Phillip Dutton finally got the opportunity to slip on that coveted Rolex watch after winning the Rolex Kentucky Three Day event for the first time this past weekend. Dutton riding Connaught had personally finished second at Rolex an amazing five times before, but with a perfect stadium performance Sunday he and Connaught overtook the early leader Becky Holder finishing on 41.7 penalty points to win the only **** 3 day event in Nth America. Holder on Courageous Comet who received 8 jump penalty points in show jumping  finished in second place on 47.3

Connaught is owned by Bruce Duchossois and had finished second last year with Dutton on board and with this being the horse's fourth start at the event there were many people who thought it was only a matter of time the combination were successful. Dutton also claimed tenth place on another of his favorite horses Woodburn.

Becky Holder who led the field of 43 rider-horse combinations for all of the weekend must have been disapointed to have the win slip from her grasp at the last moment. Holder was later to comment. "Finishing second to Phillip Dutton is not all bad is it?" Such is the nature of the sport and the way it is organized, winning takes skill and preparation of both horse and rider throughout the three disciplines.

With just one rail down in show jumping Missy Ransehousen and Critical Decision jumped from fourth  to third place on the final day with the final score of 57.3

In a mixed day of emotions for Stephen Bradley who had been in second place leading into Sunday on From, he received 20 jumping penalties to finish in eighth position but his other mount Brandenburg's Joshua went clear and he moved from tenth to fourth.

Kim Severson a three time winner at Rolex finished fifth, on Tipperary Liadhnan with the crowd favorite the amazing pony Theodore O'Connor ridden by Karen O'Connor coming in 6th after pulling down two rails in the showing jumping competition. The famous duo coming from as far back as 24th place after dressage on Friday.

To see the final scoring table for Rolex use this link

More information and stories can be found on the Rolex Kentucky Three Day website www.rk3de.org