Articles: Press Release

Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2009

By Joanie Morris

Lexington, KY It was tight at the top of the leaderboard at the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event but the first three places remained unchanged, as Lucinda Fredericks, Bettina Hoy and Buck Davidson each jumped immaculate clear show jumping rounds.

Fredericks, who took over the lead from Hoy after the cross country, had all kinds of horse left in the brand new main arena at the Kentucky Horse Park and Headley Britannia bounded around Richard Jeffreys track, giving the pair their third CCI**** win in two years.

It would have been a lot easier to nip down the road to Badminton, said Fredericks. It took a lot of effort, organization and understanding to get her here but I really look forward to coming back.

The Australian rider and the 16-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare she owns with her husband Clayton, motored around the cross country course yesterday, and completed the event as one of only three to finish on their dressage score of 32.3. They took home $80,000 for their effort and Headley Brittania was the first mare to ever win this CCI****.

Shes a little household name now, said Fredericks about her beloved mare. Shes taken everyones heart.

Fredericks duplicated her husbands effort (and now has her own Rolex watch to match): in 2007 Clayton won this event with Ben Along Time.

After I jumped the first cross pole I turned around to Clayton and said, she just feels great, said Fredericks.

Ringwood Cockatoo didnt look much of his 18 years in the Show Jumping today, but Hoy got very lucky at the third fence. The troublesome plank withstood several rubs, and it hung on for Hoy as it had for many others. The Irish Sport Horse gelding is one of the most experienced horses and Hoy used every ounce of her expertise and luck to get a clear round out of him.

I couldnt have been any prouder of my horse all weekend, said Hoy, who had to run to catch a plane straight after the prize giving. He was a true champion all weekend.

The combination finished on 38.4, after picking up time faults on yesterdays cross country course.

But behind two previous four-star winners, was an American horse for the future.

Carl and Cassandra Segals My Boy Bobby jumped a foot perfect round at his first CCI**** to finish on a score of 40.2. The13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding is dependably a phenomenal jumper and Davidson was confident in his horses ability to produce a clear round today. Bobby delivered, jumping beautifully for the Ocala, FL based rider. Previously, Davidsons top finish here was fourth in 2003, when he also won the Rolex/USEF National CCI**** Championship behind three foreign riders.

I couldnt be more thankful to have these horses, said Davidson. They both jumped fantastically. I had a good feeling today, and these horses are so good.

Davidson was also 15th with another horse for the Segals: BallyNoe Castle RM. Davidson was the only rider to jump two clear show jumping rounds.

Certainly when I walked the course it looked a bit easier than in years past, said Davidson. But maybe thats because Im on better jumpers than I have been in the past.

Last years winner, Phillip Dutton and Connaught, was second in the Rolex/USEF National Championship finishing seventh overall. Six nations were represented in the top 10, giving a preview to next years Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The top nine horses show jumped clear, which made for 18 clear rounds.

For a complete list of the rest of the awards and results, please visit www.rk3de.org.

This win means that Fredericks is now the only rider live in the Rolex Grand Slam, which offers $350,000 to any rider who can win the three most prestigious CCI**** events in the world (Badminton, Burghley and Rolex Kentucky) in any order in succession. British rider Pippa Funnell won the Rolex Grand Slam in 2003 a feat yet to be duplicated. Fredericks does not have a horse entered Badminton, but Clayton will ride The Frog next week.

For the first year ever, the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event is part of the HSBC Classics Series. This series features $150,000 in prize money to the rider who accumulates the most points at the five global CCI****s. The series begins in Lexington and finishes in Pau, France in October. For more information, please visit: http://www.fei.org/Disciplines/Eventing/Pages/HSBCFEIClassics.aspx.

Please contact Joanie Morris at jmorris@usef.org with questions.

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its human and equine athletes.