Walk the Rolex Kentucky Horse Trials cross-country course [PICS]

Course-designer Derek di Grazia says the cross-country track for this year’s Rolex Kentucky Horse Trials “differs quite a lot” to last year’s test.

“It goes different places and there are a lot of new lines,” explains Derek, who is designing here for the fifth time. “Most of the jumps which we are using from last year are in different places.”

The team who build the course at the Kentucky Horse Park have had a particularly challenging time this year because of the wet weather in the build-up.

“I was here three weeks ago setting out the jumps and everything was great, then the next day the heavens opened. Over the next two days there was record rainfall and then flooding,” says Derek. “It undid a lot of the work which had already been done and some of the groundworks done in the fall [autumn]. The water took the gravel, turf, everything and washed it away.

“It’s amazing what’s been done in the past 19 days — the builders have done a fantastic job.”

This year’s course is 6,320m long and the optimum time is 11min 6sec.

Fence 1: Charles Owen Flower Box

Fence 2: Bliss Of London Stepped Table

Fence 3: John Deere Open Oxer

Fence 4abc: Bob Mickler’s Market Moguls

Fence 5: Bit of Britain Double Brush

Fence 6: Animals To Wear Trakehner

Fence 7ab: United States Pony Club The Frog Pond

Fence 8 and 9ab: Bridgestone Park Question

Fence 8 — direct route on right, alternative on left

Looking over direct route fence 8 to direct route fence 9a (ditch) and 9b (brush)

Direct route 9b

Alternative fence 8

Alternative fence 9a (ditch in reverse direction)

Fence 10: BobCat Company Tobacco Stripping Bench

Fence 11: Equis, LLC Ditch Brush

Fence 12: NIKE Gold Hillside Cabins

The fastest route is over the right-hand cabin to the left-hand log into water (13a)

Fence 13abc and 14: Rolex Head of the Lake

Direct route 13a, with 13bc (arrowhead) in background

Direct route 13bc

Direct route 14

Direct route 14

Alternative 13b

Alternative 13c

Alternative 14

Fence 15: Maker’s Mark Distillery Picnic Table

Fence 16abc: Dubarry of Ireland Mounds

Fence 17: Nutrena Cedar Oxer

Fence 18abc: Land Rover North America Land Rover Hollow

Looking over fence 18a at the direct route over 18b, with alternative 18b to right

Direct route 18b

Direct route 18c

Alternative 18b

Alternative 18c

Fence 19ab: Central Equipment & Kubota Horse Park Barns

This fence offers a choice of lines between the two rolltops

Fence 20: EquiFlex Sleeve Fallen Tree

Fence 21ab: SmartPak Opposing Corners

Direct route

Alternative fence 21a

Fence 22: GLC Direct, LLC The Footbridge

Fence 23abc: FEI Classics Series Normandy Bank

Alternative 23b

Fence 24ab: United States Eventing Association Foxes’ Den

Alternative 24b

Fence 25: United States Equestrian Federation Stick Pile

Fence 26abc: Cosequin-Nutramax Laboratories Water Park

Fence 27: Purina Animal Nutrition Wattle and Daub Cottage

Fence 28ab: Devoucoux, Inc Sod Top Cabins

Alternative fence 28a

Fence 29: Platinum Performance: Produce Stand

More updates from Kentucky online all week. Full report in H&H next week, out Thursday, 30 April.

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.