land rover | Horse Racing Free Tips

Edited Press Release

The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI Five Star presented by MARS Equestrian (LRK3DE), originally cancelled for 2021, will go forward Apr. 22 through Apr. 25 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The event will take place without spectators.

“The uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic placed us in the financially impossible position of having to run the Five Star event without spectators, a situation that left us no choice but to cancel the Five Star for 2021 in order to preserve it for many years to come,” said Mike Cooper, President of EEI. “We are humbled and honored by the response of the eventing community as they've stepped up in a mind-blowing way enabling us to go forward.”

A fundraising campaign was started by athletes and fueled by the grassroots effort of the broader eventing community, generating more than $550,000 in donations to run the event.

“While that still leaves us short of the amount needed, it is enough to convince us that the balance can be raised,” added Cooper. “We are now, with the assistance of the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, committed to going forward with the Five Star.”

The post Kentucky Three-Day Event to Go Forward appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Like the vast majority of equestrian events last year, the 2020 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (LRK3DE) was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The first five-star event in North America, and one of only seven in the world, the LRK3DE has now had to postpone tickets sales for the 2021 event as the state of world health in April is still uncertain. A second cancellation of the event could lead to the end of the event and of Equestrian Events Inc. (EEI), which puts on the event.

EEI was hopeful that they could make up for some of last year's financial shortfall by hosting the 2020 American Eventing Championships (AECs) at the Kentucky Horse Park in August, but that show was also cancelled. This leaves the organization in a precarious financial position.

Though ticketholders for the 2020 LRK3DE could roll over their tickets to the 2021 event—to the tune of $900,000—a 2021 cancelation would require EEI to refund their money. EEI has received government payroll protection, an emergency disaster loan and has maxed out its line of credit, says Lee Carter, executive director of EEI. Carter says the organization is prepared to submit an application for the next round of payroll protection as soon as applications can be received.

Though the 2021 Badminton Horse Trials, held in Britain, is slated to run behind closed doors just 10 days after the LRK3DE, running without fans isn't an option for the Kentucky Three-Day. The vast majority of the event's income comes from the over 800,000 visitors who attend the event each year. The event also has a major impact on tourism in Lexington, Georgetown and surrounding cities.

EEI has produced a plan for how they intend to keep spectators and competitors safe, including limiting seating for both the dressage and show jumping phases; cross-country by its nature is socially distanced, but plans are in place for areas of the course that are notoriously crowded. The organization is awaiting a decision from both the state of Kentucky and from the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) as to if they can host the 2021 event. USEF currently has rules in place that don't permit spectators at any USEF-sanctioned competitions.

Tag: land rover

Kentucky Three-Day Event to Go Forward

Fate Of Famous Kentucky Three-Day Event Uncertain