By Joanie Morris

Lexington, KY – The American riders had some catching up to do after the first day of dressage at the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. The European riders swept the top three places after Thursday and the US riders returned on Friday to find only a little bit of room at the top of the leaderboard.

Germany’s Bettina Hoy wasn’t going to be bested in the main stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park, and the striking grey Irish Sport Horse, Ringwood Cockatoo, seems to continue to improve at 18 years old. The pair went first after the lunch break and put in a phenomenal effort, from the halts to the flying changes, to all the lateral work, Hoy really mastered what is proving to be a very difficult new CCI**** test.

“Cockatoo has been wonderful all these years, especially in this phase,” said Hoy. “He’s a bit like a professor. He excels in the test, he’s getting better and better as he’s getting older which is a nice feeling.”

On a 28.8, this pair achieved the lowest dressage score in the history of the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, and the best score of their career at the four-star level.

“I think I was lucky to go after the lunch break,” said Hoy of an arena that really effected some horses because of the atmosphere. “I don’t think that Cockatoo knew anyone was watching until they started clapping.”

Hoy’s husband Andrew won the 2006 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event on Master Monarch.

Hoy is well clear of second placed Lucinda Fredericks on her diminutive mare, Headley Britannia. The Australian rider and the 16-year-old Thoroughbred cross mare (Owned by Fredericks and her husband Clayton – who also won this event in 2007) does consistently good flying changes and can always be counted on for a good score. They finished on 32.3.

“Brit is very different than most of the horses on the eventing circuit,” said Fredericks. “ She has to work very hard to produce exhilarating work. I love riding her but I don’t really like schooling her as she doesn’t give you the greatest feeling and there are only so many flying changes you can do, which is the best part. Brit and I are like two old women, we go in an have a bit of fun and I trust her to behave.”

Both Ringwood Cockatoo and Headley Britannia are veteran CCI**** winners, however they are feeling some pressure from a new American horse on the proverbial block.

My Boy Bobby put in an awesome effort for Buck Davidson to be best for the US. They put in an accurate and very polished performance to finish third going into Saturday’s cross country. Davidson was in England for most of last summer, and found Hoy and her dressage expertise very helpful to his riding.

“Bobby is a very easy horse to ride,” said Davidson. “He has a great brain. I want to thank Bettina for all her help last year. She changed my riding and my horses. But hopefully I can give them a run for their money the rest of the weekend.”

The 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal looked very much at home at his first CCI****. The pair scored 39.0 off the strength of their accuracy, fantastic canter work, and overall quality.

Davidson, son of Eventing legend, Bruce (who is also competing this weekend and a previous winner) will get to test drive the course tomorrow when he rides the Segal’s BallyNoe Castle RM in the lead-off spot. A former winner of the Markham Trophy for the highest placed Young Rider at this competition, Davidson’s best finish here previously was in 2003, when he was fourth with Mystic Mike. Ironically, he was the highest placed American that year which meant he also won the Rolex/USEF National CCI**** Championship.

Cross country, run over Mike Etherington-Smith’s beautifully designed and challenging course begins at 10 am Saturday morning.

For complete results and a live feed please see: www.rk3de.org.

William Fox-Pitt is live in the Rolex Grand Slam, which offers $350,000 to any rider who can win the three most prestigious CCI**** events in the world (Badminton, Burghley and Rolex Kentucky) in any order in succession. Fox-Pitt won last year’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials with Ballincoola, if he wins Rolex Kentucky he will head to Badminton in two weeks time to attempt to accomplish a feat only done once before. Fellow Brit, Pippa Funnell won the Rolex Grand Slam in 2003. Currently he lies sixth and ninth with Seacookie and Navigator respectively.

For the first year ever, the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event is part of the HSBC Classics Series. This series features $150,000 in prize money to the rider who accumulates the most points at the five global CCI****s. The series begins in Lexington and finishes in Pau, France in October. For more information, please visit: http://www.fei.org/Disciplines/Eventing/Pages/HSBCFEIClassics.aspx.