(USA, 27 April 2012) Allison Springer (USA) riding Arthur, today Friday 27 April 2012, is the current leader after the Dressage phase, with William Fox-Pitt (GBR) riding Parklane Hawk in 2nd place, and Clark Montgomery (USA) riding Loughan Glen in 3rd place at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, in Lexington.
Quotes from William Fox-Pitt post media conference (link to audio of full interview below):
Q. How did the test feel, how does it feel to go into cross country tomorrow: “The pressure is on. I’m very excited about Parklane – he is a good horse, we did a good test. A few little mistakes here and there but you always do have things that don’t quite go to plan. But lying second behind Allison who did a superb test. I think at this stage it’s a good position to be in but I am going to have my work cut out with the pressure on and I am going to have to go for it tomorrow.
Q. Any tactics in particular – how are you going to attack the cross country tomorrow? “I think the course is there to be jumped. There are not a lot of options really if you are going to be competitive – you’ve got to get out there and attack it. I’m just going to set out and see how he feels, certainly at this stage I am not planning any long routes and hoping to come back nicely inside the time after a big galloping round, but you have to dream the day before don’t you because otherwise you would be running off home.”
Q. So one step closer to towards that Rolex Grand Slam: “Well it’s getting closer, isn’t it? It’s a good position to be in we’ve got a lot more to do and certainly very exciting. But I’m not thinking about the Rolex Grand Slam – hopefully if I put in my best performance here then I might be another stage closer, but there is a long way to go.”
GBR Placings after Dressage:
Lucy Wiegersma (GBR) riding Granntevka Prince, 8th
Oliver Townend (GBR) riding Pepper Anne, 9th
James Alliston (GBR) riding Jumbo’s Lake 23rd
James Alliston (GBR) riding Parker, 45th
Having claimed victory at the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, former Rolex Kentucky champion William Fox-Pitt (GBR) is now the current live contender for the Rolex Grand Slam prize. Fox-Pitt faces the daunting challenge of following up his Burghley victory with back-to-back wins required at both Kentucky and Badminton, with just one week apart.
Audio
Please click on the following links for copyright free audio interview with each rider after Dressage Day 2:
William Fox-Pitt, Rolex Grand Slam thoughts, RK3DE, 27.4.12.WMA:
https://download.yousendit.com/TEhVck84Q1BCSnFFTmNUQw
Oliver Townend RK3DE 27.4.12.WMA:
https://download.yousendit.com/TEhVck84Q1BoeWFGa2RVag
James Alliston RK3DE 27.4.12.WMA:
https://download.yousendit.com/TEhVck84Q1BqY3FGa2RVag
For more information on the 2012 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and full Results/Leaderboard, please visit www.rk3de.org.
Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing
In 2001, Rolex created the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. This trophy is awarded to the rider who manages to win the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials event in any consecutive order. Until now, only British rider Pippa Funnell has managed this staggering achievement, winning the title in 2003.
William Fox-Pitt
Fox-Pitt was the first British rider to earn Eventing’s Number 1 World Ranking, a distinction he achieved in 2002 and again in 2009 and 2010. He has ridden in three Olympic Games — 1996 in Atlanta, 2004 in Athens where he won a team Silver Medal, and 2008 at Beijing where he won a team Bronze. He also won a team Bronze Medal at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Jerez, a team Silver at the 2006 WEG in Aachen, and team Gold and individual Silver at the 2010 WEG in Kentucky.
Fox-Pitt is the only rider to have won five of the world’s six Four Star Events, having won Burghley a record six times (1994, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011), Badminton (2004), Luhmühlen (2008), Rolex Kentucky (2010) and Pau (2011). He has won the HSBC FEI Classics twice (2008 & 2010) and finished second in 2011. He has won seven team Gold Medals at European Championships and has been the number one ranked British rider nine times.