22 SIDELINESMAY 2014
FORHORSEPEOPLE • ABOUTHORSEPEOPLE
e
Cover Story
ByDani Moritz
PhotosCourtesy of EquestrianEvents, unless otherwise noted
F
amed today asAmerica’s only four-star event and
one of themost prestigious three-day events in the
world, fewmay actually know thehistory of theRolex
KentuckyThree-DayEvent. Inhonor of this year’s
Rolex, Sidelines delves into the history of this incredible
event to sharewithour readers a few things about how
America’s premier CCI**** event started.
It all beganwith the formationof EquestrianEvents, Inc.,
(EEI) whichwas formed in 1975 tohost the1978World
Three-DayEvent Championships at theKentuckyHorsePark
–whichwas beingdevelopedat the time. Thehorse park
itself was createdas part of anambitious vision to produce
an unprecedented equine facility in the heart ofAmerica’s
horse country.
InpresentingKentucky’s case for hosting the 1978World
Championships, Governor JulianM. Carroll said, “Kentucky
has long enjoyed international acclaim for its excellence
in the horse industry, andwe feel that this reputation, plus
theoutstanding facilities at theHorsePark, would serve to
uphold theprestigeand traditionassociatedwith theWorld
Championships.”
It’s pretty apparent that theHorsePark (and the
WorldChampionships) exceeded expectations. The
championships drewmore than 170,000 spectators,
adding$4million toKentucky’s economy.
After theWorldChampionships, peoplewerehungry for
more.And so anannual event was created to celebrate the
athleticism and power of both thehuman andequine athlete.
In 1979, theKentuckyHorseTrialswereheld at the new
horsepark. In 1981, with the support fromUSET corporate
sponsor RolexWatchU.S.A, that event became theRolex
KentuckyThree-DayEvent.And theRolex has only grown
since – rightfully earning its placeasAmerica’s greatest
three-day event.
Wewelcome you to joinus aswe chronicle thehistory
of theRolexKentuckyThree-DayEvent in the following
timeline.Wehope youenjoy the photographs and
memories aswe visually tell the story of one of the
greatest equestrian events of all time.
AHistoryof theRolex
KentuckyThree
DayEvent
2013RolexChampions:
AndrewNicholson andQuimbo.
Photo byBethGrant,
