NBC Sports to Feature Live Telecast of Rolex Equestrian Championships Presented by Land Rover

Lexington, KY- Mark your calendar, plan the party and get the big screen ready! For the first time in its history, the Rolex Equestrian Championships presented by Land Rover will air LIVE on NBC Sports, Sunday, May 1, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT.
 
With the support of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and Equestrian Events, Inc., organizer of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, NBC Sports will broadcast the final show jumping rounds LIVE, alongside taped highlights of the dressage and cross-country phases. One of the world's most prestigious equestrian competitions and America's only CCI4*, Rolex Kentucky returns to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, April 28-May 1. The event attracts tens of thousands of spectators and millions of viewers on telecasts worldwide.
 
"Those final rounds during show jumping are full of suspense and excitement - you just never know when rails will fall," said Lisa Ball, President of Equestrian Events, Inc. "We are thrilled that fans across the nation will be able to share in that excitement along with the thousands of fans here at the Kentucky Horse Park."
 
The 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event will crown the 14th USEF National CCI4* Champion, and is the only North American leg of the HSBC FEI ClassicsTM  Series. The world's best horses and riders will compete for their share of $250,000 in prize money as well as a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing which is awarded to any rider who wins Rolex Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley, consecutively. (The term "consecutively" shall not be limited to wins which occur within the same competition year or same calendar year.)
 
Past winners of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event include United States Olympic Medalists David and Karen O'Connor, Kim Severson and Phillip Dutton, New Zealand's Blyth Tait and Nick Larkin, Pippa Funnell and William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain and Andrew Hoy, Clayton Fredericks and Lucinda Fredericks of Australia.
 
To find out more about tailgating and ticketing packages available for the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, visit www.rk3de.org. Tickets may be ordered online, or by printing the ticket order form from the website and returning it via mail or fax 859-254-5116 to Equestrian Events, Inc. Tickets may also be ordered by calling 859-254-8123. Advance ticket sales close on April 10!
 
ENDS
 
Equestrian Events, Inc., (EEI) is a non-profit charitable Kentucky corporation that was established initially to produce the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park.  Following the success of those championships, EEI established an annual event which quickly evolved into what is today the only four star three-day event in the Western Hemisphere, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone.

Universal Sports, NBC Sports and UniversalSports.com to cover more than 80 hours of 2010 World Equestrian Games

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: September 23, 2010

LEXINGTON, KY—1 Day to Go--When the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games officially begin on Saturday, Kentuckians will have the opportunity to witness the pageantry and excitement of the opening ceremonies as most of the state’s NBC affiliates broadcast the event live from 7:00–9:00 p.m. EST Saturday.

The following Kentucky NBC affiliates will be carrying the live show:

• WLEX, Lexington
• WAVE, Louisville
• WLWT, Cincinnati
• WNKY, Bowling Green
• WPSD, Paducah
• WFIE, Evansville (Indiana)

The broadcast will be produced by Carr-Hughes Productions, the official host broadcaster of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Heading up the production will be five-time Emmy winner Jim Carr, 20-year Olympic veteran Bob Hughes and acclaimed director Brian Douglas, who led the complete broadcast production of two Olympics. The show will be hosted by Nancy Cox and Kevin Christopher of WLEX – Lexington.

The opening ceremonies will see a cast of nearly 1,500 people, ages 8 to 80, joining almost 200 horses from around the world for a celebration of dreams that will play tribute to the Games’ American debut. With scenes of the prairie, Broadway, the Wild West, and the Deep South, the show will journey through the history of horses and man as well as iconic moments in U.S. history and culture.

Forty different acts will be featured, including Kentuckian Wynonna Judd; opera stars Denyce Graves, Cynthia Lawrence and Ronan Tynan; Sara Lee Guthrie; Cherryholmes; and Jazz at Lincoln Center among other notables. World-renowned boxing legend, humanitarian, global icon and Kentucky native Muhammad Ali will also be making a special appearance.

Along with the opening ceremonies, the broadcast will also include regional features and a special preview of the coming events as eight world championships are contested over the following 15 days.

“The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be an epic moment in the Commonwealth’s history. Never before has an international sporting event of this magnitude come to our Bluegrass,” said Terry Johnson, vice president of marketing and sponsorship for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. “We are delighted that NBC affiliates throughout the state have partnered to bring the show to Kentuckians.”

Opening ceremony tickets are still available but selling quickly. Experience it in person by securing your tickets today at www.alltechfeigames.com/ticketsor 1-888-934-2010.

An opening ceremonies mobile app is also now available for $0.99 download.