As happens more times then not this time of the year in Kentucky, the weather went from bad to great in a matter of a days. The weather for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event: Cross Country Day started out a little chilly but soon warmed up and it turned into a gorgeous day. Many people have sun-burns to prove it, which if I can give one bit of advice, wear Sun Screen.
Way to take the Lake.
The jump at the Head of the Lake is always a crowd favorite and this year was no exception. We watched a number of horses through this jump and other then a few minor mis-steps they all completed it with authority.
There were a few horses retired or eliminated over the length of the course but no major career ending injuries to any horse or rider and so that makes it a good Cross Country Day when everybody can come back another day.
At the end of the day, Mary King on KINGS TEMPTRESS with a clean round and no time faults was in first going into tomorrow’s Show Jumping finale.икони
April is the kickoff of so many things horsey in Kentucky and some not so horsey that for me its the best month of the year. The month starts out with the Kentucky Wildcats on the verge of winning a Championship, I know not a horse related event but certainly a Kentucky event.
Keeneland’s Spring Meet starts the 8th and runs through the 29th with the last major Prep Races for the both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks. Keeneland is certainly one of the most beautiful Thoroughbred Race Tracks in the country and with the Kentucky Red Buds and Dog Woods in full bloom it maybe nearly Angelic.
The Kentucky Horse Park starts the month with the Kentucky Spring Arabian Show, then mid-month the Kentucky Spring Premiere kicks off the Saddlebred show season…(DRUM ROLL PLEASE) To finish the month, The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, the only Four-Star Three-Day on North American Soil, with all that excitement I am not sure how I will survive the month.
Lexington, KY – November 1, 2010- Ticket packages for the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone, April 28-May 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, are on sale as of November 1.
The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM, is the only event in the Western Hemisphere held at the Four Star level, the same level as the Olympic Games and the Eventing World Championships which were held as part of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG).
“Rolex Kentucky,” as it is commonly known, is one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian competitions and features the world’s best horses and riders vying for their share of $250,000 in prize money as well as a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which is awarded to any rider who wins theRolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four Star Events in succession.
“More than 100,000 people, including over 50,000 on Cross-Country day, thrilled to the excitement of the sport of Eventing at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games,” said Christina Gray, Director of Competition for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. “Many of them had never attended ‘Rolex Kentucky’ and we are hearing from numerous that they intend to return to Kentucky next April for another action-packed week of world-class Eventing excitement.”
Advance sale ticket packages include four-day, three-day (Fri-Sat-Sun), and single day general admissions, as well as group sales and reserved grandstand seating. Patron Plus, Patron Club, and Equestrian Club subscriptions are also available, featuring prime locations and hospitality amenities.
“Given the excitement generated by the Eventing competition at WEG, we expect record ticket sales for next April’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event,” said Vanessa Coleman, the Event’s Director of Ticketing. “We recommend that people buy their tickets early to ensure that they don’t miss out!”
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org. As of November 1, tickets may be ordered directly online, or by printing the ticket order form and returning it via mail or fax (859)-254-5116 to Equestrian Events, Inc. Tickets may also be ordered by calling 859-254-8123. To receive a printed ticket brochure, please send name and mailing address to EEI at P.O. Box 12110, Lexington, KY 40580-2110.
The 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is in the books and by all appearances provided a final successful test for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The weather provided the unknown factor for the test, with the possibility of severe weather Saturday afternoon the Event Management Team from Equestrian Events, did a great job by deciding to eliminate the lunch break and keeping the riders coming out of the start on a tight interval. The weather did hold the attendance down on Saturday with the total attendance for the event coming in at 61,828 but the Stadium was packed on Sunday for the Stadium Jumping.
Based on current trends we have released a preliminary weather forecast for the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event. The forecast can be found at our KyWEGO Weather Blog which is now open to discuss weather for all the events leading up to and including the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
LEXINGTON, KY—The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will host its final series of Kentucky Cup Test Events, held in conjunction with the annual Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Dressage, Eventing and Jumping competitions will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park April 20-25.
“This final series of test events will be an important test of the planning for many of the competition aspects of the Games,” said Kate Jackson, Vice President of Competition for the World Games 2010 Foundation. “By hosting sessions of different disciplines on several days, we will really be able to test many of our procedures for the actual Games.”
Kentucky Cup Dressage will begin the week of official test events. The schedule includes:
Tuesday, April 20 9:00 a.m. Dressage Grand Prix
Wednesday, April 21 10:00 a.m. Grand Prix Special
Thursday, April 22 7:00 p.m. Dressage Freestyle
The Freestyle competition on April 22 is a ticketed event priced at $15. All Kentucky Cup Dressage events will be held in the Outdoor Stadium. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event includes:
Thursday, April 22 9:00 a.m. Dressage
Friday, April 23 9:00 a.m. Dressage
Saturday, April 24 9:00 a.m. Cross Country
Sunday, April 25 Noon Jumping
For more information about the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, go to www.rk3de.org.
Kentucky Cup Jumping will complete the official test events for the 2010 Games. The schedule includes:
Friday, April 23 7:00 p.m. Warm –Up class
Saturday, April 24 7:00 p.m. Jumping Grand Prix
Sunday, April 25 6:00 p.m. Speed Class
Saturday’s Jumping Grand Prix is a ticketed event priced at $20. Tickets to the Speed Class on Sunday will be $15. All Kentucky Cup Jumping sessions will be held in the Outdoor Stadium.
Kentucky Horse Park To Host CCI**** Event – Tickets Currently On Sale
Lexington, KY – January 19, 2010- The excitement of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 220in The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM Series, attracts many of the world’s best horses and riders as they vie for their share of $250,000 in prize money.
Enhancing this year’s schedule will be the official Kentucky Cup Dressage and Jumping Test Events for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). The Games will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park, September 25-October 10, marking the first time that equestrian sport’s biggest event is being held outside Europe.
In addition to the excitement surrounding this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and WEG events, will be the attempt by Oliver Townend of Great Britain to become only the second rider in history to win the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, awarded to any rider who wins theRolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four Star Events in succession. Townend has won the first two legs and at Rolex Kentucky next April, he will seek to join Pippa Funnell of Great Britain, who did it in 2003, as the only riders to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.
“Equestrian enthusiasts everywhere are going to want to have a front-row seat to this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event,” said Jane Atkinson, Event Director and Executive Vice President of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the event. “The level of excitement at EEI is almost tangible, as we know this is going to be a year for the record books and one not to be missed by any equestrian sports fan!”
The only Four Star Event in the Western Hemisphere, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is the premier competition for the top horses and riders in the Olympic discipline of Eventing. Past winners include United States Olympic Medalists David and Karen O’Connor, Kim Severson and Phillip Dutton, New Zealand’s Blyth Tait and Nick Larkin, Pippa Funnell of Great Britain and Andrew Hoy and Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks of Australia.
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org. You may order your tickets online, or complete the ticket order form and return via mail or fax (859-254-5116) to Equestrian Events, Inc. Phone orders: (859) 254-8123. To receive a printed ticket brochure, send name and mailing address to EEI at P.O. Box 12110, Lexington, KY 40580-2110.
Will Seek To Become Second Rider Ever to Complete Slam at 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event
Lexington, KY-September 22, 2009-Oliver Townend of Great Britain is poised to achieve what only one other event rider in the world has ever done, claim the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.
In September of 2003, Pippa Funnell of Great Britain became the first rider in history to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing when she rode Primmore’s Pride to victory at the Burghley Horse Trials in England following back-to-back wins in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in April aboard Primmore’s Prideand the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in May aboard Supreme Rock. Funnell completed her sweep of the three CCI**** events at Burghley to win $250,000, the purse at that time, and a Pink Gold 18-carat Datejust Rolex watch. The payoff was the largest in Eventing history.
Townend, 26, claimed a victory in May in the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials aboard Flint Curtis and in September won another leg of the Rolex Grand Slam when he and Carousel Quest bested a field of 49 to win the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Carousel Quest placed eighth at Rolex Kentucky last spring. It was the first four star outing for Ollie and Carousel Quest as a pair and served as another indication of how Rolex Kentuckyand its courses designed by Mike Etherington-Smith continue to build champions.
“We all took note when this young combination of Oliver Townend and Carousel Quest performed so well at Rolex Kentucky last spring,” said Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Director, Jane Atkinson. “Mike Etherington-Smith has a unique ability to bring out the talent in young horses and help them develop, and we can’t wait to welcome back Ollie and Carousel Quest next spring as the new Burghley Champions!”
Townend’s success comes as no surprise. His father rode at Burghley and his mother showed sidesaddle at County level so it was not unexpected that success came early for him in the form of a place on the Pony Eventing Team and countless show jumping victories. Now, with two major four star wins, he is poised to take his place in Eventing history.
Will he be able to join Pippa Funnell as the only riders to sweep the Rolex Grand Slam? We will find out at the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event next April 22-25!
Further information on the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is available at the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org.
The Organisers of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event have been able to avoid a clash of dates in the future.
Badminton announced earlier this year that it would be running over the weekend of the May Day bank holiday from 2010, with cross country day on the Sunday and show jumping on the holiday Monday. Unfortunately, this very occasionally clashes with the traditional Kentucky date, the cross country for which has been the last Saturday in April since 1987.
It has now been agreed that in 2011 Badminton will run one week earlier, i.e. 22-25 April, which, being the Easter weekend, will still enable the event to climax on a bank holiday Monday. In 2016, Kentucky in turn has agreed to run a week earlier than it otherwise would so that Badminton can maintain their holiday Monday schedule.
Both Event Directors, Hugh Thomas and Janie Atkinson, salute the agreement as demonstrating the good relationship between the leading international events and being in the best interests of the sport of eventing, which would not have been well served by a clash of two of the three Rolex Grand Slam events or indeed two of the HSBC FEI Classic Four Star Events.
Event Dates until 2016 are now as follows:
Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event
2010 30 April – 3 May 22 – 25 April
2011 22 – 25 April 28 April – 1 May
2012 4 – 7 May 26 – 29 April
2013 3 – 6 May 25 – 28 April
2014 2 – 5 May 24 – 27 April
2015 1 – 4 May 23 – 26 April
2016 29 April – 2 May 21 – 24 April
I had my first chance today to get a up close look at the new stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park while out for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and to say my first impression was wow would not do it justice. The new stadium makes you feel the Horse Park is starting to blossom into the kind of World Class facility we all knew it could be. I know a lot of peope in these economic times are questioning the money that is being spent on the Horse Park, but I can say the stadium gives you the feel that the money being spent is being well spent and of course the majority of that money is going to jobs right here in Central Kentucky. Tomorrow I am going to experience the stadium in action as I will be in attendance for the final day of the Rolex, Show Jumping, which will take place in the Stadium.
The weather continues to be just wonderful for the Kentucky Rolex Three-Day Event though it has started to get hot. The weather for tomorrow’s Cross Country is forecast to be mid 80’s and windy under a bright sun, so everyone wear your sun screen and we will see you there.
The 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is now in full swing and the weather forecast looks to be marvelous for the entire event. We hope everyone can make it out to see the new facilities and support this totally Kentucky Tradition.
Lexington, KY-April 9, 2009-The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian competitions, has been named one of the Top 10 Festivals and Events for Spring 2009 by the Kentucky Tourism Council.
The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM Series, is set to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park April 23-26. It was named as one of the Top 10 Events for Spring because this premier event is the only four star, three-day event in the Americas and because it brings international attention to Lexington and the Bluegrass State each spring. While attracting crowds in excess of 100,000, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event also features an International Sponsor Village and Trade Fair with more than 150 booths and various exciting demonstrations.
“We are proud to continue our commitment to providing outstanding entertainment as well as world-class equestrian competition,” said Event Director, Jane Atkinson. “The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event has long been recognized as a magnet for tourism dollars. This honor gives the eventan important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”
The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event features the world’s best horses and riders vying for their share of $250,000 in prize money and a chance at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. The winning owner is awarded $80,000 and the winning rider receives a classic Rolex timepiece.
The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event will run a CCI****, the 12th championship for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Pinnacle Cup, signifying the zenith in Eventing competition in the United States. The event draws spectators from all over the world is seen by millions more on worldwide telecasts including a one-hour special on NBC-TV in the United States, Sunday, May 3 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST.
For more information on the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org.
Lexington, KY – February 23, 2009- The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM Series and one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian competitions, is set to return to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 23-26.
The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event features the world’s best horses and riders vying for their share of $250,000 in prize money and a chance at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. The winning owner will be awarded $80,000 and the winning rider will receive a classic Rolex timepiece.
The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event will run a CCI****, the 12th championship for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Pinnacle Cup, signifying the zenith in Eventing competition in the United States. The event draws over 100,000 spectators and is seen by millions more on worldwide telecasts including a one-hour special on NBC in the United States.
“This year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event promises to be the biggest and most exciting ever,” said Jane Atkinson, Executive Vice President of Equestrian Events, Inc.(EEI), producer of the event. “With a brand new stadium and other improvements to the Kentucky Horse Park, spectators can expect an unprecedented experience. As anticipation continues to build for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the level of competition at Rolex should be at an all-time high!”
The only Four Star Event in the Western Hemisphere, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is the premier competition for the top horses and riders in Eventing. Past winners include United States Olympic Medalists David and Karen O’Connor, Kim Severson, Phillip Dutton, New Zealand’s Blyth Tait and Nick Larkin, Pippa Funnell of Great Britain and Andrew Hoy and Clayton Fredericks of Australia.
The $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing is awarded to any rider who wins theRolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four Star Events in succession. In 2003, Pippa Funnell of Great Britain, became the first, and to date only, rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing.
In addition to the heart pounding equestrian action, one of the most popular attractions at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is the Kentucky Three-Day Event Shop. The Shop offers all manner of clothing, accessories and gift items sporting the EEI logo with the competition title, “Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event,” curved around the top of the logo.
“We are looking forward to having everyone come out to enjoy the Kentucky Horse Park to watch one of the world’s most exciting events,” said Atkinson. “In addition to watching the world-class equestrian competition and strolling through the more than 150 shops and boutiques, equine enthusiasts can tour the world-renowned Kentucky Horse Park, stroll the beautiful grounds and catch a glimpse of magnificent horses all around!”
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org, complete the ticket order form and return via mail or fax (859-254-5116) to Equestrian Events, Inc., call (859) 254-8123 or order online.
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