Former racehorse wins Rolex Three-Day Event

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Thoroughbred former racehorse, Parklane Hawk, won the prestigious Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Sunday at Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park.

The event, which combines dressage, cross-country jumping, and showjumping, is the only annual three-day event in the Western Hemisphere to receive a four-star designation. It also featured selection trials to choose the United States three-day eventing team for this year’s Olympic Games in London. There were 21 off-track Thoroughbreds slated to take plart in the event.

Now owned by Catherine Witt and ridden by Britain’s William Fox-Pitt, Parklane Hawk formerly raced in New Zealand as Park Lane. The Grosvenor gelding, now 11, made 19 starts, including six over hurdles and steeplechase fences. He never won but finished third twice, fourth once, and fifth twice, earning $1,875.

Parklane Hawk is out of the Brilliant Invader mare Deebee Lady and is a half-brother to New Zealand Group 1 winner Deebee Belle and Australian and New Zealand Group 1-placed Miss Maren.