Lauren Kieffer and Veronica (Ben Radvanyi Photography)
Lexington, Ky. – The crown-jewel of the U.S. eventing calendar, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover, gets underway this week at the Kentucky Horse Park. Seventy-five horses were presented and accepted today at the first horse inspection. Entries from nine countries will contest America’s only CCI4* event in their quest for the coveted champion title and Rolex watch. In addition to hosting the Rolex/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship, this year’s event will also serve as a Selection Trial for U.S. eventing athletes looking towards the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.
Competition begins tomorrow with the first of two days of dressage. All four days of competition will be live streamed on the USEF Network presented by SmartPak. In addition to the webcast, daily wrap-ups with Sinead Halpin and Hannah Sue Burnett, the order of go, results, and behind the scenes photos and videos can be found on the USEF Network.
This year’s entry list, which reads as a who’s who of international eventing, will feature the defending Rolex/USEF National Champion combination of Lauren Kieffer and Veronica, as well as the defending Rolex Kentucky Champions William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain and Bay My Hero. Kieffer and Veronica, owned by Team Rebecca, are coming off a strong showing at the Red Hills International Horse Trials in March where they won the Advanced division. The pair will be looking to improve on their second place overall finish from 2014.
The U.S. contingent of 46 athletes from all across the country will also include decorated veterans and up-and-coming talent, all seeking to reclaim the Rolex title for the U.S. since it was last won in 2008 by Phillip Dutton. Dutton, who has contested every single running of the CCI4* in Kentucky, brings three horses to the field: Fernhill Cubalawn, owned by Thomas Tierney and Simon Roosevelt; Fernhill Fugitive, owned by Thomas Tierney and Ann Jones; and Mighty Nice owned by Evie Dutton, Caroline Moran, Anne Jones, Kevin Keane, and Michael Bombar.
Currently ranked fifth in the world, Buck Davidson will also have a busy weekend with three entries, led by longtime partner Ballynoe Castle RM owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal. The pair finished third in last year’s event and most recently placed second at The Fork CIC3*. Davidson will also ride Petite Flower owned by Caroline and Sherrie Martin and The Apprentice owned by Sherrie Martin.
Demonstrating the continued success of the USEF eventing pipeline and appearing in their first Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event will be USEF Eventing 25 Developing Program athletes Elinor MacPhail and Lizzie Snow, as well as program alumni Allie Blyskal Sacksen and Mackenna Shea. Additional program alumni set to start are Lauren Kieffer, Jordan Linstedt, Meghan O’Donoghue, and Caitlin Silliman.
Highlighting the foreign entries are newcomers to Rolex Kentucky, Michael Jung and Zara Phillips. Hailing from Germany, Jung will start both of his stellar mounts, La Biosthetique-Sam FBW and fischerRocana FST. Jung and La Biosthetique-Sam FBW earned Individual Gold here when the Kentucky Horse Park played host to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and are the defending Olympic Team and Individual Gold medalists. Jung most recently experienced success on the world stage with fischerRocana FST, winning Team Gold and Individual Silver at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Phillips has entered High Kingdom, the horse on whom she won Team Silver medals for Great Britain at the 2012 Olympic Games and also at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
From the USEF Communications Department