Mary King (GBR) today, 30th April 2011, is currently lying in both first and second position after the Cross-Country phase at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, in Lexington. Rolex Grand Slam contender Mark Todd (NZL) is lying in 18th with his horse Grass Valley after a run out late on in the course.
William Fox-Pitt riding Neuf Des Coeurs is lying in 6th position and Oliver Townend riding ODT Sonas Rovatio is in 7th place.
Quotes from Mary King/Kings Temptress: “I was a bit too fast. I was slightly back at nine minutes, and I pressed her and she really responded!” “The ground was amazing. If this had been a horse trial in England, it would have been cancelled days ago!” [Horse’s third 4-star]: “I bred this mare, and looking back on how awkward she was at her first event, and how she’s adapted to make it work is very rewarding. The course rode very much as it walked, which shows what a fabulous course designer he is.”
Quotes from Mary King/Fernhill Urco: “I can’t believe it – lying in first and second places. I’ve never been in this position before, especially not at this level, on two very different horses.” [She went the long way at double brushes three from home]: “I knew I was over the time, but he’d become one paced and I thought, ‘Oh, Mary, he’s young. Don’t be greedy.’”
Quotes from Clayton Fredericks/Be My Guest: “She’s a pretty good cross-country mare if I can keep her quiet. I wanted to be sure of the last few fences because I’ve seen so many go wrong there. She was fantastic – I really enjoyed it!”
Quotes from William Fox-Pitt/Neuf Des Couers: [Lost a shoe just before the third-to-last jump. He was delighted with horse]: “The ground got tackier as the day got on.” “We took all of the direct routes, but we were just over time.” “He is a great horse. He is still immature, a big baby yet.”
Quotes from Oliver Townend/ODT Sonas Ravatio: [Oliver was thrilled with the round and how the horse performed]: “He is just a 9-year-old, one of the youngest in the field, and it’s just his first four-star.”
Quotes from Mark Todd/Grass Valley: “He was really going up until the third to last.” “I felt he might have been a little tired, and I was maybe a little too relaxed at that point on the course.” “You can never disregard a course; there are a lot of big jumps.”
Current Standings:
1. Mary King (GBR) riding Kings Tempress, 47.7
2. Mary King (GBR) riding Fernhill Urco, 49.7
3. Clayton Fredericks (AUS) riding Be My Guest, 53.0
4. Sinead Halpin (USA) riding Manoir de Carneville, 53.1
5. Hannah Sue Burnett (USA) riding St Barths, 53.3
6. William Fox-Pitt (GBR) riding Neuf Des Coeurs, 54.0
7. Oliver Townend (GBR) riding ODT Sonas Rovatio, 58.2
8. Jessica Phoenix (CAN) riding Exponential, 60.0
9. Boyd Martin (USA) riding Remington XXV, 61.4
10. Kim Steverson (USA) riding Tipperary Liadhnan, 62.5
18. Mark Todd (NZL) riding Grass Valley, 83.0
Further news and details are available on www.rk3de.org.
After winning the 2011 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials on NZB Land Vision earlier this week, Mark Todd enters ‘Rolex’ as the live contender for the coveted Rolex Grand Slam title. With one of three legs of the Rolex Grand Slam complete, Todd must now win at both the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, in order to become only the second rider, after Pippa Funnell, to scoop the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam for winning the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, and the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, all in succession. So far the Rolex Grand Slam feat has only been achieved by Pippa Funnell, who won all three competitions in 2003 on two different horses.