The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, known as the "Best Weekend All Year," is the nation's premier Three-Day Event and one of the most prestigious equestrian competitions in the world. It is the only Four Star three-day event in the Western Hemisphere, holding the highest designation given by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), the world's governing body of equestrian sports. In addition to the CCI4* competition and Dubarry Team Challenge, this year's event features the 19th U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Four Star Championship for the USET Foundation Pinnacle Cup. It is also a Selection Trial for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
The Dubarry Team Challenge is a friendly team competition held during the individual CCI4* competition, awarding $20,000 in prize money while helping national teams prepare for the team competition at the Olympic Games this summer. Teams are selected to represent each nation based on their FEI World Ranking and the top four rankings per country will qualify to represent their nation in the Team Challenge. Mixed nation teams will be permitted, however, a nation cannot be represented on more than one team. Additionally, those competitors who qualify to represent their nation and enter more than one horse in Rolex Kentucky will have the opportunity to select which of their horses is on the team. Teams will be announced after the first horse inspection on Wednesday.
Each team will consist of either three or four riders and the winning team will be the team with the lowest total of penalty points after adding together the individual final scores of the three highest-placed athletes on the team. For the purposes of the final team classification only, a team member who fails for any reason to complete the competition will be awarded 1,000 penalty points. In the event of equality between any two or more teams, the classification will be decided by the best combined highest three placings.
The prize money will be awarded as follows: if there are four teams competing, the winning team will receive $8,000, second place will receive $6,000, third place will receive $4,000 and fourth place will receive $2,000. If three teams compete, the winning team will receive $10,000, second place will receive $6,000 and third place will receive $4,000.
"The Dubarry Team Challenge has added an exciting dimension to our world-class event," said Lee Carter, executive director of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), organizer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. "The riders really enjoy participating in a team situation, especially during an Olympic year. And the Team Challenge makes the event more fun for the spectators!"
Throughout the competition, fans anywhere can check the live scoring page on the official Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event website (www.RK3DE.org) or on the mobile app. Spectators on site are also invited to visit the Dubarry tent in the Sponsor Village.
This year's world-class field includes riders from nine countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and USA, with some riders entered with up to three horses. The entry list comprises Olympic medalists and World Champions including defending Rolex Kentucky champion and reigning Olympic gold medalist Michael Jung of Germany; double Olympic gold medalist Sir Mark Todd of New Zealand; 2000 Rolex Champion Blyth Tait of New Zealand, a four-time Olympian and former World Champion; Phillip Dutton of the U.S.A., a five-time Olympic veteran with two Team gold medals and the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Champion; and Kim Severson of the U.S.A., an Olympic veteran and three-time Rolex Kentucky champion.
Aside from the Team Challenge, riders compete individually for $350,000 in prize money (winner wins $110,000 and a Rolex watch!) and a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, which is awarded to any rider who wins theRolex Kentucky, Mistubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley four-star events in succession.
The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event also features exquisite shopping and browsing in the Sponsor Village and International Trade Fair with almost 200 booths and tents. There is also a variety of other entertaining attractions each day and visitors also receive general admission to the Kentucky Horse Park, America's only theme park dedicated to horses.
Equestrian Events, Inc. is a non-profit charitable Kentucky corporation that was established initially to produce the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the success of those championships, EEI established an annual event that evolved into the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Land Rover.
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the 2016 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Land Rover, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.RK3DE.org.