Rolex Day 1: Oh Boyd!

By Staff Report April 26, 2012

With approximately half the riders having completed their dressage tests, Boyd Martin and Remington XXV emerged at the top of the class on day one of the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event with a 45.3.

Twenty-eight out of 57 starters kicked things off Thursday, April 26, in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, where a crowd of more than 50,000 spectators is expected to cheer on the contenders through Sunday April 29.

Second after Thursday’s dressage test was the U.S. team of Karen O’Connor and Veronica, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Team Rebecca. The pair delivered a forward accurate test and scored 47.8. New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson stands third with Calico Joe following the first day of dressage.

In all, 28 combinations rode Thursday before a ground jury of Nick Burton (GBR), Michel Asseray (FRA) and Anne-Mette Binder (DEN).

The Australian-born Martin, who relocated to the U.S. in 2007, rides for the U.S. He and Silva, his German-born wife, a dressage rider, operate Windurra USA out of Phillip Dutton’s True Prospect Farm in Pennsylvania.

Remington, a, surged to the pole-position on the strength of fluid movement, bold lengthening and correct lateral work, underscoring the seasoned partner he has become under Martin.

This is Martin’s third consecutive Rolex with the 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding, having earned 12th and ninth place finishes with him in 2010 and 2011, respectively. “We have done that test a number of times, so it was wonderful just to ride a horse that knew where he was going,” Martin said afterward.

O’Connor and Veronica, on the other hand, make their CCI4* debut in Kentucky. The duo were 12th at the Dansko Fair Hill International CCI3* in October. O’Connor will ride her second horse, Mr. Medicott, Friday at 2:34 pm ET.

Nicholson rides Qwanza Friday, when Martin will be the final rider of the day with Otis Barbotiere at 3:52pm ET. Martin competed both Remington XXV and Otis Barbotiere at the 2011 Boekelo CCI3* last fall, utilizing Land Rover competition and training grants.

One rider getting close scrutiny will be William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, who rides his dessage test tomorrow on Parklane Hawk, the same horse that carried him to victory at the Burghley Three-Day Event in England in September.

Propelled by that victory, Fox-Pitt is the only rider in the field who has a shot at winning eventing’s coveted $250,000 Rolex Grand Slam – a “triple crown” that includes Burghley, Kentucky and Badminton, which runs May 3-7.

The level of difficulty involved in winning three highly competitive international 4* events is such that only one person has been able to achieve it since 1998, when Rolex introduced the Grand Slam concept―Britain’s Pippa Funnel, in 2003.

A record 73 horses entered to compete in this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone

This year’s event also features selection trials to choose the U.S. Eventing team for the 2012 London Olympic Games assuring that the nation’s top horses and riders will be at their best as they compete for places on the team for this summer’s Olympics.

 

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