Sunday, April 30 - Show Jumping Day

Of the top twenty who jumped at 1:55, and were shown LIVE on Euro-Vision (as we were told endlessly), the first to jump a double clear was, to no one's surprise, Phillip Dutton (AUS) with Connaught for a final score of 59.8, good for fourth place.. They were immediately followed by Steve Bradley and Brandenburg's Joshua who also jumped a double clear for a final score of 59.7, good for third place.

From then it was until Australia's Andrew Hoy and Master Monarch, third last year at Badminton, standing in sixth place, that we saw another double clear. It was indeed this very round that won Rolex Kentucky for Andrew Hoy and Master Monarch!!! (Andrew and Master Monarch are pictured at the right with the crystal horse head.)

Poor Becky Holder, the overnight leader, started slowly and carefully and then the rails began to fall. The rails coupled with a slip on a turn - it had started to rain several horses before Becky entered the ring - and the slowness of her trip brought 16 jumping faults and 8 time faults for a total of 67.1 and a disasterous drop to 13th place.

Polly Stockton and Tom Quigley, second for Great Britain over night, had one refusal, a rail and 5 time faults to drop to 7th on a score of 61.2.

Australia's Andrew Hoy said, "Michael Ethrington-Smith is one of the best (Cross Country) Course Designers in the world. Richard Jeffrey (the Show Jumping Course Designer) is good too. I told him what a good course it was (today). He said, 'Obviously you say that when you jump a clear round.'

"To win the Rolex here - it is very special. After Dressage, I said to myself, 'Well, all I can do is finish on my Dressage score and see what that gets me. I rode here 28 years ago, and have been here a total of four times.

"Thanks to Janie Atkinson and her team. Special thanks to my groom Karen Hughes. I had a meeting with my barn staff last week before I came here. I told them, 'You are 60% of my success and of my wife's success. Bettina, my wife, was going to come over here - we had the airplane ticket bought. Then we decided it was silly for four days. Bettina is at home (in England) keeping my Badminton horses - Moon Fleet and Mr. Pracatan going. I couldn't do it without my support team."

Steve Bradley, who finished third with Brandenburg's Joshua, in answer to a question, said "I think anytime a horse comes off course tired it definately is going to effect their performance (the next day). There are some riders here who have never competed at this level. The best way to gain that knowledge is to go out there and do it." (Steve and Brandenburg's Joshua are pictured at the right.)

Amy Tryon, who placed fifth with Woodstock said that she made the desision not to run Poggio II yesterday inconjunction with the selectors and Captain Mark Phillips. They said if I felt it was important to run him inconnection with his (World) Games preparation to go ahead and do it. He has a lot of miles on him. I felt discretion was the better part of valor. He is not exactly a relaxing horse to ride. I love him to pieces and he doesn't owe me a thing."

Heidi White, who was the USEF CCI**** Champion, said of her second place ride Northern Spy, "Yesterday he was absolutely magnificent. We tried him in a hackamore today and he was pretty good." She said that she felt they were making progress. (Heidi and Northern Spy are pictured at the left above.)

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The lowest ranked fourteen finishers jumped at 11:55 AM. Of these four jumped clean - Kristen Bond and Blackout, Phillip Dutton (AUS) and Amazing Odyssey, Bonnie Mosser and Jenga and Werner Geven (NED) and Esker Riada.

Final Results for 2006 were as follows:

1. Andrew Hoy (AUS), Master Monarch - 53.1 (DCSJ) ($65,000)
2. Heidi White, Northern Spy - 57.4 (8 jumping, 0 time) ($30,000)
3. Stephen Bradley, Brandenburg's Joshua - 59.7(DCSJ) ($25,000)
4. Phillip Dutton (AUS), Connaught - 59.8 (DCSJ) ($20,000)
5. Amy Tryon, Woodstock - 60.1 (8 jumping, 1 time) ($15,000)
6. Will Faudree, Antigua - 60.2 (0 jumping, 2 time) ($7,500)
7. Polly Stockton (GBR), Tom Quigley - 61.2 (8 jumping, 5 time) ($7,000)
8. Nathalie Pollard, West Farthing - 63.1 (8 jumping, 0 time) ($6,000)
9. Andrew Hoy (AUS), Yeoman's Point - 63.8 (8 jumping, 0 time) ($5,000)
10. John Williams, Sloopy - 63.8 (4 jumping, 0 time) ($4,000)
11. Boyd Martin (AUS), Ying Yang Yo - 64.2 (4 jumping, 0 time) ($3,000)
12. Karen O'Connor, Upstage - 67.0 ((8 jumping, 1 time) ($2,500)
13. Becky Holder, Courageous Comey - 67.1 (16 jumping, 8 time) ($2,000)
14. Sara Mittleider (YR), El Primero - 69.4 (4 jumping, 0 time) ($1,500)
15. Jessica Heidemann, French Twist - 70.6 (20 jumping, 0 time) ($1,400)
16. Werner Geven (NED), Esker Riada - 75.3 (DCSJ) ($1,100)
17. Donna Smith (NZL), Call Me Clifton - 78.2 (12 jumping, 3 time) ($1,000)
18. Emily Anker (AUS), Balmoral Cavalier - 79.6 (16 jumping, 3 time) ($1,000)
19. Emma Winter (GBR), Mahogany Chief - 87.2 (12 jumping, 3 time) ($1,000)
20. Ashley MacVaugh, All's Fair - 83.9 (12 jumping, 0 time) ($1,000)

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Final Horse Inspection, Sunday Morning 8:30 AM

Thirty-four horses were presented at the Final Horse Inspection for the Rolex Kentucky CCI****. There was a good deal more excitement than usual, undoubtedly to the distress of those involved. The top three horses, Courageous Comet (Becky Holder), Tom Quigley (Polly Stockton GBR) and Northern Spy (Heidi White) all trotted up four square. (Becky and Courageous Comet are pictured at the right, while Polly and Tom Quigley are pictured at the left below.)

Two horses who finished Cross Country were not presented: Hyperlite, who had stood ninth after Cross Country with Buck Davidson; and Troy, who had stood thirty-first after Cross Country with Sally Cousins.

Two horses were held for re-inspection: Nathalie Pollard's West Farthing, who stood seventh after Cross Country; and Bruce Duchoissois' Connaught, who stood equal thirteenth ridden by Phillip Dutton (AUS) after Cross Country. Both passed upon reinspection. It is a particuarly good thing that West Farthing passed as Nathalie now stands alone in the sartorial splendor category and it is not certain whether she could have won had West Farthing been spun! ( - not to mention seventh place is highly to be sought after!)

Molly Bull trotted up Kiltartan, who had stood twenty-fifth after jumping clear on Cross Country and adding only 3.6 time faults to his dressage score of 73.3. He was absolutely hopping lame. Catherine Kohn, V.M.D, the veterinarian Delegate, did something this reporter has never seen done before, she came away from the Ground Jury and stopped Molly, asking her to walk Kiltartan out. He was immediately spun without further inspection. One can only imagine that Kiltartan must have been better outside, else he would never have been presented in the first place.

Nina Fout's veteran Three Magic Beans, a member of the Bronze Medal Team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and multiple time runner at Rolex, was presented for the last time at a major Three Day Event. He passed with his usual aplomb and received a rousing round of applause from the large Sunday crowd. There were more than a few teary-eyed fans who were sad to bid Beany goodbye.

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The big drop into The Head of the Lake claimed several well know competitors such as Darren Chiacchia, William Fox-Pitt and Kim Severson.

Kim'sfall is pictured, in part, below: