www.eventingetc.com

"British equestrian athlete Oliver Townend is just a win away from one of the most coveted achievements in his sport, but the volcanic eruption in Iceland nearly stranded him in Europe for the Kentucky competition.

"I never thought that my biggest challenge in winning the Rolex Grand Slam would be just getting to the event," Townend said.

Despite several logistical snags, Townend was finally on a flight Monday to the United States that should allow him to get to Lexington just in time for this week's Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. The annual competition also serves this year as a major trial run for the World Equestrian Games in Lexington. (September 25 - October 10, 2010.)

Townend needs a Rolex victory to land a $350,000 prize and join fellow Brit Pippa Funnell as the only eventers to capture the Rolex Grand Slam by winning the (Mitsibishi Motors) Badminton Horse Trials, (the Land Rover) Burghley Horse Trials and the Kentucky Rolex in succession. Funnell's wins were in 2003.

Townebd, whose horses arrived before last week's volcanic eruption so they could go through quarantine, had planned to be in Lexington by Sunday.

Instead,his flight out of London was canceled because of the ash cloud, so he rode a train to Paris, where he was further delayed by a rail strike. From there he took a 14-hour taxi ride to Madrid that cost more than $3,000. After that a flight to Miami, where he was spending Monday night before flying to Lexington via Atlanta on Tuesday.

Townend wasn't the only one still trying to get out of Europe on Monday. Among the athletes still searching for arrangements was Olympic gold medalist William Fox-Pitt of England.

Jane Atkinson, director of Rolex, said that two judges had to cancel and that the designer of the cross-country course hadn't arrived.

The following is from Classic Communications on the web site of the United States Eventing Association:

Only Ulrich Schmitz of Arizona remains of the three people scheduled to be the judges for the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Marilyn Payne, of New Jersey, will replace Anne-Mette Binder, of Denmark, and Christian Landholt, of Switzerland, will replace Sue Baxter of Great Britain. Gretchen Butts, of Maryland, has been named as the technical delegate, although Tom Ryckewaert of Belgium may arrive later in the week.

In addition, Mike Etherington-Smith of Great Britain, who's been the Rolex Kentucky cross-country course designer since 1994, is not expected to arrive until Friday, the day before the cross-country phase. Derek di Grazia, of California, will stand in for him.

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Top Riders From Around the World Set to Compete at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Bridgestone

Oliver Townend Could Make History By Winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY-March 31, 2010- Once again, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, this year Presented by Bridgestone, will host a truly international event at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 22-25. The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM Series, attracts many of the world's best horses and riders as they vie for their share of $250,000 in prize money.

Enhancing this year's schedule will be the official Kentucky Cup Dressage and Jumping Test Events for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). The Games will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park, September 25-October 10, marking the first time that equestrian sport's biggest event is being held outside Europe.

Riders and horses from seven countries (Canada, Ireland, France, Great Britain, Australia, Argentina, and New Zealand) in addition to the U.S., the largest foreign contingent since the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships, will be tested at Rolex Kentucky in the Kentucky Cup Eventing Test Event of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

As always, spectators at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event can look forward to rooting on their favorite horse-and-rider combinations from around the globe. In addition this year, thousands of people will be cheering for Oliver Townend of Great Britain, as he attempts to do what only one other event rider in the world has ever done, claim the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. (Oli is pictured at the right at the Land Rover Burghley CCI**** in 2009.)

Townend, 26, claimed a victory last May in the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials aboard Flint Curtis and in September he won another leg of the Rolex Grand Slam when he and Carousel Quest bested a field of 49 to win the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, making him eligible to capture the Rolex Grand Slam if he can win Rolex Kentucky. He has three horses entered: Carousel Quest, ODT Master Rose, and Ashdale Cruise Master.. The latter is a new ride for Oli and, according to the March 25 issue of Horse and Hound, the pair parted company at the Lincolnshire Horse Trials at the new Kennel fence where, "A new model guard dog borrowed from the nearby police kennels caused . . ." several horses to spook.

In September 2003, Pippa Funnell of Great Britain became the first rider in history to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing when she rode Primmore's Pride to victory at the Burghley Horse Trials following back-to-back wins in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in April aboard Primmore's Pride and the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in May aboard Supreme Rock. Funnell's sweep of the three CCI**** events earned her $250,000, the purse at that time, and a Pink Gold 18-carat Datejust Rolex watch. The payoff was the largest in Eventing history.

Should Townend succeed in joining Funnell as the second rider in history to win this prestigious title, he will have to triumph over a list of entries that includes past Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and Olympic Champions.

Highlighting this year's list of entries are the following:

2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Champion, four-time Olympic veteran and 2009 U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) Leading Rider of the Year Phillip Dutton of the United States. Phillip has six horses entered: Truluck, The Foreman, Connaught, Woodburn, Waterfront and Kheops du Quesnay.

Phillip and Woodburn are also entered at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, so it remains to be seen where they will run. Phillip is the only Americn entered for the great British competition.

William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, a member of the 2004 Olympic Silver Medal Team and 2008 Olympic Bronze Medal Team, and winner of the 2008 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials CCI**** and the inaugural HSBC FEI ClassicTM Series. (William is pictured at the left at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials in 2009.)

Three-time Olympian and 1999 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** winner and two-time Rolex CCI*** winner Karen O'Connor of the United States.

Three-time Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** Champion and 2004 Olympic Team Bronze and Individual Silver Medalist, Kim Severson of the United States as well as members of the 2008 US Olympic Team, Becky Holder and Amy Tryon. (Kim is pictured at the right below on Tipperary Liadhnan at the Southern Pines Horse Trials earlier this season.)

"With the excitement of Oliver Townend and the WEG Test Events all surrounding this year's Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, this is bound to be one of our most exciting years in recent memory," said Jane Atkinson, Executive Vice President of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the event. "The level of competition at Rolex is at an all-time high, and I hope everybody will come out and experience it with us in Kentucky!"

The only Four Star Event in the Western Hemisphere, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is the premier competition for the top horses and riders in the Olympic discipline of Eventing. For more information please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org.

For those who can't make it to Kentucky, there will be an expanded 90-minute broadcast on NBC on Saturday, May 15, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT, just prior to the telecast of the 135th Preakness Stakes, the second leg of Thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

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For Further Information Contact:

Jane Atkinson, Event Director, 859-233-2362, eeiusa@windstream.net or

Marty Bauman, Press Chief, (508) 698-6810, info@classic-communications.com

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EVENTING RADIO SHOW PRESENTS DAILY COVERAGE OF THE ROLEX, KENTUCKY THREE DAY EVENT

Chris Stafford with Co-Hosts and Guests Will Provide Unique Reports, Interviews and News from the Kentucky Horse Park

April 14, 2010. Lexington, KY. The Eventing Radio Show, part of the Horse Radio Network, plans to mark its second year of coverage of the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event with extensive reporting, interviews, news and views from the 2010 event, which takes place from April 21-25th at the Kentucky Horse Park. This year's event will also be the test event for the World Equestrian Games so the show will include a preview of what visitors can expect later this year. With the inclusion of Britain's Oliver Townend in the line-up attempting to be only the second rider to win the $250,000 Rolex Gland Slam, plus a total of seven nations competing for North America's only four star prize, there will be plenty of action for the Eventing Radio Show team to follow.

"Since our debut event coverage at last year's event our weekly show has built a worldwide audience in some 37 countries and with that we have created a devoted fan base, which is both dedicated to the sport and eager for event coverage. It's exciting to be able to offer the show as a valued resource and with our team of experts we look forward to providing all the highlights and more of this prestigious event," said Chris Stafford, Host.

This year's event kicks off as usual with the veterinary inspection on Wednesday afternoon, which will launch our daily coverage together with a preview of the record number of entries for this four-star event.One of the Eventing Radio Show's favorite co-hosts, Max Corcoran, will be preparing Mandiba for her rider, Karen O'Connor. Several of our guests from the past year will also be in the running or officiating so we'll be sure to catch up with them too. Plus our Rolex Quiz winner will make their special appearance during the event.

Each special episode will review the competition of the day and preview the follow day with interviews and comments for our team of experts. Tune in to www.eventingradio.com each day of Rolex to be sure to catch all the action.

The Eventing Radio Show will also be supporting The Chronicle of the Horse with their live interactive blogging coverage of Rolex. Chronicle staff will provide play-by-play of the events as they unfold and viewers will be able to chat along. You can follow the fun coverage at www.eventingradio.com or www.chronofhorse.com.

For more information about Horse Radio Network's Affiliate Partner Program and carrying the Eventing Radio Show on your website, please email glenn@horseradionetwork.com.

The Eventing Radio Show has a Fan Page on Facebook and can also be followed on Twitter @horseradio.

Listen to the Eventing Radio Show:
www.eventingradio.com

Email Chris Stafford at:
chris@horseradionetwork.com

The show is hosted by Chris Stafford in Lexington, Kentucky, USA with guest co-hosts alternating each week adding their own style to the show. Chris is a former rider who has been an equestrian broadcaster and journalist for over 30 years.

In addition to the weekly radio show, the Eventing Radio Show website is a reliable resource of information about the sport of eventing.

Listeners can catch new shows each week at www.eventingradio.com or by subscribing through iTunes or Zune. The show is available to download to MP3 players or iPods, so listeners can tune in while they are doing barn chores or on the road to the next competition.
You can find all the shows on the Horse Radio Network at www.horseradionetwork.com.