In the Bluegrass State of Kentucky, equine sports are quite popular with the annual running of the Kentucky Derby, and equestrian events like the Rolex Three-Day Event, sponsored by Land Rover. Inspired by the course and obstacles riders must guide their horses through, the British automaker decided latch on to the 'eventing' bandwagon and created a challenge of their own for anyone to test their skills.

Those with a driver's license who attended the Rolex Three-Day Event in Lexington, Kentucky, just one week before the Derby, had the opportunity to test their driving skill in the Range Rover HSE on an off-road course that featured 29 obstacles that like an equestrian event, requires taking the luxury all-terrain vehicle over some difficult barriers.

Land Rover wouldn't do this if it weren't entirely sure it had a vehicle capable of handling a course as rugged as the one they set up at the Rolex Three-Day Event. Thankfully, the Range Rover HSE can accomplish the feat with its hill descent control, which slows the pace of the moving Land Rover on rocky terrain without braking, keeping the vehicle upright. There's also a finely-tuned air suspension system that is able to increase the ground clearance to get over some bumpy patches in the course.

In addition to hill descent, there's also Hill Start Assist, giving the driver the ability to confidently move their foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator without the fear of the SUV rolling backward while scaling a hill. The brake gets released after sufficient time has passed, or when enough torque is given by the engine to move the car upward.

Many of the drivers who tested out the course found themselves in unconventional angles, and probably thought they were going to roll over a brand new Land Rover. Instead, the all-wheel drive system keeps them grounded as the tires stick to the terra firma.

To learn more about Land Rover off-roading challenges like the one held at the Rolex Three-Day Event, contact us at Fred Lavery Company , or stop in to our showroom at 34602 Woodward Avenue, where we'd be happy to answer any questions, and compare different Land Rover vehicles with you.