With entries for the 2024 edition of the US five-star closing next week, it’s time to take a look at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event winners’ roll call. Riders from five different countries have taken the spoils and three riders have won the event three times, although only one has managed to achieve this feat in consecutive years, while one other rider has won it a remarkable four times.
The US’s premier horse trials, Kentucky has run at the top level since 1998, with a four-star class added that year and later upgraded to five-star in 2018 when the FEI altered the star levels across eventing.
Let’s take a look at the winners’ list…
Kentucky Three-Day Event winners, 1998 onwards
1998: Nick Larkin (New Zealand) and Red
Nick was the first of the Kentucky Three-Day Event winners after the event added a four-star class. He also represented New Zealand at the World Equestrian Games that same year with Red. The horse was a cheap purchase at around $900 and Nick arrived in the USA needing to win something to pay back the bank loan he had taken out for the trip.
1999: Karen O’Connor (USA) and Prince Panache
Karen O’Connor and Prince Panache at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Credit: Split Seconds / Alamy Stock Photo
The first home side victor, Karen is one of the greats of US eventing. She has made five Olympic appearances, winning team silver at Atlanta 1996 and team bronze at Sydney 2000, where she rode her Kentucky winner from the previous year, Prince Panache.
2000: Blyth Tait (New Zealand) and Welton Envoy
Blyth Tait and Welton Envoy at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo
Blyth is a four-time Olympian – although technically he’s ridden in six Olympic competitions as in both 1996 and 2000 he rode in both the team and individual events, which were then separated. Welton Envoy was his individual ride at the 2000 Games. Blyth won four Olympic medals including individual gold at Atlanta 1996.
2001: David O’Connor (USA) and Giltedge
David O’Connor and Giltedge at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Credit: EMPICS Sport
David won the individual Olympic gold in 2000 on Custom Made. His team ride at that Games – Giltedge – scooped a team bronze and had his moment in the sun the following year when he won Kentucky. Giltedge was also a team silver medallist at Atlanta in 1996.
2002: Kim Severson (USA) and Winsome Adante
Kim Severson and Winsome Adante at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
This pair became true heroes of the sport in the US. They won Kentucky again in 2004 and 2005, becoming the first pair to win the feature class here more than once. In addition they were individual silver and team bronze medallists at the 2004 Olympics and team gold medallists at the 2002 World Equestrian Games.
2003: Pippa Funnell (Great Britain) and Primmore’s Pride
Pippa Funnell and Primmore’s Pride in action at Burghley. Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
This was a sensational win at Kentucky – not only was it the first by a British rider, but it also kicked off Pippa’s Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing as she won Badminton Horse Trials that year on Supreme Rock and Burghley Horse Trials on Primmore’s Pride. The horse also won Badminton in 2005 – completing his own “career grand slam” – and was an Olympic individual bronze and team silver medallist at Athens 2004.
2004: Kim Severson (USA) and Winsome Adante
2004 modified division: Darren Chiacchia (USA) and Windfall 2
Darren Chiacchia and Windfall 2 at Red Hills in 2005. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
In 2004, Kentucky ran both its usual class and a “modified division” in which riders did not tackle the roads and tracks and steeplechase, as an experiment ahead of the Athens Olympics that summer running without those phases. This became the normal format for the sport not long afterwards. Windfall 2, the winner of this division, was the only stallion to win at eventing’s top level until Chilli Morning won Badminton in 2015 with William Fox-Pitt.
2005: Kim Severson (USA) and Winsome Adante
2006: Andrew Hoy (Australia) and Master Monarch
Andrew Hoy and Master Monarch at the 2006 World Equestrian Games. Credit: Split Seconds / Alamy Stock Photo
Three years after Pippa Funnell kicked off her successful Rolex Grand Slam bid at Kentucky, Andrew Hoy reignited the grand slam fever when he won Kentucky on Master Monarch and Badminton on Moonfleet. He led until the showjumping at Burghley, but 12 faults in the final phase meant he and Moonfleet ended up second behind Lucinda Fredericks on Headley Britainnia. Master Monarch was also a team bronze medallist at the Aachen World Equestrian Games (WEG) that summer.
2007: Clayton Fredericks (Australia) and Ben Along Time
Clayton Fredericks and Ben Along Time win Kentucky in 2007. Credit: Getty Images
Clayton made it two consecutive Kentucky wins for Australia when he piloted Ben Along Time to victory in 2007. The pair came to Kentucky off the back of being individual silver and team bronze medallists at the previous summer’s WEG and they went on to be Olympic team silver medallists in Hong Kong in 2008.
2008: Phillip Dutton (USA) and Connaught
Phillip Dutton and Connaught at Kentucky 2007. Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
A popular win for the home side, from the man who was the undisputed king of US eventing for many years – it took 15 years before another US rider could claim the Kentucky crown. Phillip is a six-time Olympian – he won two team golds for Australia before transferring allegiance to his adopted country – and won his first individual medal, a bronze, at the 2016 Games.
2009: Lucinda Fredericks (Australia) and Headley Britannia
Lucinda Fredericks with Headley Britannia win at Kentucky 2009. Credit: Julia Shearwood
The gutsy little mare Headley Britannia completed her “career grand slam” when she won Kentucky, after victories at Burghley 2006 and Badminton 2007. Lucinda and “Brit” were also team silver medallists at the 2008 Olympics.
2010: William Fox-Pitt (Great Britain) and Cool Mountain
William Fox-Pitt and Cool Mountain on the way to individual silver at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
The first of William’s three Kentucky wins. He and Cool Mountain returned to the site of their victory that autumn and led the Brits to team gold at the World Equestrian Games, scooping individual silver for themselves. William is the winner of a record-breaking 14 five-star titles.
2011: Mary King (Great Britain) and Kings Temptress
Mary King and Kings Temptress win Kentucky 2011. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
This was a special win for Mary because Kings Temptress was a home-bred out of her foundation mare Kings Mistress. Six-time Olympian Mary is also the only person ever to do a one-two at Kentucky as she also finished second on Fernhill Urco.
2012: William Fox-Pitt (Great Britain) and Parklane Hawk
William Fox-Pitt and Parklane Hawk win Kentucky 2012. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Victory at Kentucky marked Parklane Hawk’s second top-level win as he also took Burghley the year before on his four-star – as it was then – debut. He went on to finish third at Burghley twice and fifth at Badminton.
2013: Andrew Nicholson (New Zealand) and Quimbo
Andrew Nicholson and Quimbo win at Kentucky 2013. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Six-time Olympian Andrew’s Kentucky win set him up for a grand slam attempt at Badminton the following week – an attempt in which he went head to head with William Fox-Pitt, who had missed his chance to try for the grand slam at Badminton the year before when the event was cancelled. This meant both men were vying to win the grand slam at Badminton 2013, but in the event, neither could achieve it and victory went to Jock Paget.
2014: William Fox-Pitt (Great Britain) and Bay My Hero
William Fox-Pitt and Bay My Hero win Kentucky in 2014. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
William’s 2014 Kentucky win made him the event’s second three-time winner after Kim Severson; he is the only rider to have won the event on more than one horse. Bay My Hero went on to be a team silver medallist at the 2015 European Championships.
2015: Michael Jung (Germany) and FischerRocana FST
Michael Jung and FischerRocana FST at Kentucky 2015. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Michael’s 2015 win was the first of three in a row on the phenomenal mare FischerRocana – who was also a world and European individual silver medallist. Michael is the third rider to win Kentucky three times and the first to make those wins consecutive.
2016: Michael Jung (Germany) and FischerRocana FST
2017: Michael Jung (Germany) and FischerRocana FST
2018: Oliver Townend (Great Britain) and Cooley Master Class
Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class at Kentucky 2018. Credit: Getty Images
Oliver’s first Kentucky win in 2018 gave him a crack at the Rolex Grand Slam as he had also won Burghley 2017 on Ballaghmor Class. He came close at Badminton, but not quite close enough with second on Cooley SRS and fifth on Ballaghmor Class. Oliver and Cooley Master Class returned to Kentucky to retain their title the following year.
2019: Oliver Townend (Great Britain) and Cooley Master Class
The 2020 Kentucky Three-Day Event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
2021: Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class
Although it seemed as if much went against Oliver Townend during his time at the 2021 event, nothing – not a disappointing dressage test, a lost shoe in a rainstorm on a difficult cross-country trip, or the letdown of having a mount spun in the horse inspection– could stand in the way of topping the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, his third consecutive victory in the five-star at the Kentucky Horse Park.
2022: Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH
Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH at Kentucky 2022.
Michael Jung set a new record score at five-star level when he finished on his dressage mark of 20.1 to top the 2022 event on FischerChipmunk FRH.
Michael has now won Kentucky four times in total – as well as the 2010 World Championships at the venue – and said: “I’m so happy to have this horse to bring me back to Kentucky. It’s a special moment and it’s made so much better by having spectators here.”
2023: Tamie Smith and Mai Baum
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum win Kentucky 2023.
Tamie ended a long drought for the home side when she took top spot on the beautiful Mai Baum.
“All of us have been rooting for an American to win Kentucky for a long time and we’ve been close a few times. I’m so happy an American won because I’m so tired of the Europeans coming over here and taking our national championship and I’m so grateful it was me,” said Tamie, who did not ride in her first international event until she was 32.
“I think everybody is elated for me but we all have our own struggles in this sport, we all have our ups and downs. You picture the iceberg, you see the tip poking out, but the bottom is massive. You have a lot of struggle, a lot of heartbreak in this sport, but I think you do in anything that’s great. I think everybody just felt the same emotion I’m feeling right now, just elated.
“In this sport you take a beating and the resilient ones just keep coming back for more and you hope one day it pays off and today it did. I’m honoured, elated, so excited and I’m a bit speechless, honestly.”
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