The Rolex 3 Day Event @ KHP

Every spring the Kentucky Horse Park is lucky enough to host the Rolex three day "Eventing" competition for the elite horses and riders competent enough to have achieved inclusion in this four star event. This year, though the weather was dreary, the competition was intense and heart stopping in certain places.

The jumps, and there are a bunch of them spread out over a gigantic field, are all designed to challenge the courage and athleticism of the horse. The rider is allowed to walk it prior to competition, but during competition is the first the horse gets to see the thing. Obviously rider and mount must be in tune with each other as they gallop up to each series of jumps.

My camera, being an early model digital has an annoying delay during action shots, so I was able to collect a number of images like this one. But take a moment to consider the height and width of that jump they just managed to clear. Also try to appreciate how solid that bad boy is. If they miss it, it's a gigantic whack to the legs and worse God forbid.

Right after that jump above, the two have to leap up and over a wall into a shallow pond where they face jumping and/or scrambling over some very large ducks in the midst of the media and attendees all gasping at their successes and failures. These darn ducks ended up getting the better of several competitors. But they went ahead anyway. In fact even if you both tumble at a jump, if you're still good to go, you may. You lose points, but if you're still healthy you can continue. Now if the rider falls during one of the stretches between the jumps that's it buster. Yer OUT! So sometimes you see some crazy maneuverings by a rider unwilling to hit the dirt. If he or she sticks on in whatever manner, they're still in it.

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	The jumps, and there are a bunch of them spread out over a gigantic field, are all designed to challenge the courage and athleticism of the horse. The rider is allowed to walk it prior to competition, but during competition is the first the horse gets to see the thing. Obviously rider and mount must be in tune with each other as they gallop up to each series of jumps.
	My camera, being an early model digital has an annoying delay during action shots, so I was able to collect a number of images like this one. But take a moment to consider the height and width of that jump they just managed to clear. Also try to appreciate how solid that bad boy is. If they miss it, it's a gigantic whack to the legs and worse God forbid.
	Right after that jump above, the two have to leap up and over a wall into a shallow pond where they face jumping and/or scrambling over some very large ducks in the midst of the media and attendees all gasping at their successes and failures. These darn ducks ended up getting the better of several competitors. But they went ahead anyway. In fact even if you both tumble at a jump, if you're still good to go, you may. You lose points, but if you're still healthy you can continue. Now if the rider falls during one of the stretches between the jumps that's it buster. Yer OUT! So sometimes you see some crazy maneuverings by a rider unwilling to hit the dirt. If he or she sticks on in whatever manner, they're still in it.