Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event: Jung and Fischerrocana FST Victorious at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Land Rover

Source:  News Release/Classic Communications

Jung and Fischerrocana FST Victorious at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event,
Presented by Land Rover

         Lexington, Ky.-With her only penalties being the low score she earned in the dressage ring, Fischerrocana FST and Michael Jung of Germany have won the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover. Their score of 39.3 bested Tim Price of New Zealand on Wesko (40.3) and Jung on his second mount, La Biosthetique Sam FBW (44.7).

 

          Fischerrocana, 10, show jumped first of the three top-placed horses, and she put the pressure on her rivals by completing an absolutely faultless round. When Jung returned 14 horses later on Sam, 15, he lowered fences 8C and 10. Still, Price had to be perfect to win the $100,000 winner's prize. Then Wesko, the next starter, also lowered fence 10, and he settled for second place and $44,000. Jung also earned $36,000 for third place.

 

          This was the 35th consecutive year that Rolex Watch USA has sponsored the Kentucky Three-Day Event, the longest corporate sponsorship in horse sports. Jung will return to Germany wearing the Rolex watch that always goes to the winner.

 

          With 23,000 fans screaming and the difference between first and second places being $56,000, Price said he tried not to think about what was on the line as he cantered toward the start of the course designed by Richard Jeffery. 

 

          "You just kind of put that to one side and think of what you want to concentrate on in the ring. My horse is really good in the ring, and I think the crowd really did help me," said Price, 36. "I came down after the triple bar [fence 9] and rode a slightly bad line to fence 10, which I think was about the same as Michael did."

 

          Jung said that the he felt more pressure from himself than from the atmosphere. And he thought he was too relaxed on Sam.

 

          "I think you always have pressure on yourself whenever you compete. This is why you train at home and why you're always thinking about how you can do better," he said. "After my first round I was maybe a little bit more relaxed, but then I was a little bit too fast to the triple combination. Fischerrocana needs more gallop and more speed to the fences, and I didn't concentrate enough on how to ride Sam, because he wasn't the only horse I was riding here."

 

          By placing fifth (54.1), Phillip Dutton and Fernhill Cubalawn won the 2015 U.S. Equestrian Federation CCI4* Eventing Championship. It was Dutton's fourth victory in this championship. 

 

Dutton got there with a faultless show jumping round on Fernhill Cubalawn, passing William Coleman, on Obos O'Reiily, and Boyd Martin, on Master Frisky, after they lowered rails, to finish sixth and seventh. Dutton also finished ninth on Fernhill Fugitive.

 

"Yes, I'm excited about their future," said Dutton of his two top-10 horses. "They're both young-ish horses. They both improved and matured this weekend."

 

Earlier in the day, Dutton withdrew Mighty Nice, who had been standing seventh after cross-country, because of a stifle injury.

 

          Jung, 32, had only ridden at the Kentucky Horse Park once before, when he won the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on Sam. He then won the Olympics on Sam two years later, but Sam suffered a slight injury prior to the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in France, so he rode Fischerrocana to the individual silver medal and the team gold medal there. But he said that Fischerrocana hasn't replaced Sam as his No. 1 horse.

 

          "Sam is a good friend. I think no horse is better than him. Sam is my favorite. With Sam, I win every title. He's a very special horse," Jung said. 

 

"But Fischerrocana is also a top horse. She will do everything great and correct. She knows the job she has to do. Every competition gets easier with her, and I think that's really special," he added. 

 

          Price had never competed at Rolex Kentucky before, and when he and Jung were asked if they would return, Price quickly answered that he certainly would and jokingly added that Jung would not.

 

          Jung smiled at Price and said the prize money would encourage him to fly to Kentucky again. He added, "The flight is very expensive, and I think we are very nearly on zero right now. But I really enjoy the competition here in Kentucky and hope to return if we can arrange it."

 

          The combined team of Germany, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland won the Dubarry Nations Team Challenge, scoring 145.6 penalties. The USA was second (250.2), with Great Britain third (1,103.7) and Canada fourth (2,131.9).

 

          Today's paid attendance was 23,552, bringing the weekend total to 75,533.

 

"Rolex Kentucky" is one of the world's most prestigious equestrian competitions, and is one of only six Four-Star Three-Day Events in the world and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. It is a part of the FEI Classics Series, which unites the top four-star Eventing competitions from around the world. It also gives competitors a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, which is awarded to any rider who wins the Rolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four-Star Events in succession.

          

The Dubarry of Ireland Nations Team Challenge is featured again this year, awarding $20,000 in prize money while helping national teams prepare for the team competition at the Pan American Games this summer. The winning nation will be the nation with the fewest penalties after adding together the final scores of the three highest-placed individuals from that nation. The prize money will be split among the top four teams.

 

Horses and Hope, a breast cancer initiative of the Office of Kentucky's First Lady and the Kentucky Cancer Program (KCP), is the Official Charity of the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Land Rover and will be the recipient of the proceeds from the Maker's Mark Commemorative Bottle Auction and Reception. 

 

Equestrian Events, Inc. has a long history of making financial contributions to charities that support local equine interests and serve the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The mission of Horses and Hope is to work alongside the state's equine industry to provide breast cancer awareness, education, screenings, and treatment referrals. Since the program was founded in 2008, Horses and Hope has reached nearly 1 million race track and horse show attendees, and educated  nearly 16,000 equine employees. The program has screened nearly 700 workers and detected breast cancer in three individuals who have received treatment. For more information about Horses and Hope or how to donate to this very worthwhile charity, please visit www.horsesandhope.org.        

 

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.

 

Coverage of America's only Four Star Event includes an NBC broadcast - the Rolex Equestrian Championships presented by Land Rover - which will air on Sunday, May 3 at 12:30 pm EDT. All four days of the competition is being streamed online LIVE on USEFNetwork.com, presented by SmartPak, beginning on Thursday, April 23.

 

For equestrian fans throughout the rest of the world, FEI TV is airing LIVE coverage of Saturday's cross-country and Sunday's show jumping competitions. To sign up for FEI TV, visit www.feitv.org.

 

For more information on the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.RK3DE.org or call 859-233-2362.

 

   

Winner Michael Jung hoists the winner's Rolex watch as Stewart Vicht, chief executive officer and president of Rolex Watch USA, applauds him.  
(Ben Radvanyi photo)         

Michael Jung and Fischerrocana FST, winners of the 2015 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover.  
(Ben Radvanyi photo)  

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