Andrew Hoy of Australia made up for last year’s disappointment, when Moonfleet came to a crashing fall on cross-country, by taking control of the Rolex Kentucky CCI in the final moments. Coming into show jumping in sixth place, he and Master Monarch, who finished third at Badminton (England) last year, jumped the clean round that eluded so many of the top horses.

“It’s not too often you come from 15th after dressage to actually win a four-star,” said Hoy, who first competed at the Kentucky Horse Park 28 years ago. “I felt after dressage, all I can do is finish on my dressage score and see where that is. To go home a winner is very special.”

Unfortunately, overnight leaders Becky Holder and Courageous Comet took down the liverpool rail early on Richard Jeffrey’s course, almost slipping as they turned on landing, and the next two fences also fell, as did the brick wall, to drop the promising pair to 13th overall.

Polly Stockton of Great Britain had taken the pressure off Holder a bit when Tom Quigley came sliding to a stop at the third fence and also pulled a rail. They ended up seventh.

Heidi White finished second, and as the top U.S. rider won the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s Three-Day Pinnacle trophy on Northern Spy, despite dropping the vertical before the triple and the final fence. She said they were trying a hackamore.

“He’s so well broke, but I just had to get in there and get in his way,” she said. “I’m disappointed in the rails, but I can’t imagine ever being second, especially to Andrew Hoy. This is the highest place I’ve ever gone into the ring in a four-star, and now I have that experience behind me.”

Jessica Heidemann, who had been standing in fourth place overnight with French Twist, entered the ring just as the rain started to fall, and when they pulled five rails, including the white gate at fence 3, the double at fence 4, the oxer at fence 5 and the final fence of the triple, they fell to 15th.

Will Faudree, on the other hand, produced one of Antigua’s best rounds ever, leaving all the jumps up and incurring just 2 time penalties to finish sixth.

Stephen Bradley and Brandenburg’s Joshua moved up from 22nd after dressage to third place with a flowing forward, double-clear show jumping round. He attributed many of the other riders’ rails to inexperience in the final phase of a four-star: “That’s part of learning as a competitor how to warm a horse up when they’re a little sore, and the only way to learn is to go out and do it. A lot of [the riders] were at their first four-star, and they have to gain that knowledge that some of us already have.”

In addition to Hoy’s win, he also took ninth place aboard Yeoman’s Point, and Phillip Dutton jumped two clear rounds for Australia to finish fourth on Connaught and 22nd on Amazing Odyssey. And their young compatriot, Boyd Martin, was 11th with Ying Yang Yo, while Emily Anker was 18th on Balmoral Cavalier. Now Hoy will head to Badminton, where he will have two horses to ride in pursuit of the second leg of the Rolex Grand Slam. Unfortunately, his wife Bettina wasn’t able to be in Kentucky. Although she’d had a ticket, they decided just a day or two before she was to leave that there was too much to be done, and she is preparing his horses for Badminton while he is gone.

Sara Mittleider won the Courtney Reeves Trophy as the top young rider as well as the Best-Conditioned Horse Trophy, and Heidi White won the Bank One trophy as the top owner-rider. Ashley MacVaugh earned the Zeppa International Trophy for the best presentation at the horse inspections.

Attendance at the event was a 15-year high: 90,740 spectators for the weekend.

Final Standings
1. Master Monarch, Andrew Hoy, 53.1
2. Northern Spy, Heidi White, 57.4
3. Brandenburg’s Joshua, Stephen Bradley, 59.7
4. Connaught, Phillip Dutton, 59.8
5. Woodstock, Amy Tryon, 60.1
6. Antigua, Will Faudree, 60.2
7. Tom Quigley, Polly Stockton, 62.2
8. West Farthing, Nathalie Bouckaert Pollard, 63.0
9. Yeoman’s Point, Andrew Hoy, 63.8
10. Sloopy, John Williams, 63.8
11. Ying Yang Yo, Boyd Martin, 64.2
12. Upstage, Karen O’Connor, 67.0
13. Courageous Comet, Becky Holder, 67.7
14. El Primero, Sara Mittleider, 69.4
15. French Twist, Jessica Heidemann, 70.6
16. Esker Riada, Werner Geven, 75.3
17. Call Me Clifton, Donna Smith, 78.2
18. Balmoral Cavalier, Emily Anker, 79.6
19. Mahogany Chief, Emma Winter, 81.2
20. All’s Fair, Ashley MacVaugh, 83.9