Attendees of the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day will have the opportunity to walk the only four-star cross-country course in America with two of the country’s top event riders. Kim Severson and Jan Byyny, veterans of four-star competition, will be hosting the SmartPak Course Walk at the event. For Severson, this will be her third year leading the popular walk and for Byyny, her second. Both riders will be addressing their strategies in riding the challenging cross-country course from start box to finish. This year’s Course Walk will be held on Friday, April 25. It is free of charge and all are welcome to attend. Attendees are welcome to participate and ask questions.
“We are excited to host the course walk for a fourth consecutive year,” said founder and Senior Vice President, Becky Minard. “We’re always looking for ways to bring meaningful experiences to our customers and giving them the opportunity to learn from two of the sport’s best riders, is one way for us to show our appreciation.”
Serving as the Selection Trial for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is sure to be bigger than ever, as competitors will be vying for a chance to join the U.S. team in China this summer.
Severson is a 2004 Individual Olympic Silver medalist as well as a Team Olympic Bronze medalist. She is the winner of the 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005 Rolex Kentucky CCI****. The United States Eventing Association (USEA) named her their Leading Lady rider in 2002, 2004 and 2005. Her famous partner of previous years, Winsome Adante, was named the 2002, 2004 and 2005 Horse of the Year by the USEA making him the second-highest scoring horse in the history of U.S. eventing. Winsome Adante will be officially retired during a ceremony held prior to stadium jumping, at this year’s Rolex event.
Byyny’s highlights include Team Gold medalist and Individual Bronze medalist at 2003 Pan American Games; 2006 Reserve Champion Fair Hill International; sixth in the 2005 Rolex Kentucky CCI and 2004 Team Alternate for Athens Olympics.
Interested parties are strongly encouraged to pre-register by emailing Karen Sinnott at [email protected]. with a subject line of “Rolex Course Walk Sign-Up,” SmartPak will be offering a select number of free gift bags available to those who pre-register for the walk. On Friday, April 25, attendees should stop by the SmartPak tent in the Sponsor Village to check in or sign up. The start time of the course walk will depend on Severson's ride time and will be announced via e-mail to those that pre-register on the SmartPak website. For more information on SmartPak, visit their website at www.SmartPakEquine.com or call toll free at (800) 461-8898.