46 Horses Ready To Start At The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

In front of a die-hard crowd of about 300 people on a windy, wet and cold afternoon, the international ground jury accepted all of the 46 horses presented at the first horse inspection at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover. The event begins on Thursday, April 25, and runs through Sunday, April 28.

The ground jury of Nick Burton (Great Britain), Christina Klingspor (Sweden) and Brian Ross (United States) held only one horse—Quimbo, ridden by Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand—but then accepted him when he was presented a second time.

Riders from seven nations—the United States, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Ireland, Australia and Ecuador—will be aiming for the top prizes that will be awarded on Sunday, including the coveted Rolex watch. The total prize money is $250,000, of which $80,000 will go to the winner.

Dressage gets underway on Thursday at 9:00 a.m., continuing until 4 p.m., and resumes Friday from 9:00 to 4:00. Saturday features the cross-country phase, the heart of the competition, with the climactic show jumping phase on Sunday.

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover, is the Western Hemisphere’s only Four-Star Three-Day Event. It is part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM 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 the Rolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four-Star Events in succession.

Rolex Kentucky draws more than 50,000 spectators to the Kentucky Horse Park and is seen by millions more on worldwide telecasts. This year’s event features Olympic and World Equestrian Games medalists from Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States and will crown the 16th Rolex/USEF National CCI4* Champion.