Kiwis Handily Placed After Dressage in Kentucky

 

Jonathan Paget and Clifton Promise are the best placed of the Kiwis at the end of the dressage phase at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in the United States this morning (Saturday).

Paget and Promise (owned by Frances Stead), who were seventh in the World Champs in 2010 at the same venue, are sitting in fifth place after finishing with 44..8 penalty points from their 69.33% dressage test.

Andrew Nicholson and Calico Joe (owned by the Twenty Twelve in Mind Syndicate) are in 10^th with 48.7 points and the bronze medallist from the 2010 World Champs is also 24^th on Qwanza (owned by Rosemary and Mark Barlow) on 55.8 points. Both of Nicholson’s horses are having their first start at this level.

Lucy Jackson and Kilcoltrim Ambassador (owned by Jackson and the Sprout Syndicate) are in 30^th with 58 points in their first United States start.

American Allison Springer aboard Arthur leads on 39.8.

The high-ranking event continues tomorrow (Sunday NZ time) with the exciting cross country phase, followed by the showjumping on Monday.

The Lexington event has attracted a record 73 combinations, including some of the super-stars of eventing from the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, with the Americans using it as selection trials for the London Olympics.

Kentucky is the only four star three day event held in the United States, and is the third leg of the six part HSBC FEI Classics – in which Nicholson is sitting third – with riders vying for part of the $250,000 prize purse and a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which goes to any rider who wins Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley in succession.

Story: Diana Dobson/ESNZ