Tag Archives: Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

Jung Takes Back Lead on Cross-Country Day at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

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(LEXINGTON, KY, USA) – April 28, 2018 – Germany’s Michael Jung moves one step closer to re-writing history as he takes back the lead following a spectacular cross-country ride on FischerRocana FST. Australia’s Christopher Burton was one of eleven riders to finish clear under the optimum time of 11.03 mins aboard Nobilis 18, keeping his score of 27.9 and putting the pressure on Michael Jung who has just a 0.4 advantage. Great Britain’s Oliver Townend sits in third and fourth place with his eyes on a ‘Land Rover double’ to follow up his win at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials last September.

Michael Jung spoke of his cross-country round. “I had a really fantastic ride today; FischerRocana was in very good condition and really enjoyed herself. At the Land Rover Head of the Lake I wanted to do four strides, but missed this.”

“FischerRocana was really fighting for me and it makes me so proud she never gives up – she had an opportunity to run out but she didn’t and that’s what our partnership is all about. She jumped well and galloped fast and it was so nice to feel that she had great fun on a tough course like this.” — Michael Jung, Germany

Christopher Burton is looking forward to show jumping. “We are all used to sitting behind Michael Jung! To be honest, we are just so excited to be here; my horse went fantastically today and I am so grateful to my owners for funding this trip. We have a lot of work to do ahead of tomorrow and a long way to go yet, so for now I am just going to enjoy the run we had.”

There will be no room for error in the show jumping test as only 1.2 penalties separate the top three, making the competition fiercer than ever. With 25,000 spectators expected to attend the event, the home crowd will be eager to see Lynn Symansky (USA) claim a victory for the US for the first time in 10 years. Partnered with her thoroughbred gelding, Donner, Symansky currently lies in joint-fourth place just 3.8 penalties from the top of the leaderboard.

Marty Bauman
Chief Press Officer
Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
508.698.6810
marty@classic-communications.com

Championships, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day, USEF

Little Comes Up Big in Dressage at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous (Photo by: Taylor Pence/US Equestrian)

Lexington, Ky. – It was no surprise that after the first day of dressage, reigning champions of the Kentucky Three-Day Event, Michael Jung of Germany and fischerRocana FST, were sitting comfortably in first place. However, the second day of dressage did hold some surprises, as American combination Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous took control by turning in a personal best to grab the lead with a 24.8, more than 2 points ahead of Jung’s 27.1. Australia’s Christopher Burton and Nobilis 18 are keeping pace in third with a 27.9.

In addition to her top placement on the international leaderboard, Little (Frederick, Md.) is also currently leading the Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship. Her stunning score is believed to be the lowest in the history of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.

“She gave me a great ride today,” said Little. “She was a little bit excited with the Friday afternoon atmosphere, which we are familiar with at Kentucky. I was excited to go on Friday afternoon and knew she could handle it well. She was very businesslike, and it was a great ride. She was looking to please and she did her job.”

Little calls the 13-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Jacqueline Mars, and Phoebe and Michael Manders, “Kitty.” Kitty served as Little’s mount for the Pan American Games in 2015, where the pair brought home two gold medals.

“She’s been with me for a while, but she’s changed so much,” Little said. “I knew she was capable of putting in a great test today. She’s been steadily improving. We haven’t competed much because we’ve been focusing on training, but I thought if she had a personal best she could be on top today.”

Kim Severson (Charlottesville, Va.) and Cooley Cross Border, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by The Cross Syndicate, sits in second in the Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship on a score of 28.3. Boyd Martin (Cochranville, Pa.) and Tsetserleg, the 11-year-old Trakehner gelding owned by Christine Turner, and Lauren Kieffer (The Plains, Va.) and Vermiculus, Jacqueline Mars’s 11-year-old Anglo-Arabian gelding, are tied for third on a score of 31.2.

For more information about the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, visit kentuckythreedayevent.com.

Edited Press Release from Classic Communications

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

Marilyn Little Takes Lead on Day Two at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

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(LEXINGTON, KY) – April 27, 2018 – USA’s Marilyn Little produced a breath-taking dressage test to score an incredible 24.8 and take the lead from defending champion Michael Jung. Partnered with RF Scandalous, a 13-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Jacqueline Mars and Phoebe and Michael Manders, Little looked calm and focused as she entered the arena knowing she needed to achieve under 27.1 to top the leaderboard. Australia’s Christopher Burton laid down the gauntlet earlier in the day to nearly clinch the lead aboard Nobilis 18 securing 27.9, finishing the day in third place.

Marilyn Little commented after her ride, “She gave me a great ride toda;, she was a little excited with the Friday afternoon atmosphere here at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, but then she really focused and did her job. Tomorrow’s course is well presented and Scandalous is a very good cross-country horse, so I am looking forward to it. There are a number of questions on the track but as long as we are prepared I think we will go well.”

“This is a really special weekend for me. I am going to try and enjoy this feeling of the being in the lead for now, as with Michael close behind, I know it might not last!” — Marilyn Little, USA

The cross-country course, described as ‘the best cross-country track in the world’ by Christopher Burton, is set to test the 46 world-class horse and rider pairings as they not only need to cross the finishing line clear, but also need to ride inside the optimum time of 11.03 mins to keep their current scores. Course Designer, Derek di Grazia, carries years of experience and will no doubt have some tricky combinations laid down, with all eyes on the Land Rover Head of the Lake as the riders steer through the famous water complex.

Marty Bauman
Chief Press Officer
Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
508.698.6810
marty@classic-communications.com

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day, USEF

Jung Rides to Early Lead at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg (Photo by: Taylor Pence/US Equestrian)

Martin and Tsetserleg lead Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship after First Day of Dressage

Lexington, Ky. – Michael Jung of Germany has won the top prize at the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day-Event the last three years aboard fischerRocana FST, so it comes as no surprise that after the first day of competition he is sitting in the top spot on a score of 27.1 penalty points. Chasing him are two Americans: Boyd Martin in second riding Tsetserleg (31.2), who leads the Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship as the top American combination, and Tamra Smith in third aboard Wembley (32.1).

Tsetserleg, a gleaming, black 11-year-old Trakehner gelding owned by Christine Turner, is contesting his first four-star, but he has history in his blood as a son of the Olympic and Kentucky Three-Day competitor, Windfall. “Thomas” put in a clean test punctuated with his flashy gaits.

“I was very pleased,” said Martin (Cochranville, Pa.). “It’s his first four-star, and our first through the new (dressage) test. When you finish you always wish one part here or there was a little better, but Thomas did as well as he could do for where we are at the moment. I’m very pleased with him.”

Martin’s most famous mounts have been Thoroughbreds, so a Trakehner like Thomas is a new experience for him. “He’s the first I’ve had into the top of the sport. Ten years ago when I first came to America, I saw Windfall, and I’ll never forget watching his dressage. Who would have thought 10 years later I’d be riding a Windfall baby? Thomas’ personality is wonderful, like a big pony, very cuddly in the barn. At home he doesn’t try that much, and you wouldn’t think he could do a four-star, but then you get to a big competition and he grows into an 18-hand horse. The atmosphere perks him up.”

Tamie Smith’s (Murrieta, Calif.) horse, Wembley, is 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Kevin Baumgardner, an upper-level rider and a former president of the U.S. Eventing Association. Baumgardner purchased Wembley in England, originally as a competition mount for himself. Baumgardner trains with Smith, and last fall he handed over the reins to her.

“It’s been great,” Smith said. “I’ll never forget when we tried him – we took him cross-country schooling and he said, ‘You get on him first,’ and I said, ‘No, because if I ride him I’ll just tell you to buy him.’ They are huge supporters of me, and that’s what it’s all about, really. They’ve become family to me, so to be here is really great.”

The big, gray Dutch Warmblood is a powerful mover and a flashy presence, but Smith seemed a little surprised to find herself in the top standings. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect, because he can go in and be quite tense in the ring, but he was quite relaxed, and very workmanlike,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked him to go better. I think I did a little too much warm up, so he got a little tired, but I was thrilled. He was very good.”

All three riders expressed some trepidation about Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course.

“I think it’s really tough,” admitted Martin. “The first half is forward and gallopy and looks nice, but the second half gets much more difficult, and we know horses tire a bit in that second half. It’ll be hard to make up time on course. (di Grazia) usually gives us a nice, long gallop somewhere in the second half, but not this year. It’s as tough as I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s pretty technical,” agreed Smith. “The Head of the Lake will be quite influential, and the brush combination towards the end might catch out some tired horses.”

For more information about the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, visit kentuckythreedayevent.com.

Edited Press Release from Classic Communications

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

Michael Jung Leads Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event after Day One

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(LEXINGTON, KY) – April 26, 2018 – Germany’s Michael Jung stormed into the lead on the opening day of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Partnered with his champion horse, FischerRocana FST, Jung showed he is here to win, producing a stunning dressage test to land a score of 27.1. USA’s Boyd Martin is hot on the German’s heals securing 31.2 to finish the day in second position aboard his black gelding, Tsetserleg. Tamara Smith (USA) currently lies third on the leaderboard with Kevin Baumgardner’s Dutch Warmblood, Wembley, on a score of 32.1.

Michael Jung commented on his early lead: “I am very happy with FischerRocana today; she felt really nice and did a good test. I am looking forward to the cross-country on Saturday; we need to prepare well but the course looks nice and the ground is perfect.”

“I really enjoy riding here; it is such a beautiful place, not just the riding but all the other elements you can enjoy. FischerRocana loves it here; she feels well; she feels at home and is amazing to ride.” — Michael Jung, Germany

Michael Jung currently sits in top position but with some of the world’s best eventers still to complete their dressage tests, the competition remains wide open. US Event rider and runner-up in 2016, Lauren Kieffer, has two strong rides, Landmarks Monte Carlo and Vermiculus. Olympic Bronze Medallist, Phillip Dutton competes his second horse, I’m Sew Ready, and Great Britain’s Oliver Townend will be eyeing up the top prize to continue his Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing journey, following his victory at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials last September.

Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

Five Things to Know about the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Phillip Dutton and Mr. Medicott were the 2017 USEF CCI4* Eventing National Champions. Shannon Brinkman Photo.

Get up to speed for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and the Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship on April 26-29

The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (LRK3DE), which also hosts the Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship, kicks off this week. This iconic American sporting event, which takes place April 26-29, annually draws top international horses and riders to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. for world-class eventing competition. We’ll be streaming all three phases — dressage, cross-country, and show jumping — live on USEF Network, so be sure to check out the broadcast schedule and tune in for all the action.

Here are five things to know about the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event as you head into the event.

  1. Land Rover is the new title sponsor.

Land Rover served as the Kentucky Three-Day Event’s longtime Official Vehicle and was Presenting Sponsor for five years before increasing its support by signing a four-year agreement last October to become Title Sponsor. Land Rover also continued its support of US Equestrian, extending its deal with the federation through 2020. Land Rover’s participation also includes the “Ultimate Stable experience,” including a range of top equestrian apparel and equipment, as well as live farrier displays, open in the sponsor village to all attendees. Land Rover also brings back its popular “Land Rover Tailgate Challenge,” in which Land Rover owners compete for an exclusive prize for the most creative and best-catered tailgate party. And ticket-holders can also test-drive the newest Land Rover models on a specially designed off-road demonstration course during LRK3DE.

  1. The event will also crown the 2018 Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Champion.

The highest-placed U.S. rider will be named the year’s Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Champion. US Equestrian President Murray Kessler will present the rider with the Roger Haller Trophy bronze for the first time this year. The trophy is given in memory of Haller, an internationally respected eventing official. Friends and family of Haller came together to commission the bronze trophy, which is designed by 1987 Kentucky Three-Day Event winner and 1996 Olympic individual bronze medalist Kerry Millikin. The national champion also receives a silver picture frame and a champion cooler.

  1. LRK3DE is one of only six CCI4* events in the world.

LRK3DE, which offers $400,000 in prize money, is also the only CCI4* event in the Western Hemisphere.

  1. Several past national champions are returning to the 2018 LRK3DE.

Buck Davidson, Phillip Dutton, Lauren Kieffer, and Kim Severson are all multiple-time national champions and have talented mounts who could help them add a title to their resumes again this year. Dutton, who has captured the title five times so far, will try for back-to-back titles this year after earning it last year with Mr. Medicott.

  1. USEF Network will be covering all three phases of the event — and the new Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix.

Check out USEF Network for broadcast schedule updates, live stream, and links as we cover dressage on April 26-27, cross-country on April 28, and show jumping on April 29. We’ll also be streaming the weekend’s new grand prix events: the Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix $35,000 Welcome Speed Cup 1.45m on Friday, April 27, at 6 p.m. ET and the $225,000 Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix 1.60m on Saturday, April 28, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

by Glenye Cain Oakford
© 2018 United States Equestrian Federation

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

Impressive Field Ready for 2018 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship Up for Grabs

Lexington, Ky. – The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (LRK3DE) is set to begin at the Kentucky Horse Park following the first horse inspection on April 25. A total of 46 athlete-and-horse combinations from nine nations will vie for top honors at America’s only CCI4* event, which also serves as the Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship, awarded to the highest-placed U.S. athlete. The Roger Haller Trophy, honoring the late, internationally respected eventing official, will be awarded to the national champion.

The 2018 field is full of talented combinations, and several returning national champions hope to stake their claim on the overall and national title. Defending Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Champion Phillip Dutton (West Grove, Pa.) already has the most titles at five, but he could add another to his resume with I’m Sew Ready or Z. Dutton rode I’m Sew Ready, Kristine and John Norton’s 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, to a 10th-place finish at the 2017 Kentucky event in the horse’s CCI4* debut. This year, they finished fifth in The Fork CIC3*/FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon (WEG) Eventing Test Event to prepare for the LRK3DE. Z, a nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Thomas Tierney, Simon Roosevelt, Suzanne Lacy, Ann Jones, and Caroline Moran, will make his CCI4* debut with Dutton. The pair comes to Kentucky in fine form after winning The Fork CIC3*/WEG Eventing Test Event.

Looking ahead to cross-country day, Dutton said, “We have been around the course this morning and, as we expected, it is big but fair, so I’m sure it will be a great competition.”

Three-time national champion Buck Davidson (Unionville, Pa.) has three mounts at the LRK3DE: Carlevo, Copper Beach, and Park Trader. Park Trader, Carl and Cassandra Segal’s 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, will make his fifth appearance at the LRK3DE, while stablemate Copper Beach, Carl Segal and Sherrie Martin’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, will make his third consecutive appearance. Carlevo, the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Carlevo LLC, makes his CCI4* debut in Kentucky and is coming off a second-place finish in the Chattahoochee Hills CIC3* with Davidson.

Two-time national champion Lauren Kieffer (The Plains, Va.) brings two mounts to Kentucky: Landmark’s Monte Carlo, Jacqueline Mars’s 12-year-old Irish Thoroughbred cross gelding, and Vermiculus, Mars’s 11-year-old Anglo-Arabian gelding. Both horses collected top-15 finishes in CIC3* competition this spring in preparation for the LRK3DE.

Kim Severson (Charlottesville, Va.), a three-time Kentucky Three-Day winner and national champion, will aim for a strong showing with Cooley Cross Border, The Cross Syndicate’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. The pair finished second in The Fork CIC3*/WEG Eventing Test Event behind Dutton and Z and won the 2017 SsangYong Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials CCI3* in England last fall.

Rising stars of the sport hope to gather more experience at the CCI4* level. Emerging Athlete Eventing 25 Program participants Savannah “Woodge” Fulton (Finksburg, Md.) and Caroline Martin (Miami Beach, Fla.) plan to tackle the LRK3DE for the second time. Fulton brings her 2017 mount, Captain Jack, Full Moon Farm Syndicate’s 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, while Martin has two mounts: The Apprentice, Sherrie Martin’s 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, and Spring Easy, Sherrie and Caroline Martin’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding.

“I think this weekend speaks for itself, how much Leslie and the program have helped my riding,” Martin shared when asked how the Emerging Athlete Eventing 25 Program has helped her development. She added, “Being able to have a camaraderie with all the other riders is great. I wouldn’t know Mackenna Shea [an Emerging Athlete Eventing 25 Program alum] if it wasn’t for the program.”

Dressage begins Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET with Davidson and Park Trader.

For more information about the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, visit kentuckythreedayevent.com.

From the US Equestrian Communications Department

*Featured/Spotlights, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event’s Transformative Power

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The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, North America’s only CCI4* and the venue for the Land Rover/USEF CCI4* Eventing National Championship, takes place at the Kentucky Horse Park April 26-29 this year. Only a handful of riders each year get to take to the park’s manicured rings and rolling grass galloping lanes, and, when they do, many describe the experience as transformative — one that helped them and their horses learn, grow, and rise to a new challenge. The equestrians and their four-star horses occupy center stage at this important American event, but they’re not the only ones who make the competition tick: the numerous volunteers and officials behind the scenes also have an inspiring story to tell.

We asked a group of the Kentucky Three-Day Event’s veterans — not just riders, but also an owner, a licensed official, and a longtime volunteer whose team decorates the iconic Head of the Lake combination — to give us a glimpse behind the scenes with their first-person perspectives on the competition and on what this great sporting pageant means to them. Regardless of their roles, whether in the saddle or on the ground, all shared a common sentiment, the one that serves as the heartbeat of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event: it’s all about the horse. Read on for their perspectives on one of the country’s most famous competitions.

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From Equestrian Weekly
equestrianweekly@communications.usef.org