Mary King First and Second, Clayton Fredericks Fift at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

Mary King (GBR) finishes first and second in the second leg of the HSBC FEI Classics™ in Kentucky (USA). (c) Amy Dragoo/FEI

In front of 15,743 fans and a live NBC television audience, Mary King of Great Britain became the first rider ever to finish first and second in the CCI4* at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone. She rode both Kings Temptress (47.7) and Fernhill Urco (49.7) to perfectly faultless showjumping rounds to win the Rolex watch that goes to the winner.

King, 49, who was third at Badminton last weekend on Imperial Cavalier, has made history as the first rider in modern times to win a CCI4* on a home-bred horse, Kings Temptress by Primitive Rising, coincidentally the sire of last year’s winner, Cool Mountain, out of King’s own mare Kings Mistress.

In addition, King joins an elite band of riders – Ian Stark (Badminton 1988), Mark Todd (Burghley 1987) and Blyth Tait (Burghley 1998) – to finish first and second at any CCI4*.

She jumped clear on both her horses, and, having ridden out of order on the Davies family’s 10-year-old Fernhill Urco, at his first CCI4*, had the luxury of knowing she was unbeatable before she entered the stadium on Derek Baden’s Kings Temptress.

“I relaxed a bit after going clear on Urco, but I managed to gee myself up to ride Kings Temptress, as it was so special to have the chance of winning on a horse I bred myself,” said King, who breaks another record as the oldest female rider to win a CCI4*.

“And I’m especially thrilled with my Rolex watch! It’s obviously a good spring for the ‘older’ riders, but the young ones shouldn’t give up yet!”

King, said that she’d felt so excited after riding her horses to the two top spots, that she had to watch a movie on TV at 2:00 a.m. But she said she didn’t get nervous as the riders who were placed behind her completed their show jumping rounds.
 
“I was fairly calm, actually,” she said. “I always feel with a three-day event that the cross-country is the big day and that today whatever will be will be in the show jumping. You just hope that they pick up their feet and it all works out.”
 
King had been worried on Saturday afternoon that Fernhill Urco might not jump as well today as usual, because he was quite tired after completing his first four-star cross-country course. The 10-year-old gelding was bred in Portugal, not a common nursery for international event horses. But he never touched a rail.

Sinead Halpin (USA), made a spectacular CCI4* debut, finishing third and best of the home side on Manoir de Carneville, which in addition earns her the HSBC Training Bursary, worth $1,000 towards training, for the best first-time CCI4* completion. A former pupil of William Fox-Pitt, Stuart Black (CAN) and David and Karen O’Connor (USA), Halpin now runs her own yard in Gladstone, New Jersey.

Halpin’s former employer and last year’s winner, William Fox-Pitt (GBR), moved up a place with a clear stadium round on Neuf des Coeurs. He finished fourth and earns his first HSBC FEI Classics™ points.

Clayton Fredericks (AUS), another former Kentucky winner, was fifth on the mare Be My Guest, ahead of Oliver Townend (GBR), who will be well pleased with the first CCI4* showing of ODT Sonas Rovatio.

The only real casualty of the top 10 was former triple winner Kim Severson (USA), who had a disastrous round on Tipperary Liadhan, hitting six fences.

Halpin, 29, worked for Fox-Pitt in England during 2008-2009, seeking to gain more expertise and experience. She had previously trained with former Rolex Kentucky winners Karen and David O’Connor, who recommended that she train with Fox-Pitt. This was the first four-star start for both Halpin and Manoir De Carneville.
 
“I couldn’t get him to teach me to save my life, so I just rode next to him,” said Halpin with a laugh. She said that watching Fox-Pitt taught her to ride more by instinct, “instead of over-thinking everything.”
 
Said Fox-Pitt of Halpin, “She came with all the talent in the world but with a bit of tension and over-keenness to be good. I felt very proud watching her jump today and proud to have finished behind her.”
 
Fox-Pitt was also proud of Neuf Des Coeurs, 10, competing in his first four-star event. “Going into the show jumping, you never quite know. There’s so much to look at in that arena—more than they see back in the UK—so I didn’t know what he might do,” said Fox-Pitt, 42. “He really rose to the challenge yesterday, and he did his best again today. I’m thrilled with him.”
 
Sunday’s attendance (15,743) brought the four-day Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event attendance to 62,886.
 

About the winner

Mary King, 49, has been at the top of the sport for half her life and is one of the most successful and popular female riders of all time. She made her CCI4* debut at Badminton in 1985, finishing seventh on Divers Rock. She won Badminton in 1992 on King William and in 2000 on Star Appeal, and was victorious at Burghley in 1996 on Star Appeal. She has won numerous other three-day events and has ridden at five Olympics, winning team silver in 2004 and team bronze in 2008. In addition, she has won four European team golds (in 1991, 1995, 1997 and 2007) plus individual bronze and silver (in 1995 and 2007) and two world team gold medals, in 1994 and 2010. She is married to David, a farmer; they have two children and live in Devon.

 

Results

1 Mary King/Kings Temptress (GBR) 47.7 + 0 + 0 = 47.7

2 Mary King/Fernhill Urco (GBR) 41.7 + 8 + 0 = 49.7

3 Sinead Halpin/Manoir de Carneville (USA) 53.1 + 2.8 + 0 = 53.1

4 William Fox-Pitt/Neuf des Coeurs (GBR) 53.2 + 0 + 0 = 54.0

5 Clayton Fredericks/Be My Guest (AUS) 50.2 + 2.8 + 4 = 57

6 Oliver Townend/ODT Sonas Rovatio (GBR) 55.8 + 2.4 + 0 = 58.2

7 Jessica Phoenix/Exponential (USA) 60 + 0 + 0 = 60

8 Hannah Sue Burnett/St Barths (USA) 53.3 + 0 + 8 = 61.3

9 Boyd Martin/Remington XXV (USA) 49.0 + 12.4 + 0 = 61.4

10 Rebecca Howard/Riddle Master (USA) 48.5 + 12.8 + 4 = 68.5

Full results on www.rk3de.org

 

HSBC FEI Classics™ standings (after 2 of 5 events)

1. Mary King (GBR) - 25
2. Mark TODD (NZL) - 15
3. Piggy FRENCH (GBR) - 12
4. Sinead HALPIN (USA) - 10
5. Sam GRIFFITHS (AUS) - 8
6. William FOX-PITT (GBR) - 8
7. Niklas LINDBACK (SWE) - 6
8. Clayton FREDERICKS (AUS) - 6
9. Caroline POWELL (NZL) - 5
10. Oliver TOWNEND (GBR) - 5

 

To see the full standings, please click HERE.

 

HSBC FEI Classics™ Calendar of Events in 2011
1. 21-25 April - Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR)
2. 28 April-1 May - Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event (USA) 
3. 16-19 June - Luhmühlen presented by E.ON Avacon (GER)
4. 1-4 September - Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR)
5. 13-16 October - Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA)