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Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup Also Returns After Last Year’s Sensational Debut
 
Lexington, KY — January 12, 2012— The excitement of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, and the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 26-29.
 
This year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event features selection trials to choose the U.S. Eventing team for the 2012 London Olympic Games.  The nation’s best horses and riders will be competing in the hopes of earning places on the team for this summer’s Olympics.
 
This year’s Event also features the 15th Rolex USEF Four Star Championship for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Pinnacle Cup, and is part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM.  Horses and riders from around the world will join their U.S. counterparts in competing for their share of $250,000 in prize money as well as a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which is awarded to any rider who wins Rolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley Four Star Events in succession.  Former Rolex Kentucky champion William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, who won his record sixth Burghley championship last fall, will be seeking to win a second leg of the Rolex Grand Slam at Kentucky in the hopes of joining Pippa Funnell of Great Britain, who won it in 2003, as the only rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam.
 
"There's no question that 2012 is going to be one of the most exciting years we’ve had," said Lisa Ball, President of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup.  "The fact that the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event is a selection trial for the London Olympics means that Eventing fans will have a chance to see many of the horses and riders who will be riding in this summer’s Olympics right here in Kentucky.  Adding to the excitement is the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup that was such a huge hit when it made its debut last year and has quickly established itself as a big crowd favorite."
 
As always, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event will feature three distinct phases: Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping.  In Dressage, the first phase of the event, horses execute a series of movements while being judged on grace, harmony and precision.  During Saturday's Cross-Country phase, horses and riders gallop across the Kentucky Horse Park countryside at lightning fast speeds.  The bravery and stamina of horse and rider are put to the test in this exciting phase, as they must jump a series of imposing obstacles on varied terrain.  The final day features Show Jumping where horse and rider try to clear a course of brightly colored and decorated fences in a confined arena.
 
Past winners of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, the only Four Star Three-Day Event in the Western Hemisphere, include United States Olympic Medalists David and Karen O’Connor, Kim Severson and Phillip Dutton, New Zealand’s Blyth Tait and Nick Larkin, Great Britain’s Pippa Funnell, William Fox-Pitt and Mary King, and Andrew Hoy, Clayton Fredericks and Lucinda Fredericks of Australia.
 
Spectators may purchase reserved Tailgating spaces along portions of the Cross-Country Course at the Kentucky Horse Park, giving them a chance to experience the action like never before.  The purchase of a Tailgating space provides a reserved location for a passenger vehicle plus general admission for six people.  A variety of hospitality packages is also available for both Eventing and Reining competitions.
 
After its great debut last year, the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup returns for a second year, April 27-28.  The Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup is the only Three Star Reining competition currently scheduled in the world for 2012.  It is expected to draw horses and riders from around the globe, vying for their share of $100,000 in prize money as they compete in the CRI3*, along with the popular $25,000 World Freestyle Championship. 
 
In the 2011 debut of the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, members of the U.S's Gold Medal team from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games swept the top four places in the HorsePower Inc. CRI5* class.  Winning the event was Shawn Flarida, followed by Craig Schmersal, who took second and third, and Tom McCutcheon who took fourth.  Also competing was Grammy Award winning entertainer Lyle Lovett who made his personal debut riding at the sport's highest level.
 
Reining is a judged event designed to show the athletic ability of a western type horse in a show arena. In Reining, competitors are required to run one of several approved patterns. Each pattern includes small slow circles, large fast circles, flying lead changes, roll backs, 360 degree spins done in place, back-ups and the exciting sliding stops that are the hallmark of the reining horse.
 
In addition to the world-class competition, spectators may get equally excited about the world-class shopping at the Sponsor Village and Trade Fair. With more than 175 merchants selling everything from horse-related items to clothing, accessories, jewelry and art, this is always a favorite place for browsing and buying during the Event!
 
For more information, or to purchase tickets to the 2012 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org.
 
For more information on the 2012 Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, or to purchase tickets, please go to www.KentuckyReining.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information, please contact:
Marty Bauman, Press Chief, 508-698-6810, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lexington, KY — October 17, 2011— Ticket packages for the 2012 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone, and Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, April 26-29 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, are on sale now.

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM, is one of only six Four Star Three-Day Events in the world and the only one in the Western Hemisphere. Many of the world’s best riders will be competing with the hopes of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics. This is a rare opportunity to watch riders compete in Olympic level competition before the London Olympic Games begin!

The Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup is the ultimate destination for Reining in the United States. A qualifier for the FEI World Reining Championship, the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup is expected to draw horses and riders from across the globe competing for $100,000 in prize money.

“2012 promises to be one of the most exciting events we’ve ever had,” said Lisa Ball, President of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup. “An Olympic year always adds a new level of excitement and this coming year will be no exception. And with the incredible success of last year’s inaugural Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, I recommend that all our fans act quickly and order their tickets right away!”

“Rolex Kentucky,” commonly known as the nation’s premier Three-Day Event, is one of the world’s most prestigious equestrian competitions and features the world’s best horses and riders vying for their share of $250,000 in prize money as well as 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.

Spectators can receive ringside hospitality packages for a custom world-class experience. Featuring prime locations and hospitality amenities, these packages include the “Patron Plus” and “Patron Club” options, both of which include admission to the Kentucky Horse Park, the International Trade Fair and all four days of competition. Also included are closed circuit televisions, dressage and stadium jumping commentary, a keepsake pin, and an official event program.

Advance sale ticket packages include four-day, three-day (Fri-Sat-Sun)and single day general admissions, as well as group sales and reserved grandstand seating. All general admission tickets include parking, admission to the Kentucky Horse Park and International Trade Fair. Reserved grandstand seating is sold separately from admission.

Once again this year, spectators may purchase reserved tailgating spaces along portions of the famed Cross-Country Course at the Kentucky Horse Park. The purchase of a tailgating space provides a reserved location for a passenger vehicle plus general admission for up to six people. Standard and Premium tailgating spaces are available at costs of $275 and $325. Tailgaters may bring their own food or there will also be concessions stands near the tailgating locations. Given the popularity of the tailgating when it debuted at last year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, it is sure to sell out and those interested are urged to reserve their spaces today.

The Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup features the only Five Star Reining competition in the world in 2012 and the incredibly popular World Freestyle Championship. Action begins on Friday night with the CRI5* with riders guiding their horses through prescribed turns, sliding stops and flying lead changes in pursuit of $100,000 prize money.

On Saturday evening, riders will seek the title of World Freestyle Champion and their share of $25,000 in prize money as they entertain spectators with choreographed musical performances that electrified the Alltech Arena crowd during last year’s inaugural championship.

Advance tickets for the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup are $12 per person for Friday’s CRI5* and $20 per person for Saturday’s World Freestyle Championship. Hospitality options include the opportunity to purchase the use of luxury suites in the Alltech Arena for both nights of competition.

For more information, or to purchase tickets to the 2012 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone, please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org. For more information on the 2012 Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, or to purchase tickets, please go to www.KentuckyReining.com.

As of November 1, tickets may be ordered directly online, or by printing the ticket order form and returning it via mail or fax (859)-254-5116 to Equestrian Events, Inc. Tickets may also be ordered by calling 859-254-8123. To receive a printed ticket brochure, please send your name and mailing address to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Follow the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone and the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup online at:
www.facebook.com/RolexKentucky
www.twitter.com/RolexKentucky
www.youtube.com/RolexKentucky
www.facebook.com/KentuckyReining

www.twitter.com/KentuckyReining www.youtube.com/KentuckyReining

Thoroughbred Horse Show Association Created to Provide Opportunities for Thoroughbreds beginning Show Careers

Lexington, KY –  A group of Central Kentuckians interested in creating opportunities to showcase the talent and competitive spirit of Thoroughbreds off the racetrack has created the Thoroughbred Horse Show Association. The association is working to develop shows exclusively for Thoroughbreds to give them valuable show experience while helping rescue organizations place Thoroughbreds in new homes. THSA members will be able to follow these horses in the shows because the horses must be entered using their registered names with The Jockey Club. 

“Adopting Thoroughbreds after they race is a significant issue and will become even more important if race-day medication is ended and additional racehorses need to find second careers,” said THSA founder Jan Roehl of Lexington. “Our logo of a horse jumping out of a paddock symbolizes these horses are not ready to retire.”

Shows are geared for Thoroughbreds just starting their show careers with entry-level divisions in multiple disciplines, including dressage, combined training, hunter/jumper, suitability for hunting and competitive trail riding. THSA already has scheduled shows in 2012 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington for April 14-15 and October 6-7, and is working with rescue organizations and others to hold additional shows next year.

“Thoroughbreds off the track make very talented show horses, but they first need experience to develop their abilities and be seen by trainers who can take them to the next level,” said Roehl, who has spent much of her life working with Thoroughbreds in the show ring and on the racetrack.

Because Thoroughbreds that compete in THSA or affiliated shows must be entered using their registered name with The Jockey Club, THSA members will be able to follow the second careers of horses they admired at the racetrack.

“This is a great feature of THSA membership,” Roehl said. “Many of us would like to keep up with horses after their racing careers end and they become show horses. More often than not, Thoroughbreds off the track don't show under their registered names, so there hasn't been an easy way to follow them.”

Roehl said THSA is a membership-driven community designed to connect Thoroughbred owners to a large group of like-minded people who care about the future of these horses. The association's annual membership of $300 will finance shows and promote Thoroughbred adoption. THSA has launched a website at http://tbhorseshow.org where people may learn more and join the association.

Joining Roehl in THSA is John Prather, a veteran event coordinator and manager. Prather is a board member for Equestrian Events Inc., the governing body of the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, and is on the board of Blue Grass Farms Charities. He was the main stadium manager at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park.

For more information, contact Jan Roehl at (859) 421-8710 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Note:  Photo above of Party Leader, a retired Thoroughbred in retraining for a second career at the Maker's Mark Secretariat Center at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Military Night at Southern Lights:
Spectacular Sights on Holiday Nights

Wednesday, December 7

Free admission for all current and retired military personnel and their families
on this special Southern Lights evening!