United States Eventing Association

Andrew Nicholson raised his fist in victory when he crossed the finish line with Deborah Sellar’s 11-year-old Caballo de Deporte Español gelding Quimbo, having jumped clear to maintain the overnight lead and win the 2013 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the second leg of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. He also placed third with Calico Joe, taking home a grand total of $110,000. Nicholson and William Fox-Pitt, who finished second with Seacookie TSF, will compete head-to-head at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse next week in England to be the second person in history to win the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam.

Rolex was Quimbo’s first four-star competition, and he put himself in a good position after dressage with a second place performance and a score of 38.0. He jumped a double-clear round on cross-country, and by the time the pair trotted down the ramp into the Rolex Stadium on Sunday, Nicholson and Quimbo had just more than eight points in hand. Nicholson thoughtfully took his time around the course, and Quimbo jumped out of his skin, making it look effortless, and crossed the finish line clear with three time penalties to add.

“Quimbo is a very, very smart horse. He’s very clever. He’s an unbelievable show jumper. That’s what he’s bred to do,” Nicholson said. “All the big competitions I’ve done with him, in the warm-up he feels different than in the ring. He’s impressive in the warm-up, but in the ring it’s like a whole different world.”

Quimbo clearly has the movement and jumping ability for four-star eventing, but Nicholson said the thing he learned about the horse this week was that he “has got enough stamina to do the four-star jumping efforts and gallop.” Pointing out that Quimbo’s breeding is not classical for eventing, he recalled his surprise on cross-country when, after starting out easy, he asked for Quimbo to gallop on after the final water and got a valiant response. “To make that time up in the last couple minutes has probably impressed me more than anything else.” Indeed, Nicholson sported a huge grin when he jumped the Walnut Tables after the last water just three fences from home.

Nicholson’s second ride Calico Joe, a Thoroughbred owned by Twenty Twelve in Mind, dropped three rails during his round, but Nicholson was nonetheless thrilled with the horse. “When I finished my round with Calico Joe, I felt probably similar to what I felt when I finished with Quimbo. Calico Joe is no show jumper.” Nicholson went on to explain that he bought the now 11-year-old horse as a baby to train to do national hunt racing, but he could never sell him. “I’ve kind of been stuck with him.”

Joe’s first visit to Rolex Kentucky last year ended at the ninth fence on cross-country. Later in the year he went to Luhmühlen and finished fourth, then produced another good performance at Burghley. “Now he’s finished third here,” Nicholson grinned. “He was never quite quick enough [for racing], yet he’s managed to adapt his own style. He still has a habit of going into a ring and going into himself rather than being like Quimbo who grows. Joe wants to find a corner to hide in. It’s an imposing ring. I was very pleased with him, and to be honest very proud of him.”

Nicholson has had most of his horses since they were youngsters. He attributes his success to them and to his coaching team. “I have a very good show jumping coach in Luis Álvarez Cervera. He’s been a great help to me for the last four years, channeling me in the right direction,” he said. “It’s a team effort, but the major thing is the class of horses I’ve got.”

While Nicholson enjoys his third four-star win in the last year, Buck Davidson can be proud of his second USEF CCI4* Championship in five years, awarded to the highest placed U.S. rider at Rolex. Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM have had many successes, and Davidson consistently expresses how lucky he feels to ride this horse, a 13-year-old Irish gelding owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal.

“He has been amazing this weekend as he has been his whole life,” Davidson said. Entering show jumping in third place, Davidson and “Reggie” fell just one place after dropping two rails in show jumping. “But sitting up here with these two guys who are obviously unbelievable, I feel fortunate. If I’ve got to lose, these are two pretty good guys to lose to.”

Buck feels the odds are pretty good that there will be another Grand Slam winner this year, but exchanging glances with Andrew at the press conference, Fox-Pitt said honestly, “at the end of the day I think it will probably be neither of us [winning Badminton].” Michael Jung will be at Badminton, and he is a difficult man to beat in international competition. Fox-Pitt said that a lot of elements have to go right at the same time and Rolex has been had a good preparatory run.

Fox-Pitt began the Rolex competition in first place with Chilli Morning, but retired him after a refusal early on cross-country. His second horse, Catherine Witt’s 14-year-old Trakehner Seacookie TSF, rose to the occasion and moved all the way from tenth to second. The pair was one of just two in the entire field to finish on their dressage score. “He’s going to have a nice holiday. He’ll get back home next Thursday and have a good break. He’s certainly earned it.”

The other horse and rider to finish on their dressage score was Lynn Symansky and her own Donner. They were also one of four double-clear show jumping rounds, finishing fifth overall at the 10-year-old Thoroughbred’s first four-star competition. Additionally, the pair was awarded the Zeppa International Trophy for being the best turned out at the two horse inspections, and Donner was named Best Conditioned Horse.

The Rolex first-timers impressed throughout the competition, and the highest placed rookies ended up being 24-year-old Meghan O’Donoghue and her 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Pirate, finishing 12^th overall. They gained quite a following this week with Meghan’s sparkling smile and Pirate’s cat-like jumping skills.

In front of a sold out Sunday crowd, another fantastic Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event came to a close today. See full results at www.rk3de.org and please join us again next year.