Jimmy’s pick to win: Oliver Townend and Ashdale Cruise Master. Jimmy had an incredible two year streak of picking Rolex winners in ’07 and ’08 with Clayton Fredericks and Phillip respectively. Jimmy originally picked Carousel Quest in his preview for this year, but since Oliver scratched Carousel Quest after the COTH article went to print, Jimmy amended his prediction by picking Ashdale Cruise Master, with a strong honorable mention to Phillip and The Foreman. Going 2 for 3 with picks the past three years is an extraordinary achievement, and Jimmy has a great chance to make it 3 for 4 this year.
Jimmy puts a high priority on experience when making his predictions, and he suggests that many of the younger horses that I have predicted to do well need another year of polish. It will be very interesting to see how the athletic youngster vs savvy veteran story-line plays out at Kentucky.
Mike ES is quoted as saying that his course makes Rolex a “big four-star rather than a hard four-star.” This might open things up for the better combined test horses in the field, such as Mystere Du Val.
Jimmy’s ‘whodat’ pick for the highest placed Rolex rookie is EN’s own guest blogger Lauren Kieffer and Snooze.
In an interesting moment, Jimmy basically predicts Amy and Leyland will make the WEG team by saying they will do better at the WEGs than Rolex.
The USEA has published the Spring edition of it’s online magazine, which is a Rolex preview issue. Josh and Emily have done a fantastic job developing this online magazine format for the USEA, and I love how it utilizes videos and video ads. This issue contains a Rolex preview, an interesting analysis of the bloodlines of recent Rolex winners (which points out that the past 9 Rolex winners all have mostly TB bloodlines of primarily Irish or British ancestry and only one has any warmblood ancestors), and an FEI doping article from Kent Allen. Check it out: EventingUSA 2.0
