Eventing Day: Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone, Named One of Kentucky Tourism Council’s Top 10 Festivals and Events for Spring 2011

Lexington, KY—March 7, 2011—The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone, has been named one of the Top 10 Festivals and Events for Spring 2011 by the Kentucky Tourism Council.

The Rolex Kentucky, part of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM and a perennial winner of this prestigious award, is set to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, April 28-May 1. It was named as one of the Top 10 Events for Spring because this premier event is the only Four Star, Three-Day Event in the Western Hemisphere and because it brings international attention to Lexington and the Bluegrass State each spring. While attracting crowds in excess of 100,000 spectators and millions of viewers on international telecasts including a 60-minute domestic broadcast on NBC, the Rolex Kentucky also features an International Sponsor Village and Trade Fair with more than 150 booths and various exciting demonstrations.

Enhancing this year’s event are several new opportunities for spectators! For the first time, spectators may purchase reserved Tailgating spaces along portions of the famed Cross-Country Course at the Kentucky Horse Park, giving them a chance to experience the action as never before. The purchase of a Tailgating space provides a reserved location for a passenger vehicle plus general admission for up to eight people.

Additionally, the Kentucky Reining Cup, which includes international Reining and the first-ever World Championship Freestyle will be held in conjunction with this year’s event.

The Kentucky Reining Cup competition, also a FEI (International Equestrian Federation) competition, will be managed by HorsePower, Inc., Reining’s leading event production firm, and will include a Five Star Reining competition, known as a CRI5* (Concours de Reining International), the sport’s highest level, as well as the first-ever World Championship Freestyle. The CRI5* will offer $50,000 in prize money and will be the only Five Star Reining event in the western hemisphere in 2011.

The World Championship Freestyle, expected to draw competitors from around the world, will mark the first time that the title of “World Champion” will be awarded in Freestyle Reining, a consistent crowd favorite. The event’s $25,000 prize money will also mark the largest purse for a Reining Freestyle anywhere in the world.

“We are so honored that the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone has once again been chosen as one of the Top 10 Festivals and Events for Spring by the Kentucky Tourism Council,” said Equestrian Events Inc. President Lisa Ball. “We strive to improve our event on an annual basis and with this year’s addition of Reining and Tailgating, we are confident that the event will draw even more people to Kentucky.”

The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgetone features the world’s best horses and riders vying for their share of $250,000 in prize money and a chance at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. The winning owner is awarded $80,000 and the winning rider receives a classic Rolex timepiece.

For more information, or to purchase tickets to the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Presented by Bridgestone or the Kentucky Reining Cup please visit the Rolex Kentucky website at www.rk3de.org or www.kentuckyreining.com. You may order your tickets online, or complete the ticket order form and return via mail or fax (859-254-5116) to Equestrian Events, Inc. Phone orders: (859) 254-8123. To receive a printed ticket brochure, send name and mailing address to EEI at P.O. Box 12110, Lexington, KY 40580-2110.