Phillip Dutton finally got the opportunity to slip on that coveted Rolex watch after winning the Rolex Kentucky Three Day event for the first time this past weekend. Dutton riding Connaught had personally finished second at Rolex an amazing five times before, but with a perfect stadium performance Sunday he and Connaught overtook the early leader Becky Holder finishing on 41.7 penalty points to win the only **** 3 day event in Nth America. Holder on Courageous Comet who received 8 jump penalty points in show jumping  finished in second place on 47.3

Connaught is owned by Bruce Duchossois and had finished second last year with Dutton on board and with this being the horse's fourth start at the event there were many people who thought it was only a matter of time the combination were successful. Dutton also claimed tenth place on another of his favorite horses Woodburn.

"This will be the most people we will ever ride in front of," said Melanie Smith Taylor to Beezie Madden as they rode down Colorado Avenue in the 119th Rose Parade on New Year's Day in Pasadena, California, as part of the 12-member all-Olympian squad representing the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation.

Indeed, more than a million spectators lined the five-and-a-half mile route for the two-hour parade that featured floats, marching bands, and 300 horses, including for the first time in history, a squad representing the U.S. Equestrian Team.

The USEF Executive Committee on February 20, approved several extraordinary rule changes to be effective immediately to Cross Country and also Stadium.

EV141.1.a Cross-country Scoring

1. FAULTS AT OBSTACLES:
A. Disobediences

1) First refusal run-out or circle 20 penalties
2) Second refusal, run-out or circle at the same obstacle 40 penalties
3) Third refusal, run-out or circle at the same obstacle Elimination
4) Fourth penalized disobedience on the entire course Elimination

Why not talk about this Rule Change on the new forum or read more on other changes to Stadium as well...!!!! 

Well "Crikey" a famous Aussie once said. Dual Olympic Team Gold medalist Phillip Dutton has notified the Equestrian Federation of Australia that he plans to change nationality in order to ride for the United States. The news is the biggest in our sport in 2006 and huge shot in the arm for Eventing in the USA. Dutton is one of the world's most experienced international Eventing competitors having competed in four World Championships and three Olympic Games since his debut in 1994.

Dutton was part of Australia’s gold medal winning Eventing teams at the Atlanta and Sydney Olympics. He even had the honor of being flag bearer for the Australian team at this year’s World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Dutton moved to the USA in 1991 and with his American wife and three daughters lives in Avondale, Pennsylvania.

“I would like to thank the EFA for everything they have done for me and my career as a Three-Day Event rider,” Dutton has said. “It has been an honor to be a member of the Equestrian Federation of Australia and to represent Australia internationally for the past 12 years. Please know that Australia and the EFA will always be in my heart as I move forward in this new chapter of my life,” he wrote in a letter to the EFA.

The American Eventing Championships have certainly become one of the premier events for the countries Eventers over the past two years. This year it continues to grow with the inclusion of the Beginner Novice division at the championships on September 20th-24th at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, NC.