02.16.09

2009 Rolex 3-Day Event Changes

Posted in Announcement, Equestrian Events Inc, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event at 11:02 pm by Thomas

     Lexington, KY-February 16, 2009 – As a result of construction projects at the Kentucky Horse Park, Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI) is announcing some major changes for the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, the only annual Four Star Three-Day Event in the Americas.  Scheduled for April 23-26, 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.
     Honored with the 2008 Best of Lexington Award in the Special Events category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA), Equestrian Events continues to move forward and adapt to the changes at the Horse Park that will be fully completed by the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Even before it is the Test Event in 2010 for the Eventing World Championships, Rolex Kentucky 2009 will be the first time some of the Park changes come into play. Some of the changes in 2009:
The Stadium
     The arena where the Dressage and Jumping Tests for Rolex Kentucky were previously held is being totally rebuilt to create a new Stadium. This new facility, in the same location as the previous arena, will be a whole new experience for spectators, as well as horses and riders, and is leading to some sweeping changes for 2009 and beyond.
     Prior to the start of construction, the Lake Grandstand-constructed from funds donated by Equestrian Events, Inc., the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation and legions of supporters of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event-was carefully and painstakingly dismantled. Located on the south side of the arena with the Park’s picturesque lake behind it, each piece of the Lake Grandstand was numbered and coded and is being stored for re-assembly at a later date at one of the Park’s other outdoor arenas. The Lake Grandstand has 2,325 bench seats, 1,883 of them covered and 24 spaces for disabled seating.
New Permanent Grandstand
     A new permanent grandstand structure, with 7,289 chair seats, 4,630 of which will be covered, plus 102 spaces for disabled seating, is being constructed on the north side of the stadium where the Patron Club and Equestrian Club tents and their temporary grandstand seating were located. The Park Grandstand also houses restrooms and concession areas underneath the second tier of seating. There will be three entrances to the grandstand. The entry level goes directly to the uppermost row of the first tier of seating and disabled seating is on that level. Stairs at the entry level go up to the first row of the second tier of seating.
Temporary Uncovered Grandstand Seating
     Rolex Kentucky organizer Equestrian Events, Inc. is renting uncovered grandstands to provide a total of 15,000 seats in the new Stadium. These stands will be located on the south side of the arena by the Park’s lake and on the west side of the arena.
New Arena Surface
     A new arena surface will greet horses and riders at Rolex Kentucky 2009, but the surface isn’t new to the Horse Park or to the horses and riders that competed in the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. The German company OTTO Sport-und Reitplatz GMBH is installing its state-of-the-art riding surface on the Stadium arena and the attached warm-up area and will have its inaugural use at the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. However, the same surface was installed in 2008 in the Park’s Walnut Ring and used extensively last year, to wide acclaim, for Jumper classes at various A and AA-rated hunter/jumper shows at the Park.
Patron Club and Equestrian Club Tents Moved
     Due to its size, the Park Grandstand utilizes all the ground from the edge of the original arena back to Nina Bonnie Boulevard, ground where the Patron Club and Equestrian Club tents and uncovered grandstand seating were previously located. The Patron Club and Equestrian Club tents are being relocated across Nina Bonnie Boulevard to the fence line surrounding the High Hope Steeplechase Course. The tents will overlook the infield of the course, where several major obstacles on the Rolex Kentucky Cross-Country course are located. Grandstand seating for Patron Club and Equestrian Club subscribers will be an additional charge, allowing these Event attendees to choose which grandstand seating they prefer and to sit with friends who are not subscribers to these two ticket options. Video screens will be located in each tent to provide almost larger-than-life viewing of each day’s competition.
East Side of Stadium
     The East side of the Stadium, where temporary grandstands have previously been located, will now be used for the Patron Plus tent, a private hospitality tent, along with the grandstand for Riders, Owners, Grooms and Competitor Guests.
South Side of Stadium
     The configuration of the lake side of the arena is changed, and two grandstands with increased seating will be located here along with the Doggery, the grandstand targeted especially for dogs and their human companions.
West Side of Stadium
     The permanent Sponsor Hospitality Pavilion, previously located on the north side of the arena, has made way for the new Park Grandstand, requiring the creation of a new Sponsor Pavilion on the west side of the arena.  The West Grandstand that was located near the lake remains in the same relative position, but increased in height by one row (36 rows) and in width by 6′.
     Most visitors to the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Website have already been introduced to the newest ticket purchasing option from Equestrian Events, Inc., online ticket sales. While the Ticket Order Form may still be downloaded and mailed or faxed to the EEI Office, and orders may still be placed via telephone, those who like the ease and speed of placing orders online now have that option.
     “We are proud of our longstanding commitment to providing outstanding entertainment as well as world-class equestrian competition,” said Event Director, Jane Atkinson.  “The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event has always been produced by Equestrian Events, Inc. with a strong commitment to giving spectators an exciting and comfortable experience and we believe that these changes will go a long way in accomplishing that goal.
     The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event features this country’s best horses and riders and international stars 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 $65,000 and the winning rider receives a Rolex timepiece. The classic Kentucky Julep Cup is presented by Equestrian Events, Inc. to the winning owner and winning rider as a reminder of their accomplishment.
     For more information on the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org.  To receive the ticket brochure for the 2009 Event, send your name and address to Equestrian Events, Inc., P.O. Box 12110, Lexington, KY 40580-2110, (859) 254-8123 (9:00 am – 4:00 pm, M-F), (859) 254-5116 (fax), or rktickets@alltel.net.

05.15.08

May 15th, 1994 It is better to have lost then to never known.

Posted in Discussion, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event, Thoroughbred Racing, Uncategorized at 11:22 pm by Thomas

Today marks the 14th anniversary of Mr. Jones coming into my life and had Mr. Jones survived he would of turned 18 yesterday.  Thinking about his loss has got me to thinking a lot about the tragedies of recent and the agenda a certain organization is pushing.  Mr. Jones was a Thoroughbred and when his life began that was going to be his life’s work but that was not to be and he found his way to me.  Ultimately the agenda that this unnamed organization is pushing would basicly remove horses from our lifes, of course they may try to argue that, but ultimately that is what their agenda would lead to. 

For me, it comes down to a simple question, is it better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all.  For non horse people the point I am going to make next probably will be hard to understand, but if the world had been different when I was born and horses had been removed from our lives so Mr. Jones never came into my life would I or he been better off.  Losing him was very hard and I still feel that loss to this day and I believe that he fought the fight to survive as long as he did because he was happy in this life.  So would he or I been better off if he had never existed, I think you can guess my answer?  So for those of you who think that horses do what they do because we mear humans command them to, you are sadly mistaken.

I will end on a more upbeat note.  I heard that Laine Ashker was released from the hospital on Tuesday and by now should be home sleeping in her own bed which is great news though she still has much in front of her both physically and emotionally.  I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you ride at another Rolex in the future.

Thomas Demond
Founder

 

05.01.08

2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event sets the stage for the future.

Posted in 2010 Games, Kentucky, Position Statements, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event at 11:59 pm by Thomas

More then 100,000 people attended the 4 days of the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. This of course is a great sign for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Kentucky 2010 which will be 8 disciplines over 16 days. With the expectation that the economy will be back on the upswing by the 2010 Games it all suggests that the Games have the possibility of being more successful then most people are expecting. I still believe the success of the Games is going to be more then just economic, I believe these Games will forge a bond between the people of Kentucky and people from all over the world that will influence the future of Kentucky for Generations to come.

04.30.07

2007 Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event

Posted in Kentucky Horse Park, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event at 3:45 am by Thomas

Another successful Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event has come to a close. Congratulations to Clayton Fredericks and BEN ALONG TIME for the win and also to Karen O’Connor and her little pony with the big heart Theodore O’Connor for their 3rd place finish. As always the Rolex is great fun and really gets the blood pumping and in my mind the Rolex is the top Equestrian event in Kentucky for riders and spectators alike.

Preliminary numbers I have heard for Saturday’s Cross Country were just shy of 50,000 and I can attest to the numbers as traffic was terrible both going in and coming out Saturday. The project to widen Newtown Pike from I-75 out to Ironworks is progressing nicely and I would assume this is completed by next years Rolex and we will see what impact that has.

This marks my 15th Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event and Equestrian Events, Inc does a wonderful job putting on this event. There are some details (Devils in the details) that will have to be handled better by the time of the World Equestrian Games and I know they will be so there is no need to go into it here. My hats off to Jane Atkinson, founder of Equestrian Events, Inc and the 1000 plus volunteers that make the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event the success that it is.

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