New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson and his ride Quimbo victoriously triumphed at the four-star Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event on Sunday. The pair finished clear on 41 penalty points, ahead of runner-up William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF. Nicholson and Calico Joe also ended third on a total of 52.8 points. The $US80,000 win sets Nicholson up to become the first Kiwi to win the $US350,000 Rolex Grand Slam – encompassing the Burghley, Badminton and Kentucky four star events in succession. It also extends his lead in the HSBC FEI Classics which boasts a $US250,000 prize purse.
With just five riders leaving all the rails in place, clear rounds were sparse in the showjumping phase. Counting that only four of the clear rides were inside time Nicholson proved with his debuting Quimbo to form a golden pair. “This horse is exceptional,” he said. “He is very easy to ride. A win like this is great for the future. He’s a proper one! Nereo is my best horse at the moment because he is a very hardened, experienced campaigner, and Quimbo is the new kid on the block, but I can see in a year’s time he will be nudging Nereo a little”, Nicholson said to Horsetalk.
© equnews.com/Horsetalk - photo: Wikimedia
New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson and his ride Quimbo victoriously triumphed at the four-star Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event on Sunday. The pair finished clear on 41 penalty points, ahead of runner-up William Fox-Pitt and Seacookie TSF. Nicholson and Calico Joe also ended third on a total of 52.8 points. The $US80,000 win sets Nicholson up to become the first Kiwi to win the $US350,000 Rolex Grand Slam – encompassing the Burghley, Badminton and Kentucky four star events in succession. It also extends his lead in the HSBC FEI Classics which boasts a $US250,000 prize purse.
With just five riders leaving all the rails in place, clear rounds were sparse in the showjumping phase. Counting that only four of the clear rides were inside time Nicholson proved with his debuting Quimbo to form a golden pair. “This horse is exceptional,” he said. “He is very easy to ride. A win like this is great for the future. He’s a proper one! Nereo is my best horse at the moment because he is a very hardened, experienced campaigner, and Quimbo is the new kid on the block, but I can see in a year’s time he will be nudging Nereo a little”, Nicholson said to Horsetalk.
© equnews.com/Horsetalk - photo: Wikimedia