It was a lovely, warm welcome that greeted a decent-sized crowd this afternoon in the heated Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park, and Executive Director John Nicholson cranked the heat up with some exciting news. Accompanied by Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, (inaugurated since the WEG), Kentucky’s First Lady and accomplished eventer Jane Beshear, USEF CEO John Long, and EEI President Lisa Ball, he announced details of the Kentucky Reining Cup.
John Long spoke briefly & specifically about the discipline.
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The Reining will comprise a five star CRI, the highest level in the sport, and the only five star in the Western Hemisphere this year. To be held on the Friday Night of Rolex, starting at 6pm, after the Three Day Event Dressage, in the indoor Alltech Arena, tickets will be sold separately for $10. On the saturday night after cross country, at 5:30pm, also in the Alltech Arena, there will be a World Championship Freestyle, which will crown a World Champion Freestyle Reiner for the first time in history. The event’s $25,000 prize money is also the biggest purse for such an event anywhere in the world.
It was lovely to see the indefatigable Janie Atkinson, smiling and laughing constantly, and we caught up for a minute before she was whisked away; actually I think she was needed to show off her dog’s smart new blanket, modeled very professionally by it’s four-legged owner!
Jane Beshear also spilled the beans that she’s been supplementing her eventing.
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I remember talking to a number of the dressage riders and jumpers during Rolex last year, as they were competing in their own Kentucky Cup events then, as part of the Test Events for the WEG, and I asked EEI President Lisa Ball if that’s something we might see again too…
Well, as if we didn’t have enough to look forward to, (frankly the warm spell that the Horse Park’s Lisa Jackson promised me is coming this weekend is enough for me!), this is wonderful news. Bravo to all involved for making it happen, and I had a couple of words with John Nicholson as everyone was bundling back up and making to leave, and he said there are still some exciting announcements to come. Roll on, Rolex, bring on the sunshine, Go sliding, spinning and eventing!
