We take a look at the final test events including the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. How did it all go, who placed on top and is the Kentucky Horse Park ready for the Alltech FEI 2010 World Equestrian Games…
2010 Radio Show Episode 88 – Show Notes and Links:
William Fox-Pitt (GBR) aboard Cool Mountain winning HSBC FEI Classics™ Rolex 3-Day Event (Click for larger image)
William Fox-Pitt (GBR) today, 25th April 2010, went clear in the Show Jumping on the final day at the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event to crown his first win at ‘The Rolex’ with his starting dressage score of 42.8.
Audio interviews with William Fox-Pitt, Phillip Dutton, Becky Holder, the press conference after Day Three with the riders, Rupert Bell ‘s live commentary on William Fox-Pitt’s Show Jumping round, plus an interview with Oliver Townend reflecting on his cross country day and attempt to win the Rolex Grand Slam, are also available to listen to, and download for free, on the links below:
Karen O’Connor (USA), aboard Mandiba, is joint second after the Dressage phase of the first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™ at Lexington, KY (USA). (c) Amy Dragoo/FEI
23 April 2010, FEI TV (www.feitv.org) will offer live streaming and extensive Video on Demand coverage from the first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™, the Rolex Three Day Event. The provisional schedule for the live broadcasts is as follows:
Saturday, 24 April 2010: 15:00-22:00 CEST / 13:00-20:00 GMT Cross Country
Sunday, 25 April 2010: 19:00–20:30 CEST / 17:00-18:30 GMT Jumping
Please check www.feitv.org for broadcasting times and further details!
FOX-PITT BEGINS ASSAULT ON HSBC FEI CLASSICS™
William Fox-Pitt (GBR) has made the best possible start to the 2010 HSBC FEI Classics™ season and is poised to add the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event (USA) to his many other 4-star trophies. A perennial visit to Kentucky, he leads the Dressage phase on the rising star Cool Mountain, a 10-year-old gelding by Primitive Rising and already a 3-star winner (at Blair Castle last year).
However, Fox-Pitt, who won the inaugural HSBC FEI Classics™ in 2008, has snapping at his heels the senior US rider here, Karen O’Connor on the 10-year-old Irish Thoroughbred Mandiba, who has clearly matured since he was sprung into the frontline as a youngster at the 2008 Olympics. O’Connor is in joint second place with Allison Springer (USA) on the handsome Arthur, one of the smartest Dressage horses in the business.
“He’s more confirmed in his flatwork than he’s ever been, for sure, so I can ride down the centreline with more confidence than ever before,” said O’Connor, an Olympic team silver medallist in 1996. “Plus, he’s such an elegant horse and has such try in him, so I was just over the moon.”
Kimberly Severson, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist, is in close contention, in 4th place on Tipperary Liadhnan, ahead of 2008 Olympian Becky Holder on the consistent grey Courageous Comet.
Phillip Dutton (USA) probably the most prolifically successful rider in the States, has three horses in the top 10: The Foreman, 7th, Woodburn, who has been withdrawn from the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials due to the volcanic ash crisis, in 8th and Waterfront in 10th.
Townend’s travels
The organisers took pity on Oliver Townend (GBR) after his marathon 55-hour journey to Kentucky and rescheduled his first horse, ODT Master Rose, to the second day of Dressage. Bidding to be only the second rider to achieve the Rolex Grand Slam, he is lying 6th on new ride Ashdale Cruise Master and 9th on ODT Master Rose.
Townend, who won the 2009 HSBC FEI Classics™, travelled from his home in Shropshire by several trains to Paris, where he found there was a train strike. Undaunted – and unable to speak any French – he struck a bargain with a taxi driver to take him on a 14-hour drive to Madrid, where he met up with William Fox-Pitt and Ireland’s Geoff Curran and flew on to Miami.
“My entire career has been building up to this and I wasn’t going to let it slip away just because of a volcano in Iceland!” said Townend, who was 8th at Kentucky last year on Carousel Quest. “I’m going to stay positive and see how I get on. It’s all a bit of a chance, but they’re good horses.
“Ashdale Cruise Master is potentially the best Cross Country horse I’ve ever had, but there’s still some work to do on the Dressage.”
Official changes
There had to be a hasty switch round of Ground Jury at Kentucky, due to the lack of flights from Europe. Marilyn Payne (USA) has replaced Anne-Mette Binder (DEN) and Christian Landolt (SUI) has taken over from Sue Baxter (GBR), both of them joining Ulrich Schmiz (USA). Technical Delegate Tom Ryckewaert (BEL) was also delayed – Gretchen Butts (USA) was holding the fort until he arrived, and Derek di Grazia (USA) was performing Course Designer duties until Mike Etherington-Smith (GBR) could arrive.
Statistics
There are 3 former Kentucky winners in the field, all US: Karen O’Connor (1999, Prince Panache), Kim Severson (2002, 2004, 2005, Winsome Adante) and Phillip Dutton (2008, Connaught)
William Fox-Pitt, 41, a member of the British team since 1993, won the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in 2004 and has won the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 5 times
52 horses go through to the Cross Country
1 withdrawal (Phillip Dutton on Kheops du Quesnay)
The Rolex Grand Slam (worth $350’000 to the winner) is for the rider who can win Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley consecutively; it has only been won once before, by Pippa Funnell (GBR) in 2003. Last year, Oliver Townend won Badminton and Burghley
Results (Click on thumbnail images below to open into larger view. Click image to close & return to post.)
Prize Money
HSBC will contribute US$ 1million to the series over three years. Prize-money is awarded, as follows, to the top five riders on the leaderboard after the fifth and final event:
WINNERS OF THE 2009 SEASON
1. Oliver Townend (GBR) – US$ 150,000 (Series champion);
2. Dirk Schrade (GER) – US$ 75,000;
3. Andreas Dibowski – (GER) US$ 50,000;
4. William Fox-Pitt (GBR) – US$ 33,000;
5. Sam Griffiths (AUS) – US$ 25,000
Notes to Editors
HSBC, the world’s local bank, is a platinum partner of FEI and global sponsor of the eventing discipline.
As part of this partnership, HSBC is title sponsor of the HSBC FEI Classics™ and HSBC FEI World Cup™.
At the centre of all HSBC’s sponsorships is a commitment to youth, education and community. The Pony Club and HSBC have teamed up to create the HSBC Pony Club Eventing Training Programme.
For further information on the HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing, including Rules and Standings, visit www.feiworldcup.org. Previews, reports, results and photographs for each event will be available from the FEI throughout the season.
Day 2 of Dressage at the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event as William Fox-Pitt takes the lead on Cool Mounting. Listen in as we speak to the leaders after Dressage and we look forward to Cross Country on Saturday….
Eventing Radio Show Episode 75 – Rolex 2010 Dressage Day 2, William Fox-Pitt Leads:
Picture: With four leaders after four sessions of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt took the lead aboard Cool Mounting, scoring a 42.8. Allison Springer, aboard Arthur, remains tied with Karen O’Connor and Mandiba with a score of 43.7, while Kim Severson and Tipperary Liadhnan marched into fourth place with a score of 44.8. Photo by Josh Walker from useventing.com.
Eva Salomon, U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Managing Director & Chef d’Equipe, Dressage shares first impressions of her new job with us, and Heather Blitz offers more words of wisdom. Listen in.
Canadian Hawley Bennett makes a return to the show this week to tell us about being an Olympic Torchbearer and her plans for the season. Plus we hear from Shelley Lambert who is managing the new Academy of Classical Eventing in South Carolina. Listen in…
Eventing Radio Episode 64 – Shelley Lambert and Hawley Bennett:
Note to my readers – I am so far behind in adding these Radio Show contributor posts, I am just going back & giving you all I’ve gotten so you don’t miss anything important, like this is from February…
We celebrate the 400th episode on the Horse Radio Network and we get caught up with our Para-equestrian Rider Susan Treabess. Plus, all the news of the Alltech 2010 World Equestrian Games, listen in…
2010 Radio Show Episode 78 – HRN Celebrates 400 and Our Spotlight Para-Equestrian Rider Susan Treabess:
News: If you’re not local to Lexington, Kentucky you can still become a WEGspert! Fans of the 2010 World Equestrian Games can now complete a video training programme online to become an official 2010 Alltech FEI WEGspert from the comfort of their homes.
Lausanne (SUI), 19 April 2010 – All horses show normal nerve sensation or sensitivity. Where that sensation is increased beyond normal limits it is called hypersensitivity. Hypersensitivity can be produced by a range of normal occurrences, such as an insect sting or accidental self-inflicted injury.
Hypersensitisation is the term used to define the artificial production of hypersensitivity and is contrary to horse welfare and fair play.
At FEI competitions, the determination of hypersensitivity in the horse is made by a combination of thermographic and clinical examinations, carried out by at least two experienced equine veterinarians.
Thermography is a means of detecting abnormal heat patterns of the skin through the use of an imaging camera. The clinical examination is carried out by observation and palpation (applying manual pressure).
Wellington, FL – April 16, 2010 – PhelpsSports.com, the world’s most popular, most talked about, and fastest growing equestrian news website, is pleased to announce an exciting addition to this season’s comprehensive event coverage. Members of the PhelpsSports.com team will be traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, next week to cover the 2010 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event as well as the Kentucky Cup Show Jumping and Dressage Test Events in preparation for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Held in conjunction with the Rolex Three-Day Event, the WEG Test Events will feature some of the biggest stars in the sport competing at the Kentucky Horse Park’s brand new venues.
Following this special coverage, Phelps Sports.com will be offering comprehensive coverage of a vast array of important summer equestrian events across the United States and around the world this summer. Key stops along the summer trail will include the Spring and Summer horse shows in Kentucky, the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in Devon, Pennsylvania, the inaugural Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix in Saugerties, New York, the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships at the Horse Park in Lexington, plus all of the action from five weeks of action at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Canada.
When your horse tilts his head, it’s often a sign that he isn’t “through”. So, if you’re tracking right and his right ear is lower than his left ear with his mouth going to the left, you’ll need to supple the left side of his poll. (Supple the right side of his poll if he tilts the other way with his left ear lower.)
Remember, you can’t use your connecting aids successfully if he’s locked anywhere including the poll. (Suppleness comes before Connection on the training scale.)
