William Fox-Pitt Heads Impressive List of Riders Set to Compete at the 2013 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

Defending champion William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain heads an impressive list of riders set to compete in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Land Rover which returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 25-28. Joining Fox-Pitt are several Olympic veterans and past Rolex Champions from around the world, and the list of entries includes some of the sport’s best riders from Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Great Britain, Ireland New Zealand and the United States.

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event 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.

“The star-studded line-up of riders in this year’s event guarantees that we will have an incredibly exciting event for anyone who loves fast-paced equestrian competition with the world’s best horses and riders,” said Darren Ripley, President of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. “With so many Olympians and past Rolex winners, this is sure to be a tough competition for the riders, and a thrilling one for spectators.”

Olympic veterans and past Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event winners entered to compete in this year include:

• William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, a four-time Olympic veteran with team Silver (2004 & 2012) and Bronze (2008) medals and the 2010 and 2012 Rolex Kentucky CCI4* champion

• Mary King of Great Britain, a six-time Olympic veteran with team Silver (2004 & 2012), and Team Bronze (2008) medals and the 2011 Rolex Kentucky CCI4* champion

• Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand, a six-time Olympic veteran with team Silver (1992) and team Bronze (1996 & 2012) medals

• Jonathan Paget of New Zealand, an Olympic veteran with a team Bronze medal (2012)

• Jonelle Richards of New Zealand, an Olympic veteran with a team Bronze medal (2012)

• Joe Meyer of New Zealand, an Olympic veteran (2008)

• Phillip Dutton of the U.S.A., a five-time Olympic veteran with two team Gold medals (1996 & 2000) for his native Australia and the 2008 Rolex Kentucky CCI4* champion

• Becky Holder of the U.S.A., an Olympic veteran (2008)

• Boyd Martin of the U.S.A., an Olympic veteran (2012)

• William Coleman III of the U.S.A., an Olympic veteran (2012)

• Austin O’Connor of Ireland, a two-time Olympic veteran (2000 & 2008)

• Hawley Bennett-Awad of Canada, a two-time Olympic veteran (2004 & 2012)

• Peter Barry of Canada, an Olympic veteran (2012)

• Jessica Phoenix of Canada, an Olympic veteran (2012)

• Ronald Zabala-Goeteshel of Ecuador, an Olympic veteran (2012)

In addition to these Olympic veterans and past Rolex Kentucky champions, many more of the sport’s leading riders from the U.S. and abroad are entered to compete.