than two-hour opening ceremony, it ends Oct. 10 with an elaborate closing. Interstate signage, billboards, magazine and news media have been touting the event to people like me – not necessarily horse people, but Kentuckians who perhaps don’t realize how really, really big this event is going to be for the state.

It’s not called World Games for nothing, as hundreds of athletes from more than 60 countries will be in Lexington, as well as some 300,000 spectators from around the world.

As the publicity in anticipation of the games ramps up, so does the curiosity of many Kentuckians in regard to what the World Equestrian Games are all about.

What it is not is a gigantic horse show. Instead there will be eight equestrian sports: dressage, eventing, jumping, driving, reining, endurance, vaulting and para dressage for riders with physical disabilities. This will mark the first time in history that all eight events have taken place at the same time.

With expected daily crowds of 40,000, it’s not too early to start making plans to see this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Ticket prices range from $25 to $150. Special hospitality packages, which include private chalets, exclusive viewing areas and chef-prepared dining, start at $600. For more information, visit www.alltechfeigames.com or call (888) 934-2010.

The event is staged every four years, two years before the Olympic Summer Games, and for Kentucky to snag such a prestigious event further substantiates the reputation the Kentucky Horse Park has earned.

The 1,200-acre gem is a horse person’s paradise. It’s an educational theme park for all ages, an equine competition venue, as well as a working horse farm. Many visitors are surprised to learn that the park houses more than 30 national, state and regional equine associations.

Kentucky – and the Horse Park in particular – has been planning for this over several years, and if you haven’t visited lately, you might not recognize the facility. The old stuff has been spruced up, but it’s all the new attractions within the park that really get your attention. To be considered to host the games, the state built a $45 million indoor arena that seats 6,000 for the reining and vaulting competition. A 6,000-seat temporary driving stadium has been erected, and a 1,100-seat covered arena will be the site of the para dressage. Then there is a 30,000-seat main stadium, which will hold the opening and closing ceremonies, dressage, eventing and jumping events.

As you might expect at a world-class spectacle like this, there’ll be all kinds of pavilions that will allow the various countries to share their cultures, and equally important, for the entire state of Kentucky, to share their assets with the rest of the horse world.

The event gives the Kentucky Horse Park the opportunity to showcase what many in the business consider the top equestrian facility of its kind in the world.

Here’s a suggestion in case you don’t want to deal with the crowds and decide that attending a world sporting event is not for you: Make some plans and visit the Horse Park before the games. You can still see the area as it makes final preparations. Hotels will be available, restaurants less crowded and lines could be non-existent to see the park’s permanent exhibits and museums.

For a complete list of the activities at the Horse Park, visit www.kyhorsepark.com or call (800) 678-8813.

Get up, get out and get going!

— Gary West’s column runs monthly in the Daily News. He can be reached by e-mailing west1488@insightbb.com.