Posted, Saturday, April 29, 2006

Courageous Comet and Becky Holder Streak to Lead after Cross Country At Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** Presented by Farnam

A jubilant Becky Holder of Mendota Heights, MN, streaked back into the lead with Courageous Comet Saturday after the challenging course at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** Presented by Farnam proved to be too much for the three overnight leaders.

"I feel like Cinderella at the ball," Holder said. "I keep waiting for the carriage to turn into a pumpkin."
A record number of spectators - 37,240 - clustered around the beautifully landscaped jumping complexes at the Kentucky Horse Park, moving from jump to jump much like a gallery at a golf tournament.

"I tried to pretend that nobody was watching," Holder said, talking about her strategy on course. "It was hard when I could barely see the galloping lanes for all the spectators."

With more twists and turns than was in the cross country course, the standings changed dramatically as many of the leaders withdrew, retired or were eliminated. Holder, who had led briefly with a score of 43.7 in dressage on Thursday, had dropped to fourth place Friday behind Darren Chiacchia (Windfall II), Kim Severson (Royal Venture) and Mara Dean (Nicki Henley) when the dressage phase ended. But her faultless round Saturday as she blazed around the Kentucky Horse Park course without any time or penalty points moved her back into first place when Chiacchia, Severson and Dean each retired or were eliminated.

Holder said she held "the pedal to the metal" on the course. Only 12 of the
37 riders who completed the almost four-mile course with approximately 47 jumps made the optimum time of 11:14.

"At the four-minute marker, he clicked into gear and turned it on," Holder said of her husband's gray Thoroughbred. "You had to save quite a bit of horse so you could gallop at the end. My husband, Tom, keeps asking me if I know the answer to 'What's the most important fence on the course, Becky?'
The answer is 'The next one!'"

This is Holder's second attempt to compete at Rolex. She was forced to withdraw in 2004 when Courageous Comet developed foot trouble.