Blyth Tait wins Rolex Three-Day Event

The dream ride for Kimberly Vinoski and Over the Limit at the Rolex Three-Day Event in Lexington, Kentucky, came to an end today with one jump to go.

Vinoski and her horse, the leaders after the completion of dressage and cross country stages who were competing for the first time at the four-star level, dropped a rail at the end of a combination in stadium jumping. That gave reigning Olympic and World Champion Blyth Tait of New Zealand and Welton Envoy the win.

"I thought it was pretty fabulous," Vinoski said of the decisive ride. "I don't think he did anything wrong or I did anything wrong. I thought it was great.

"But you're at the end of the course and you've gone clean, and things start racing through your head and maybe you get a little ahead of yourself."

A loud groan from the crowd after the dropped rail appeared to startle Over the Limit, but the 12-year-old former racehorse regained his composure to jump the remaining fence cleanly. The pair dropped to fourth with a final score of 44.20.

Tait, 39, and Welton Envoy had a clear round and no time faults for a final score of 39.40. It also was a dream of sorts for Welton Envoy, one of Tait's less-experienced horses who also had never competed at the four-star level.

James Wofford, a two-time Rolex winner who handicapped the event for The Chronicle of the Horse, had said "if Blyth is ever content with a minor placing, this might be it."

But Tait said he knew Welton Envoy, a 13-year-old bay thoroughbred, had the ability.

"I'm just thrilled to bits with the horse," Tait said.

Olympic silver medalist David O'Connor with Rattle N Hum and his wife Karen O'Connor with Prince Panache took second and third place, respectively. David O'Connor and Rattle N Hum, a 9-year-old thoroughbred with an impressive record at lower levels competing for the first time in the four-star, finished with 39.80.

Karen O'Connor, a member of the 1996 silver-medal team who won this event last year with the same horse, finished with 42.60. Both had clean rounds, but David O'Connor racked up two time faults. He placed sixth on his other mount, Custom Made.

The competition will help determine the US team for the Sydney Olympics later this summer. The team will be selected in May.