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
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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.
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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.