Latest from Horse & Hound in Kentucky-three-day-event

‘I needed help to get out of bed’ – Tim Price’s story of riding through Kentucky and Badminton with a broken collarbone

Pippa Roome — Sun, 31 May 2026 15:05:29 +0000

“It was proper throw up sort of material… on the Sunday morning of Kentucky, I needed help to get out of bed,” says Tim Price as he describes the pain of pushing through riding at two five-stars this spring with a broken collarbone.

The accident happened on the Saturday before Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event week, when Tim was competing four four-star horses at Oudkarspel in the Netherlands, with the intention of giving them a little warm-up run before he headed away for a couple of weeks.

“I was coming back from buying some studs, just before I was about to hop on my first horse for cross-country,” says Tim, who discussed what happened on the current episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, sponsored by Leader Equine.

“I was biking back in all of my cross-country kit and the bag of studs was hanging on my handlebars. It swung out and caught around one of those temporary fences and just yanked the handlebars to the left.”

Badminton final scores

Tim continues: “The bike and I went down very quickly onto my right shoulder and I knew straight away, rolling around on the ground, crunch, crunch, and a lot of pain – and I could not believe what just happened.

“I do some silly things to hurt myself, not always off a horse, just some silly moments – perhaps when I was a bit younger – but this was just a total accident and a very untimely one.”

Tim’s two rides for Kentucky, Global Quest and Vitali, had landed in the USA 24 hours earlier.

“You have so many quids in when you’ve got horses in America, I just felt like I needed to do what I could do to get there,” says Tim.

“That involved sweet talking the local hospital to get me into surgery that Saturday night, to get a plate or two put in my clavicle to give it some strength. He was a really, really switched-on surgeon who understood what I was trying to achieve when I told him that I need to get on a plane the next day – which actually became the day after to give a bit of time after surgery.”

Tim was halfway round the Kentucky cross-country course on his first horse Global Quest, at Pete’s Hollow (fence14abc) at the top of the course, when the fix to his collarbone came apart.

“It was quite a moment on the course when it did happen – it was a fantastic sparkling sensation of pain,” says Tim.

Somehow, Tim managed to get home on Global Question, pilot Vitali round the cross-country clear with a few time-faults and showjump both horses on Sunday “basically with a broken collarbone because the two plates were rattling in there and so were the bones”.

He says: “It’s not something I ever want to repeat, that kind of feeling. I know childbirth is a very difficult thing for women but I reckon this is possibly up there in the pain department.

“It was terrible. It was a little bit mind over matter. It all happened so quick – the injury and then getting to America and then getting on with it. I just tried to tough it out – there’s only a certain amount of painkillers you can take through a competition, of course, and I just wanted to be normal, whereas by Sunday I wasn’t normal anymore.

“I had to be very soft in my contact and both horses showjumped clear, including Vitali’s first ever showjumping clear at five-star level, so that was interesting – there were some learnings to take away from it.”

Tim Price: a second collarbone surgery

Tim returned to the UK after Kentucky, but ended up going back to the same surgeon in the Netherlands for his second operation.

“It was a bit hard to convince the NHS to put me back on the road with the purpose of going to another big event so I went back to the guy that was already invested,” he says.

“We swapped WhatsApp numbers and he stayed in touch with me out in the US and I told him, ‘Look, I think it’s falling apart’, and he said, ‘Well, I can fit you in for surgery on Monday of Badminton week.’

“So off I trundle back over there, and he took those two plates out and had been conjuring up another plan – fortunately he’s a man for whom the more complex the surgery, the better and so he revelled in the challenge.

“He put me in a different plate set-up with a wire that pulls the plate down. It sounds all a bit funky in there and I can’t wait to get it out one day when it’s all healed.”

Tim Price and Falco on the way to second at Badminton 2026. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Tim rode “another very old friend”, Falco, at Mars Badminton Horse Trials and said he “tippy toed” into the week, prepared to withdraw if it wasn’t possible and riding with his weakened shoulder front of mind this time.

“I cross-country schooled him before I went for the surgery, which wasn’t so comfortable, but I went and I rode him softly in the rein, just asking him, ‘Are you okay with this kind of feeling?’ And he seemed to be really good and he filled me with a lot of confidence that this was the right thing for him, so then we just needed to work out if it was the right thing for me.”

Wearing a good supporting vest to keep his shoulder in position, Tim managed to ride through Badminton week, keeping his shoulder plate in place, and finished second.

Hear more about what led to Vitali’s incredible showjumping clear and find out all about Badminton runner-up Falco losing his top front teeth on episode 177 of The Horse & Hound Podcast.

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‘Riders’ focus on their horses’ body health is a positive step,’ says Pippa Roome after Kentucky Three-Day Event

Pippa Roome — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:32:38 +0000

H&H’s eventing editor Pippa Roome shares her thoughts on dressage prep and how young riders develop in eventing

I noticed at Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event how many riders said they had been taking a “less is more” approach to dressage and focusing on what Tim Price called “body health”.

Asked what he’s been working on with the 16-year-old Vitali, second after this phase, he said: “I don’t drill my horses. I don’t target one-day events. He’s a sound horse, touch wood, and he looks really good through his body. As horses get older, I think that’s important, because he’s proven time and again that he gives you what he’s got to give.

“It’s my job to ask the right questions and to have him in a place where he feels strong and ready, so he has the ability to answer the questions; they’ve got to be fair questions.”

Dressage leader Monica Spencer said of her build-up with 15-year-old Artist: “I’m getting braver with my warm-ups – just letting him stay loose and soft and trusting that when I get in there, I can get that competition frame. I’m learning to believe I don’t need to practise, so I can keep him fresh and just go out there and push the button.”

Monica added she does her dressage sessions early in event week, then rides in a jumping saddle.

“We go out little and often, twice a day, to keep him fresh in his body, not tired in those dressage muscles, so that he can do his best,” she said.

I wonder if this is a result of horses lasting longer, now our three-days are without roads and tracks and steeplechase, so they spend more years at the top level and become more established. Once they know the movements and have an established way of going, the focus moves to keeping them well.

Whatever the reason, it’s great from a horse welfare and social licence point of view.

Dumbing down or bridging a gap?

The way we develop younger riders has taken a new turn this year with the introduction of the under-25 World Championships, at CCI4*-S. This year it’s in Millstreet, Ireland, and in 2027, at Cornbury.

Part of me understands it’s useful to bridge the chasm between young riders at CCI3*-L (it used to be CCI4*-L) and senior championships, where those participants are among riders of vast experience competing at CCI4*-L or a hybrid CCI4*-L–CCI5* level.

The counter argument is that if the under-25 championship becomes prestigious, it will, over time, encourage some to hold back at CCI4*-S – and to choose and train horses with that event in mind – for a shot at those medals, rather than pushing on and gaining experience at five-star. However, the effect of the dumbing down of youth sport on five-star entries is another topic!

Yasmin Ingham was senior world champion at 25 years old. Zara Tindall held that title at 25. If you’re good enough to play outside the gilded underage cage, you’re old enough.

We’ve just seen Isabelle Cook, 21, finish seventh in a hot CCI4*-S in Kentucky with Cymoon “F” Z. It’s likely she will prioritise her final year in young riders, with her prolific youth medallist Mexican Law, over the under-25s; riders cannot compete in juniors or young riders and the under-25 worlds in the same year.

Meanwhile in Australia, Oliver Barrett, 22, has just won Adelaide CCI5* and is targeting the senior World Championships in Aachen.

While the USA plan to send a team to the under-25 worlds and I expect many European nations will too, I don’t necessarily foresee Australia or New Zealand doing so.

A rider can do both the under-25 worlds and a senior championship in the same year, but definite entries for the seniors close the day after Millstreet ends so it’s tight. But Australia could send Oliver and Sandhills Briar to the northern hemisphere for the under-25 worlds and then, if that goes well, to join the seniors in Aachen.

● What route do you think young riders should take? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance to have your thoughts published in a future issue of Horse & Hound magazine

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‘He was absolutely mega’: podium finish for British rider at Kentucky

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‘I want to end on a high’: 19-year-old horse with unique style to retire after 11 five-star runs

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Harry Meade on dramatic Kentucky moment: ‘I saw the fishes and tried my hardest not to join them’

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‘He was absolutely mega’: podium finish for British rider at Kentucky

Pippa Roome — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:21:40 +0000

David Doel achieved another five-star podium finish with Galileo Nieuwmoed when he finished third at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event today (26 April).

The British pair jumped clear to finish on their dressage score, moving up from fourth after cross-country, and David described the 15-year-old’s performance as “absolutely mega, fantastic”.

“He jumped super in here three years ago when he came and I thought he actually jumped better again today,” said David.

“It was a little bit too forwards at times, but we knew the time was tight and I was absolutely dead chuffed with that.”

David commented that Galileo, who belongs to his rider, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas, loves coming to the USA, prompting a question about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“He might be a bit old for that, but we’ll try and keep troubling the selectors,” said David.

“We’ve had an amazing time here once again, everyone has looked after us so well and we’ve been made to feel so welcome.”

This is David Doel and Galileo’s ninth top-15 five-star finish and their third podium – they were second at Burghley Horse Trials in 2023 and third at Maryland 5 Star in 2024 – as well as their second strong Kentucky Three-Day Event result after eighth in 2023.

Britain had another top-five finisher in Tom McEwen, whose ride Brookfield Quality – owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn – jumped spectacularly for a clear today to move up from sixth to fifth.

It hasn’t quite been Harry Meade’s weekend here in Kentucky and Superstition, who belongs to his rider and Mandy Gray, had the oxer in the middle of the treble at 9b and the final upright down. The pair dropped from eighth to 12th.

Tom Jackson’s clear with Ruth McMullen and Mary Harris’s Plot Twist B elevated him from 16th to 15th.

Will Coleman scored his first five-star win today, jumping clear on Diabolo to land the title.

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‘I think winning a five-star is one of the hardest things to do in equestrian sports’: milestone win at Kentucky

Pippa Roome — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:11:13 +0000

Will Coleman topped the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event results today (26 April) when he showjumped clear to win his first five-star.

The US rider and the syndicate-owned Diabolo were sitting second after cross-country but moved up when overnight leader Monica Spencer had three showjumps down and 2.4 time-faults with Artist.

“I’m just really proud of my horse and happy for all the people that are part of my life and part of this horse and part of what I do, with [my wife] Katie and our staff and my family. It feels like a big village, sharing in this, so I think that’s the most satisfying part, if I’m being honest, but it’s pretty cool,” said Will.

“I think winning a five-star is every event rider’s dream. I think it’s one of the hardest things to do in equestrian sports. I have so much respect for the sport, for how difficult it is. I feel like we all deserve to win because of how hard it is sometimes and I just feel really blessed that it was me this week.”

Will had a busy morning riding in the CCI4*-S, so he didn’t have time to ride Diabolo, as he usually would.

“But I rode him at lunchtime, around 1pm, and it just felt like he knew what today was all about, so I had a lot of confidence going in there. I really just wanted to focus on staying present and enjoying the moment and trusting my horse, and I think we did that,” said Will.

Will is the first US winner of Kentucky since Tamie Smith in 2023 and the US doubled down when Caroline Pamukcu took second on Blake.

She too showjumped clear on the 11-year-old owned by Mollie Hoff, rider’s mother Sherrie Martin, rider and her husband Deniz.

Caroline said: “Blake’s been with me every step of the way for every big milestone – being top 10 in the young horse World Championships at Le Lion was a special moment, winning the young event horse class, winning the Pan American Games at my first real senior championship.

“He was there for me at my first Olympics and now another good top-five placing at five-star. It’s unreal. I’m hoping that this will be our staple moment, that I’ve kind of proved myself to be a proper rider now I’ve done a good five-star, and I can keep improving and keep producing more horses.

“I’m really proud of HSH Tolan King [14th] too – he’s quite green, a little bit rogue, and he really did each phase super well. I only want Blake to outshine him!”

Britain’s David Doel finished third with Galileo Nieuwmoed.

Kentucky Three-Day Event results: Spencer drops to seventh

While there was joy for the top three, there was devastation for New Zealand’s Monica Spencer. She started showjumping with a fence in hand, but used that up early when Artist clattered fence four. Two more fences came down and with 2.4 time-penalties as well, she dropped to seventh.

Let’s hope, for Monica’s sake, that Artist is not the sport’s new Vitali – Tim Price’s lovely horse who has such a consistent record at five-star but has never quite managed to win one, with showjumping his Achilles’ heel. This is the second five-star in a row that the thoroughbred Artist has lost in the final phase.

Vitali himself jumped his first five-star clear today – cross-country time-faults have been his downfall this weekend instead – and moved up from fifth to fourth. This is his ninth top-10 placing at five-star, from nine starts.

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Tina Cook’s daughter Isabelle secures top 10 finish at Kentucky: ‘The event has had a championship feel’

Pippa Roome — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 17:56:29 +0000

Isabelle Cook finished seventh in the competitive Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S at Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event today (26 April), moving up one rung from eighth after cross-country.

The 21-year-old piloted her mother Tina Cook and Jim Chromiak’s Cymoon “F” Z round the showjumping with just one fence down, the front rail of the oxer out of the Mars double at fence four. The pair also had 1.6 time-faults.

“I’m really pleased. It was a big atmosphere in there – definitely the most crowds I’ve ever jumped in front of,” said Isabelle. “He jumped really well and tried very hard.

“The one down was slightly my fault. I had the line to the double I wanted to keep quite tight, but also get straight and I had a good shot going in, and he just made up quite a lot of ground on the one stride.

“I think my body came forward a bit soon and I should have just stayed sitting up for a split second longer to have helped him. I think I just went to go forward and turn a little bit over the fence, and he just touched it very lightly behind.”

The time was very influential today too – of the 31 pairs who showjumped, only winner Tamie Smith (Lillet 3) finished inside the target.

“He’s a quick horse, so I thought I could make the most of that and move around and he’s very careful,” said Isabelle.

Isabelle Cook competed at the Kentucky Three-Day Event as part of a three-strong squad sponsored by a new initiative called Rising Lions, which aims to give young British riders experience overseas.

“It’s been an amazing experience. The crowds cross-country were really cheering you on, really supportive. The crowds here were amazing the whole week,” said Isabelle.

“Running alongside the five-star really gives you that sort of championship feel almost. And being abroad for us has been a really great experience and watching the five-star as well, of course.”

Isabelle’s fellow “Rising Lion” Elizabeth Barratt had four jumping faults and four time-faults, with Barratt Eventing’s Chaman Dumontceau, to finish 28th.

The third member of the squad, Finn Healy with Greannanstown Monbeg Joe, was eliminated for a fall on the cross-country yesterday.

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‘I want to end on a high’: 19-year-old horse with unique style to retire after 11 five-star runs

Pippa Roome — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 15:29:03 +0000

Emily Hamel’s ride Corvett will retire from top-level eventing today after the showjumping at Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (26 April).

The big-jumping grey owned by Black Flag Option LLC celebrates his 19th birthday today and, all being well in the final phase, will complete his 11th five-star this afternoon. The pair are in the elite group of combinations who have completed all the northern hemisphere five-stars.

“He’s great and I want to end on a high,” said Emily after her clear jumping round across country yesterday with the horse known as Barry.

“Corvett won’t fully retire — he would hate that – but he’ll do something else, like some showcases. Maybe I’ll go do the jumpers [showjumping].”

Emily and Corvett had four time-faults yesterday and sit 11th going into showjumping.

“He used to be even more fresh, which had its moments, but it’s a little easier to have discussions with him now,” she said. “And he really understands the game, so it’s fun. He knows to look for the flags and even if it gets a little sticky, he’s going fight to get out.

“I was trying for the time but it’s hard out there and we do waste a little time in the air.”

Emily said she may be “a complete mess” at the end of showjumping today.

“My whole thing this weekend was to enjoy the ride, knowing that this is our last one,” she said. “So I was just trying to take it all in while we were going round the cross-country and it really did feel like everything slowed down.

“I could hear people, say, ‘Go Barry’ and it was just really, really cool.”

Emily and Corvett have jumped clear across country in eight of their 11 five-star runs.

Last year at Kentucky, the rider had to perform an incredible save to stay on in the showjumping when one of Barry’s helicopter leaps when stratospheric.

Five-star tally for Emily Hamel and Corvett

2021: Kentucky, 21st
2021: Maryland, 14th
2022: Badminton, 52nd
2022: Burghley, 2oth
2023: Kentucky, 10th
2023: Maryland, 11th
2024: Luhmühlen, 15th
2024: Maryland, seventh
2025: Kentucky, 12th
2025: Pau, 14th
2026: Kentucky – the pair will hopefully complete their 11th five-star this afternoon
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One horse held at Kentucky final trot-up, plus one British horse withdrawn

Pippa Roome — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 14:31:07 +0000

World number one Harry Meade withdrew one of his rides, Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht, before the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event final trot-up this morning (26 April).

“Grafennacht felt brilliant in the cross-country yesterday – she breezed around the course and finished full of running with her ears pricked. Unfortunately she pulled off a front shoe early on course, and despite pulling up well she’s a little footsore this morning so I made the decision not to present at the final horse inspection,” said British rider Harry.

Harry and Grafennacht had been equal 11th overnight, having added 11.6 time-faults yesterday to a 28.9 dressage score.

Harry added: “It’s obviously disappointing to pull her out but the horse has to come first. Huge thanks to Jess [Errington, Harry’s head groom] and the team for all their hard work looking after both horses. Grafennacht’s very bright and perky this morning and I’m sorry for her that she won’t have a chance to jump today, but there’s always another day.”

Harry trotted up his own and Mandy Gray’s Superstition, who lies eighth, and they will progress to showjumping.

Jennie Brannigan’s ride FE Lifestyle, owned by Nina and Timothy Gardner, was sent to the holding box at the Kentucky Three-Day Event final trot-up, but passed on re-inspection. “Foxy” was trotted up by Phillip Dutton because Jennie suffered a bad ankle injury last autumn so it is very painful for her to run.

Experienced combination Jennie and FE Lifestyle are 12th going into showjumping.

Twenty-three five-star pairs came before the ground jury – New Zealand’s Andrew Bennie, the USA’s Valerie Pride and Finland’s Seppo Laine – this morning. Four horses retired and one was eliminated on the cross-country yesterday.

Alexander Conrad was asked to trot Malibu Preacher – who let fly a series of bucks at the first trot-up – again on a looser rein and he was then passed.

Tim Price’s two rides, Vitalil and Global Quest, were trotted up by Brazilian Olympian Carlos Parro because Tim is carrying a shoulder injury after falling off a bicycle at an event in the Netherlands last weekend.

There as a moment of humour at the inspection when the home side’s Kentucky first-timer Braden Speck dropped his phone on the strip while presenting BSF Liam.

“Do we have a problem? Big problem – millennial drops his phone,” joked announcer Hugh Lochore, as veterinary delegate Debbie Williamson ran to retrieve it.

Kentucky Three-Day Event final trot-up: CCI4*-S

The horses in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S were trotted up this morning before those in the CCI5*.

Because the horses from Europe are always presented first in Kentucky to keep them separate from the North American horses, for biosecurity reasons, Britain’s two “Rising Lions”, Isabelle Cook with Cymoon “F” Z and Elizabeth Barratt with Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau, were first forward. Both passed without issues.

Alexandra Knowles withdrew her ride P.S. I Love You, 12th overnight, after he was sent to the holding box.

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Politeness and power combine as thoroughbred leads Kentucky after cross-country: ‘He’s a champion’

Pippa Roome — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 23:23:35 +0000

Monica Spencer held her dressage lead with a clear inside the time over the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course today (25 April).

The New Zealand rider took all the direct routes and used Artist’s superb thoroughbred acceleration to power round the track and come home with one of four fault-free rounds.

Monica Spencer on her Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country round

“He’s a champion. He tried all the way. It’s so nice to be on a good galloper, which allows me to take my time at the jumps and make sure I get it right,” said Monica Spencer after her Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country round.

“I did all the numbers [of strides] I planned to do. It always feels like a bit more desperate than it looks in your head when you’re picturing it, but it was between all the flags.

“I try to take it one minute at a time and one fence at a time, because the thought of the whole course can be overwhelming. So I definitely feel joy as I get through each hard combination, but I never feel relaxed.

“For me, the hardest thing is doing it all at speed. Because if someone said, ‘Go out there with ‘Max’, take as long as you want and get round that course,’ I’d be like, ‘This is a nice time,’ but the pressure with the minutes is really what makes it that much harder.”

Artist is a notably polite horse – although he has thoroughbred power when Monica calls on it, it’s clear watching he doesn’t pull at all and the reins are very loose when he goes across country.

Monica said: “He’s very polite and he’s not got a lot of his own confidence. He’s very much like, ‘What next, Mum?’ which does make it even more special that he does what he does for me.

“Coming up the grades. I was like, ‘Oh, he’ll be a nice two-star horse for someone.’ He just keeps giving and keeps trying and he definitely knew it was a big one today.”

US riders in second and third

Will Coleman sits second behind Monica with a clear inside the time on the syndicate-owned five-star debutant Diabolo, who moves up from fifth after dressage.

“I think it just confirmed what I’ve thought about him all along – he’s a special, special guy. I thought he was just sensational,” said Will.

“There were places out there where I could tell he was a little bit unsure, but that just showed how genuine he was and it felt like a real partnership going around there.

“I had to push a little bit at the end, because I was a few seconds down, but I didn’t want to stretch him too much in the beginning, because he hasn’t gone this distance ever and it was warm.

“I felt good about his fitness, but I was worried I might find the end of him too soon, but when I jumped through the Normandy Bank [fence 21abc], I kind of said, ‘Come on, let’s go’ and he was there for me.”

Two time-penalties cost Caroline Pamukcu second overnight; she holds third with HSH Blake, owned by Mollie Hoff, Caroline’s mother Sherrie Martin, Caroline and her husband Deniz.

“Blake is like my best friend so it’s just great to go out and run another five-star – this is his second five-star and he’s 11 and he made it feel easy. He took me round and was perfect, even when I wasn’t,” she said.

David Doel is best of the Brits in fourth.

Vitali slides to fifth

There were four inside the 11min 5sec optimum time and 17 jumping clears from 29 starters over Derek di Grazia’s track, with five pairs eliminated or retiring.

Tim Price was second after dressage with Vitali, slipping to fifth today with 9.2 time-faults.

“He’s not blood like Monica’s horse, but he’s so clever at his fences, and it’s yet another clear round on his record,” said Tim, who was riding with a damaged shoulder after falling off a bike at an event in the Netherlands last weekend.

“He’s just such a gun – you can make a little mistake from the ride and he just sees the flags and gets through them. There were a few moments where it wasn’t a perfect jump, but he’s going through the flags and doing what I’m asking of him.

“And to be honest, he pushed his way around the course better than he has done the last couple of times. But I think in this company, plus this terrain, we’re still a wee bit off the time, but I was really happy with how he tried both in the gallop and at the fences.”

Tim’s first horse, Global Quest, was ninth following the first phase but broke a frangible at the rail into the Care Credit Question (fence 7abcd) and finished the day 17th after an educational round.

Tim said: “I think I arrived there nicely, got his head up. He’s a big horse and likes to be a bit front low, back high, but he responded to that nicely. I gave him a little bit of energy from the leg. It’s just such a steep way down. It’s notorious, isn’t it? He’s green, it’s a tough, big proper, five-star question. He looked down there, forgot his back end and took it out like a freight train.”

Will Coleman added of this fence: “The ground is so severely taking you left there, you have to set up in a way that makes it hard for the horses to understand what they’re actually supposed to do. I could see why you could have pins there, because right at the take-off, it’s a little bit of a funny line to that ditch.”

The clock cost Phillip Dutton sixth place with Possante and he moved down to 10th, while Boyd Martin held onto seventh with last year’s runner-up Commando 3 with six time-penalties.

Boyd had to circle round to the alternative when he realised a couple of strides away that he couldn’t make the direct corner out of the Defender Head of the Lake (fence 19b) with Commando 3.

Boyd’s first ride, Cooley Nutcracker, had a dicey moment at the final triple brush arrowhead out of Pete’s Hollow (fence 14c) and collected a flag penalty. With four time-faults, he dropped from 11th to 14th.

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Harry Meade on dramatic Kentucky moment: ‘I saw the fishes and tried my hardest not to join them’

Pippa Roome — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:26:05 +0000

Harry Meade made a dramatic save on the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country today (25 April) with Superstition, moving up from 10th after dressage to eighth.

“I momentarily saw the fish looking up at me. I hate swimming, so I tried my hardest not to join them,” said Harry of his incredible save, which came after Superstition took off from well away from the corner at the Spring Water (fence 12abc) and pecked badly on landing, throwing the rider well forward.

Harry’s round on Superstition, who belongs to his rider and Mandy Gray, started with a different drama when the starter made an error with his countdown.

“But she said to my team, that was my mistake, talking about herself, so hopefully that won’t be a problem,” said Harry after his round.

“Superstition gave me a great first half. Then he jumped into the second water a little bit steeper than I hoped, which meant he was quite a long way off the corner and so just landed on the back of it, and had a little bit of a stumble.

“I was conscious from that point of just trying to get him taking me into the rein again. Through the quarry [Pete’s Hollow], he was good, but again, was a little bit empty in the rein.

“And so for that reason, when I jumped into the Defender Head of the Lake, although I planned to go straight through when I jumped the first of the two brushes, I could feel him again a little bit empty down the rein, so I just pulled right and did the long route. It wasn’t intended, but it was better than it might have been if I’d carried on and hadn’t reacted.

“He then gave me a good ride the rest of the way home. I just gave him time in front of a couple of the bigger, squarer fences and at the last combination – I just wasted a couple of seconds there, just to allow him to catch his breath, keep his focus, and jump that out of a very relaxed rhythm.”

Harry finished with six time-faults on Superstition to move up from 10th after dressage to eighth overnight.

Harry Meade and Grafennacht’s Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country round

Harry ended up taking a couple of long routes with his second ride, Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht, and slipped from eighth to equal 11th after cross-country with 11.6 time-faults.

“She was game, travelling really well, ears pricked and was taking me, looking for the fences. The first part of the course was great, though I saw a front shoe fly off after fence seven,” said Harry, adding the mare wears pads on her shoes.

Coming to the log drop at Pete’s Hollow (fence 14abc), Harry said he approached as slow as he dared.

He explained: “I had no power, no pace, as I wanted her to step over the log to try and get the four strides to the first triple brush arrowhead – and she just went on three. Going on three meant she jumped forward and flat, so the turn to the second arrowhead wasn’t going to happen.

“So I had to think quickly and turn right and jump the long route. You’re already working hard to stay on the pace and immediately that put us however many seconds behind.”

Harry said the mare’s other shoe came off as he jumped the second of the two brushes at the EEI Root Cellar (fence 15abc), but it didn’t affect her.

His second long route came at the Defender Head of the Lake, where he ended up circling between the two angled brushes (fences 18b and 19a).

He explained why he took the long route: “She’s a horse that is a slight diesel engine in her mind – when she can see what she’s doing, she’s got her ears pricked, she’s really game and will try her heart out. If she’s not that sure, she can be a little bit vacant. And I felt jumping that first one, I didn’t feel her mind was drawing down the corridor.”

Harry said the mare finished full of running and “not remotely fatigued”.

“Five-star comes up with different questions each time”

Summing up the day, Harry said: “Of all Derek di Grazia’s courses I’ve ridden around, this one was definitely the most stop-start and possibly trappy.

“The horses were having to jump and then they were almost dropping the bridle and unsure where they were going, and that took away some of the forward draw. There weren’t that many combinations where you had a really difficult line with things in front of you and that made it hard to stay on the pace.

“But that’s what five-star is and it comes up with slightly different questions each time. It’s got a great result today and it’s been really good that the time is hard to make.”

The other British riders had mixed fortunes today, with David Doel ending up the best-placed in fourth overnight.

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British riders play leaderboard snakes and ladders as Kentucky cross-country proves influential

Pippa Roome — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:05:39 +0000

David Doel scaled the leaderboard to finish up best Brit after the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country today (25 April).

The time on Derek di Grazia’s course proved achievable, with four riders making it – but only one of them, David with Galileo Nieuwmoed, was British and the other leading British combinations all had some penalties. David has moved up from 12th after dressage to fourth overnight.

David Doel was held at the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country start because US rider Mary Bess Davis had a fall at fence 16, after which she was taken to hospital to be checked. Her ride Imperio Magic walked away.

“He made me work today. That wasn’t quite as easy and free flowing as he has been sometimes – I think the 20-minute hold beforehand meant it just took a little while to get going,” said David, who was eighth at Kentucky on Galileo in 2023.

“And there are so many undulations and ups and downs, I think it just really took it out of his brain a little bit. Our last ride here was smoother.

“But he is a real galloping machine – he’s a bit of a freak when it comes to the galloping side of it – and he’s still towed me down the hill home. He lost his left front shoe too, which was a little bit annoying, but he’s such a cool horse.”

David went round the trees to the direct corner out of the Defender Head of the Lake (fence 19b) because he said the horse “just emptied on me a little bit, and I didn’t quite have the oomph to get the four strides up to the corner”.

David co-owns the seasoned Galileo with Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas, who is 93 years old and has made the trip to Kentucky to watch her horse.

Tom McEwen drops out of podium places

David’s compatriot Tom McEwen was third after dressage, but slid to sixth today with eight time-faults on John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality.

“Fence three here for the past two years, with the big ditch underneath, hasn’t been ideal for ‘Norris’. For any other five-star horse, it’s a perfect fence just to run and jump at, but with Norris it sends him up and it starts a catalyst of more ditches coming, and we just get higher and higher and slower and slower,” said Tom.

“But I was absolutely delighted with him – he was honest as the day is long. I don’t think I could have got many more inches or seconds out of him.”

Tom had a bit of a dicey journey through the rail, ditch, box shoulder hedge question at fence 7abcd, the Care Credit Question, saying his ride at the fence last year had been playing on his mind although he has jumped numerous ditches schooling last year.

“To be honest, for him to have such big spook at the ditch and to actually get out over the final part – I couldn’t be happier with him. He’s fantastic. He tried his heart out,” he said.

Harry Meade moved up from 10th to eighth with six time-faults on his own and Mandy Gray’s Superstition and slid from eighth to equal 11th with 11.6 time-penalties on Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht.

Tom Jackson finished the day in 16th, a rise from equal 23rd after dressage, having added nine penalties for taking out a flag and 12.4 time-faults with Ruth McMullen and Mary Harris’s Plot Twist B.

His fault came Pete’s Hollow, where the direct route was two triple brush arrowheads on a turn around a rise, after a drop from the initial log.

“It’s frustrating from a results point of view, but he didn’t really know that he’d done anything wrong,” said Tom.

“Just as he took off, he went left a bit and kicked out the flag with one of his front feet and I didn’t know whether I was quite on the line or not, so I had to go around and do the alternative. But he was up on his minute markers to that point and everywhere else he was straight as a die.”

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A fast clear, a run-out and a fall: mixed fortunes for Britain’s rising stars in Kentucky

Pippa Roome — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 16:37:54 +0000

Isabelle Cook excelled as Britain’s three “Rising Lions” had mixed fortunes on the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course today (25 April).

The new Rising Lions programme has given Isabelle, Elizabeth Barratt and Finn Healy the opportunity to ride in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S at the premier US event.

Isabelle Cook put in a superb Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country performance today, coming home with just 3.2 time-faults with her mother Tina and Jim Chromiak’s Cymoon “F” Z. This was the second-fastest round of the day, beaten only by overnight leader Tamie Smith, who had 1.6 time-faults on Lillet 3.

“He was really on it. He’s a very fast cross-country horse. He’s always locking on, he’s always moving away from his fences, and he makes the job feel enjoyable,” said Isabelle.

The 12-year-old horse was initially “very difficult” and was produced by Isabelle’s mother, multi-medalled rider Tina Cook, learning to trust her and love his job, before her daughter took over at the middle of 2024.

Isabelle continued: “The crowds were amazing – you could really hear them cheering. Even though you’re supposed to be concentrating and probably not meant to hear it, you really could hear them encouraging you and I was like, ‘Come on then, right, let’s go.’

“It was a lovely course to ride, everything was so beautifully dressed that actually you could really ride it properly and ride positively.”

Isabelle’s compatriot Finn Healy had a fall at fence 4b, the corner out of the Mars Sustainability Bay.

“I did, unfortunately, know what happened to Finn, because I was just warming up in the sand arena basically right by the fence, but I didn’t actually see it, luckily,” said Isabelle.

“But Mum was just like, ‘Right, he’s all right, just wipe out of your mind. You ride the line how you think.’ I didn’t see what happened to him, so I don’t know how he rode it, or anything, so I just had to clear my head and focus on what I was doing.”

Isabelle said the line here actually rode as more of a blind bend than she expected, but apart from that you had to respect the combinations but they rode well.

In terms of the time Isabelle said: “I thought the time would be very quick, so I actually didn’t look at my watch that much, because I just thought I had to stay in a rhythm and go as quick as I felt comfortable going. I didn’t know other people’s times as I was focusing on what I was doing leading up to my round.”

Isabelle has moved up from equal 36th after dressage to eighth ahead of tomorrow’s showjumping.

Finn Healy’s fall

Finn and Greannanstown Monbeg Joe took a tumble over fence 4b, the corner at the first combination, the Mars Sustainability Bay.

“I’ve only fallen off him once as a four-year-old so it was all a bit of a shock to the system, especially so early on,” Finn told H&H.

“He gave me a great ride over the first four. I just turned to the corner and maybe let him fall in a little bit and was on a closer shot. He’s a little fighter and he wasn’t quite listening to me and so ran a smidge closer than wanted. Whether the crowds behind took his eye, I don’t know, and he just left his right knee.

“It’s gutting because he’s an incredible horse and but luckily, we both seem like we’re healthy, and that’s the main thing.

“We’re both young and the whole week’s been an amazing experience, from a learning point of view. Obviously it’s not gone as planned. However, that’s horses, everyone knows that.

“There’s a lot to learn from the whole sequence of events. I might need to get him to listen to me a little bit more, but then I also might need to be able to be a bit more patient on my lines.”

Elizabeth Barratt’s round

Elizabeth Barratt was third after dressage with Barratt Eventing’s Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau.

She put in a good round today with one run-out, when she ended up too far left at the right-handed corner off a left-hand turn out of the Defender Sunken Road (fence 10abc), and 33.6 time-faults.

“He was absolutely phenomenal, he felt the best he’s ever felt and it’s the biggest track I’ve done by miles,” said Elizabeth.

“I made a small mistake at the sunken road – I just turned a bit quick. So he picked up 20 penalties, but he didn’t even see the fence. I came around and re-presented and carried on as if nothing happened. So that was my mistake, but he felt amazing.

“It’s really exciting for the future that he’s come out and jumped around such a big track with an inexperienced jockey on board, and made it feel pretty easy.”

Asked what she had learnt, Elizabeth said: “The importance of really good, proper course walking. We’ve had Tina Cook walking with us and I walked with Grant Wilson too, and I had a really good plan.

“When things didn’t go quite as I’d expected, I knew what to do, where to go, and what strides I should be picking up on, which really helped.”

Elizabeth now lies 30th and she and Isabelle will trot-up their horses and then showjump tomorrow morning.

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‘He’s a two-star horse with a six-star mentality’: the Irish pair making their Kentucky debut

Pippa Roome — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:28:01 +0000

Irish rider Padraig McCarthy makes his Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event debut this week, riding his own and Rachel and Sarah Gough’s Pomp N Circumstance.

“For a long time, the owners had hinted that it would be lovely to bring him here,” said Padraig after dressage yesterday. “It’s his first five-star and often at Badminton, the ground is a bit wet. I didn’t want to really over face him with that because in my mind, he’s kind of a two-star horse with a six-star mentality.

“We’ve taken our time to produce him, and I just wanted to make sure that we were trying to do the right thing for him. And we’ve heard for many years that it’s an amazing place here, so we were delighted to have a chance to come with a really nice horse.”

Elaborating on Pomp N Circumstance’s character, Padraig said: “When you ride him at home, he’s just a nice horse. When you jump him or ride him on the flat, you don’t have an amazing feeling.

“But when he really comes alive is in the competition phases and it’s like he becomes a different animal. It’s one of the qualities that you can’t train into a horse. He’s always had it and it’s worth more than all the talent in the world.

“It does take time to trust that and not expect too much in the practice ring. When he goes in, he seems to grow six inches and have more blood and power.

“He always tries his best; sometimes he almost tries too hard so you’re just trying to temper his spirit and make sure he doesn’t get ahead of himself, but he’s a wonderful horse.”

Padraig and Pomp N Circumstance were 12th at the Agria European Championships at Blenheim Horse Trials last year, leading the Irish to team silver. The horse has jumped 10 double clears at four-star level.

Pomp N Circumstance: bred for the job

Padraig has been riding Pomp N Circumstance since he was three. He is owned by his breeders, the Gough family.

The horse’s dam, Bow House Mandalin (by Furisto), competed at Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials with the Goughs’ daughter, Rachel. She also rode his sire, Pompadour, at the current four-star level.

Padraig McCarthy and Pomp N Circumstance made a strong start to their Kentucky Three-Day Event campaign with a score of 33 for 13th after dressage.

“On the whole, I was very pleased. I would have taken that at the start of the week, for sure,” said Padraig.

“It’s a new test for him and quite an atmospheric arena. I got to the end of my walk and asked for canter and he started squealing under his breath and I thought, ‘Oh no’. Then we fluffed the next movement – he came out of the corner like a cannonball and missed the change – but he came back to me again, so I was really pleased with that and he did some lovely work.

“And I’m under no illusion it’s going to be a competition where you finish on dressage score – or if I do, I’ll be very pleased. It’s definitely a three day competition here.”

The pair head out across country over Derek di Grazia’s course at 3.15pm local time today (8.15pm British time).

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Super thoroughbred scores new personal best for Kentucky dressage lead

Pippa Roome — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:56:30 +0000

Monica Spencer and the thoroughbred Artist lead after the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage, having scored a personal best of 22.3 today (24 April).

“I’m lucky with ‘Max’ – he’s a beautiful mover and he’s always been very trainable, so I enjoy riding him in the dressage,” said Monica of her long-term partner.

“I have had a few thoroughbreds over the years that have been good at dressage. I guess there’s just more of them so there’s more bad ones, too. But I am particularly lucky with the way Max moves – he’s quite an expressive horse for a thoroughbred. He likes to throw his front legs around and he did that today.”

US-based New Zealand Monica and the 15-year-old Artist have been in the top 12 at five-star five times, including leading the dressage and finishing second at Maryland 5 Star last year.

After scoring seven nines in her Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage today, Monica Spencer said: “He was wanting to give as much energy as I wanted today, so I was just keeping a little lid on it. But he was soft and loose, so the judges liked it.

“It’s a personal best at five star, so it hasn’t sunk in yet, but I’m rapt. I’m getting braver with my warm-ups – just letting him stay loose and soft and trusting that when I get in there, I can get that competition frame and I don’t need to practise, so I can keep him fresh and just go out there and push the button.”

Monica added that she gets the dressage practice out the way early in event week and then spends a lot of time in a jumping saddle.

“It’s just little and often, like twice a day, to keep him fresh in his body, not tired in those dressage muscles, so that he can go out and do his best,” she said.

Tim Price: “I attacked the test”

Monica’s compatriot Tim Price holds second, just 0.3 of a penalty behind, with his own and Joseph Alexander Giannamore’s vastly experienced Vitali, who performed one of his best tests.

Tim said: “He’s a bit sparkly. I thought he’d be more relaxed here, actually, but it gave me a good reason to try and attack the test. With the experienced horses that have a lot of good balance, that converts to something they can throw a few marks at, but it’s also quite risky, because you’re asking for more.

“I don’t think I’ve ever asked for flying changes out such a big canter as I did in the last two changes. I’ve always been a bit conservative and I was like, no, he’s good at changes, come on, this might be the difference, do it. But I was really happy with him. He’s just such a craftsman, and he’s got such a great body and mind for the job.”

Asked what he has worked on with the 16-year-old Vitali recently, Tim said “body health”.

“He’s a very sound horse, touch wood, but he’s just looks really good through his body, and as they get a bit older, I think that’s really important for them, because he’s proven time and again he gives you what he’s got to give,” he said.

“It’s my job to ask the right questions and to have him in a place that he has the ability to answer the question; it’s got to be a fair question. The more he’s feeling strong and ready, then the more he can answer the question, provided I asked the right one.

“I don’t drill my horses in any way, shape or form. I don’t target one-day events. But I want them to be with me, in front of me, supple and if you go down that road for long enough, I think they just get healthier and healthier in their bodies, and like I said, they want to do everything you’re asking.”

Vitali has been in the top 10 at all his eight five-stars, and has come close to winning many times only for the showjumping to let him down.

Tim said: “I’ve been through a lot with him, a lot of disappointments, in terms of final result at big competitions, but equally, he’s an incredible horse in so many ways. I’d never give up on him. I think he’s got a big win in him at some point. Hopefully that’s going to come around sometime soon as he’s getting a bit older.

“I didn’t get him as a young horse, he was produced by a couple of other riders, and it probably took a couple of years to form a good partnership where we understood each other.

“It’s just a matter of tinkering away to try to find something that’s going to help us be truly successful at this level. That’s going to happen one day and hopefully sometime soon.”

Tom McEwen holds third for Britain with Brookfield Quality, with US riders holding the next four places courtesy of Caroline Pamukcu (HSH Blake), yesterday’s leader Will Coleman (Diabolo), Phillip Dutton (Possante) and Boyd Martin (Commando 3)

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‘He couldn’t have given me more’: Brit on Kentucky five-star podium after dressage

Pippa Roome — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 20:27:45 +0000

Britain’s Tom McEwen holds third at the conclusion of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage in the five-star class after scoring 25.1 today (24 April).

Tom punched in a fluent, consistent test with Brookfield Quality, who is owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn and who was fifth here last year.

Tom McEwen on Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: “He felt fresh”

“‘Norris’ always does everything he can and he formed another pretty much foot-perfect clear round,” said Tom McEwen after his Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage test. “I’m so delighted, I thought we put everything out there. He couldn’t have given me more.

“He knows absolutely everything, so it’s just to get it right on the day. He’s feeling really good, probably the fittest he ever been so he was a little bit different this morning to how he can be on dressage morning – fresh, brighter, which was very nice.

“Once he gets in there, he’s an old boy who knows exactly what he’s up to. So it’s just for me to try and get the rhythm, the balance and to try and show as good a performance as possible.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross-country over Derek di Grazia’s track, Tom said: “I’ve been really lucky to come here for the past four years and Kentucky is never to be underestimated; Derek is never to be underestimated.

“There are going to be combinations that look impossibly tough and then the same combinations will look incredibly easy for different horses and riders. I really do believe it’s a true five-star test.”

Monica Spencer now holds the lead on the thoroughbred Artist, with Tim Price second on Vitali.

Two in top 10 for Harry Meade

Harry Meade was Britain’s other performer in the five-star today, with his second horse, Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht.

The pair put in a good test with plenty of eights on the scoreboard, marred only slightly by the mare putting her head up in the third flying change, for which they scored three 6.5s.

Their final mark of 28.9 left them eighth, with Harry’s other ride Superstition in 10th.

The other Brits who did their tests yesterday were David Doel with Galileo Nieuwmoed, who now sit 12th, and Tom Jackson with Plot Twist B, who now hold equal 23rd place.

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Isabelle Cook makes Kentucky debut: ‘Dressage isn’t easy for him, but he tries hard’

Pippa Roome — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:40:47 +0000

Isabelle Cook made her Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage debut this morning (24 April), as part of the Rising Lions programme.

Riding her mother – former European champion and Olympic medallist Tina Cook – and Jim Chromiak’s Cymoon “F” Z, she scored 39.3 to share 36th place after the first phase.

“Dressage is not his easiest phase and he does really struggle to keep a lid on everything,” said Isabelle Cook after her Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage.

“He didn’t quite get the mark that maybe we had hoped for, but actually, I was really pleased with him. He stayed as relaxed as he could and he tried hard – he always tries. So I’m really pleased that we just got through the test and we can move on to the next bit now.”

Asked what makes this phase tricky for the 12-year-old chestnut, Isabelle said: “I think mentally, he gets very anxious and excited and he just struggles to switch off. He’s always quite uptight.

“We do a lot of lungeing with him, instead of riding him, because I don’t want to be on him for too long, so we are just trying to switch him off on the lunge. Then I get on 10 minutes before my test and just loosen him up a little bit and then go in.

“Physically, I don’t know why he finds it so difficult, because he’s an amazing jumper, but I think it is that mentally he just bottles up and doesn’t really like it. But he’s an amazing cross-country horse.”

It was particularly costly that Cymoon “F” Z threw in an extra flying change as the pair turned onto the final centre line, resulting in fours for that movement.

Isabelle explained: “He finds going on a straight line really difficult and compressing at the end of a test. I felt him getting a bit tense around the corner and then I tried to straighten him, and he thought I meant change. So that was just a sort of slightly tense mistake, but he behaved in my eyes for the rest of it.”

Isabelle is looking forward to tomorrow’s cross-country.

“It’s a decent track, but all very inviting and there to be ridden. We’ve just got to be on our A game,” she said.

“Kentucky is such a cool place. It’s just more than what I even expected it to be. It’s an amazing opportunity to be here and we’re just very grateful to the Rising Lions for it, and hopefully we can do the best we can.”

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‘He loves a crowd’: young Brit grabs podium place in Kentucky dressage

Pippa Roome — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:31:39 +0000

Britain’s Elizabeth Barratt holds third place at the conclusion of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage for the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S class.

The 20-year-old is in Kentucky with two other young Brits as part of a new initiative called Rising Lions, which aims to give such riders experience at overseas events.

Elizabeth scored 29.7 with Barratt Eventing’s elegant grey Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau for her test this morning (24 April). The pair particularly excelled in the trotwork, with some slightly lower marks creeping in around the walk and half-pirouettes and for one canter half-pass and flying change section.

“I was absolutely thrilled. He was amazing,” said Elizabeth. “I’ve never ridden this horse in such a big atmosphere before. I was expecting him to rise to the occasion, which he did. He loves a crowd and attention on him, so it was the perfect atmosphere for him to go into and do a great test.”

Elizabeth has been riding Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau – known as “Chaman” or “Big C” – for just over a year; he was purchased after winning team silver for France at the 2024 Olympics with Stéphane Landois. The gelding gained the prefix to his name because his former rider, Thaïs Méheust, died in a fall with this horse in 2019.

“We spent the whole of last year consolidating at three-star,” said Elizabeth Barratt after her Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage.

“We moved up to four-star at the very end of the year and I feel like over this winter, we’ve really put a lot of work in getting to know each other, ramping it up a little bit with our dressage and jumping, and we’ve come out this year feeling like a true partnership.”

Elizabeth said this Rising Lions trip is an amazing opportunity, as did the other members of the squad, Isabelle Cook, and Finn Healy, who did his test yesterday.

Finn and Greannanstown Monbeg Joe now sit 25th at the conclusion of the dressage phase, having scored 35.8.

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‘There aren’t words to express what this means’: injured rider returns to event and watches her Olympic horse

Pippa Roome — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:32:51 +0000

Liz Halliday, who suffered a serious brain injury in an eventing fall in 2024, returned to an event for the first time yesterday (23 April), at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.

“There really aren’t words to express what today meant to me,” said Liz. “To finally be back at an event for the first time since my accident… to watch my gorgeous Cooley Nutcracker go down the centre line with Boyd Martin… to hug friends I haven’t seen in so long and catch up about everything I’ve missed… I am overjoyed and so grateful to finally be back in the sport I love.”

Liz rode Cooley Nutcracker at the Paris Olympics shortly before her accident. She is now part of a syndicate called Liz’s Nutcrackers, supporting the horse for new rider Boyd Martin.

Liz Halliday watched the pair do their Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage test from her wheelchair on the balcony just above the arena entrance yesterday.

“Things are a bit different now, of course. I’m here as an owner supporting Boyd and ‘Bali’ alongside the rest of the Liz’s Nutcrackers crew. I am so grateful to Boyd for everything he has done with the horse who made my Olympic dreams come true and am so excited to cheer them on this weekend,” said Liz, who has recently been graded to compete in para dressage.

“Thank you to everyone who came up to say hi and gave me a hug today! Please don’t be shy – come up and say hello and tell me a story about what I’ve missed. Because now I’m back and it feels fabulous!

“Good luck to all who are competing this weekend. I will be riding alongside all of you in spirit.”

Boyd said he looked up at the stands and saw Liz when he finished his test. He spoke to Liz afterwards.

“I hope she’s proud of her horse,” he said, adding in response to a comment that hopefully she was proud of Boyd: “I’m scared of her, I hope she was happy with me!

“It’s great to see her here. She’s back home in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s obviously been a really, really tough year for her coming back to her health and it’s great that she’s back home and not having to live her days at the rehabilitation centre.”

Boyd and Cooley Nutcracker sit fifth on a score of 30.7 after the first day of five-star dressage.

“It was pretty good – I always want to get in the 20s and I was a mark or two off it,” he said. “I botched the first change. I didn’t have him quite in front of the leg and lost my position a bit. He’s a different type of horse for me, but he’s a champion.”

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‘He’s a learner with real presence’: smart five-star first-timer takes Kentucky dressage lead

Pippa Roome — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 21:32:54 +0000

Will Coleman has taken top spot after the first day of Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage, riding Diabolo.

The home side rider scored 27.3 with the syndicate-owned 14-year-old, who won the CCI4*-S here in 2024 and is tackling his first five-star. Will had a two-point deduction on his score for halting in the wrong place at the end of his test.

“Diabolo is a learner – he really likes to be taught things and has a real conscience about everything that he does,” said Will, who acquired the horse in 2023 from the Tinney family in Australia.

“He really wants to be a good boy, but there’s a little bit of anxiety because of that. So it’s really teaching him to have confidence in himself and have confidence in what we’re asking him to do. I think now he’s starting to get that and he has a real presence about him, an energy that I think is pretty cool.”

Will Coleman admitted after his Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage test that the horse became a little excited and he didn’t feel he was totally with him in his final warm-up, but said he focused in the arena.

He said: “He did his job as best he could. There’s little things I’d love to clean up, but I can’t be anything but proud of him. I just really, really adore this horse.”

Phillip Dutton sits second on 28.1 with the syndicate-owned Possante, whose test was marred only by a spook early on. The 13-year-old was previously called Imposant and produced by Emily King.

“We struggled a little bit when I first got him,” Phillip admitted. “I’ve had him for quite a few years now and it’s starting to come together.

“He’s a kind horse, he wants to do the right thing and he’s not trying to get out of things. It’s just that he’s a bit bigger and it’s taken a while to get him quicker footed and secure in what he does.”

US Olympian Phillip added that Possante is very horse shy, saying: “I’ve now figured out it’s just a case of trying to keep him on his own and not letting him get wound up with the other horses coming at him.

“They’ve all got their quirks and, especially once you get to this level, you’ve got to try to work around those to get the best out of them.”

New Zealand’s Tim Price holds third, having punched in the first sub-30 dressage test today on Lance and Diana Morrish’s Global Quest, a horse he said he rides in honour of his former rider, the late Georgie Campbell.

“He’s not God’s gift to dressage – he’s quite a big horse and he finds it all quite difficult, but he was relaxed and giving as much of himself as he could,” said Tim.

“The naturally big, flamboyant horses can be on mud, they can be on grass, but ones that are really working at their maximum in terms of the movements and pushing through their bodies in the right way [really benefit from the fact] we’ve got such consistent surfaces all the way through to the main ring here.”

Tim added that the break the horses have with the journey and quarantine – they left the UK last Wednesday, arrive at the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday evening and do gentle work to ease back in on Sunday and Monday – also freshens the horses’ bodies up, “especially for a horse like him because physically he has to work really hard”.

Two Brits in top six

Harry Meade sits fourth with Superstition, while fellow Brit David Doel is in sixth on 30.8 with Galileo Nieuwmoed, owned by his rider, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas.

“I’m absolutely stoked,” said David. “We just had one small blip going up the centreline towards the end when he put in some lovely tempi changes, which was costly, but the rest was one of his nicest tests.

“We’ve not probably worked him quite as hard as sometimes – we’ve done a little bit more jumping, a bit more canter work, especially this week.

“We came here three years ago and I think I tightened up when I went in there for the dressage and and he tightened up as well. We really made sure that we stayed nice and loose and relaxed.

“I’ve got Nick Turner out here, my trainer, and had a little bit of help from British performance manager Dickie Waygood as well and that worked really well today.”

The third British horse to perform today, Ruth McMullen and Mary Harris’s Plot Twist B, shares the bottom of the leaderboard with New Zealand’s Sophia Hill and Humble Glory on a score of 37.1, but rider Tom Jackson said he was pleased with how this tense horse coped.

“He’s an incredibly spooky, nervy horse, so for him in there is utterly terrifying. So for him to stay as with me as he did, even with a couple of spooks, was generally quite pleasing,” said Tom.

“We’ve just tried to acclimatise him to this whole area as much as possible in a really chilled out way over the past few days and I think on the whole, it’s worked.

“There’s still room for lots of improvements. He’s only 11 and hopefully we can keep building on that and get him more confident in those environments, because he’s more than capable.”

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‘Intense mental effort’ pays off for Harry Meade and Superstition in Kentucky dressage

Pippa Roome — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:49:54 +0000

Harry Meade has claimed fourth place after the first day of Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage for the five-star class today (23 April).

“I was delighted with his way of going and his execution of every movement – he felt really polished, very accurate and had a nice, soft, uphill, open way of going,” said Harry after his test on his own and Mandy Gray’s Superstition, which scored 30.2.

Harry admitted he had hoped for better marks for his test, saying: “He’s an old-timer and I hoped he’d have scored better, but sometimes you’ve got to get good marks to get good marks. We’ve just got to make sure we leave no stone unturned for the rest of the competition now to make up for that.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: Harry Meade on unusual preparation

Superstition hasn’t run since finishing sixth at Badminton last year, but world number one Harry explained this unconventional preparation works for the 17-year-old, who has now been in the top 12 at five five-stars.

“He’s very fractious in his mind,” said Harry. “He gets very stressed at competitions. He did Burghley 2024 off the back of basically nothing and went really well and then he did nothing to Badminton the following year and was brilliant there.

“It’s not what I would choose for every horse. But for me, it was the balance of what, actually, do the prep runs do for him and does the benefit outweigh the tension? And I felt that it probably made him a less secure person in his own mind.

“So a lot of it’s just about keeping him feeling very comfortable, confident, happy and enjoying it and not under the spotlight, and then we bring him out to a big one. He’s a very well proven five-star horse and he’s been very well prepared at home. He feels very ready in all three phases.”

Asked after his Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage whether Superstition had had an injury after Badminton last year, Harry Meade mentioned the horse has “a weakness on something”, but said the taxing mental effort of getting him prepared was the main element in him not doing an autumn three-day last year.

He explained: “After Badminton, I took a deep breath, and Mandy, his owner, had Et Hop Du Matz heading to Burghley and she said she was quite happy if he just did one three-day a year. He’s an older horse and I thought that actually suits him and it suits me.

“It’s hard to keep that level of intensity – it’s like someone doing a job like diffusing bombs or something – it takes quite a lot of mental, very quiet, considered control and it was quite nice to put him in the field and give him a bit of a break.

“And then I worked him through the autumn and kept him in work over the winter, and he’s come out feeling brilliant.”

Will Coleman holds the lead after today’s action, with first-star debutant Diabolo.

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Young Brit over the moon with his ‘sharp young horse’ in Kentucky dressage

Pippa Roome — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:36:02 +0000

The first British rider in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S dressage at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event today (23 April), Finn Healy, said he was “over the moon” with his horse’s work.

Greannanstown Monbeg Joe is a nine-year-old owned by his rider. He and Finn, 21, are in Kentucky as part of an initiative called Rising Lions, which has funded three young British riders to contest this class to gain experience.

Greannanstown Monbeg Joe is a neat, compact chestnut and the pair were scoring just below 70% during their trotwork.

This mark dropped when the horse jogged in the walk and showed some trot steps in the direct walk-canter transition, plus they had a break in the left canter, so the pair finished with a score of 35.8.

“I was really chuffed with him – he’s still only a young horse, doing his second f0ur-star test, and so to go into that arena on the first day of dressage is a big, big ask for him,” said Finn. “He went in there and stayed pretty relaxed.

“I nearly lost him a little bit in the walk and that’s probably where it cost us on the score side. But I’m over the moon with the work he showed and and the potential he has in this phase.”

Elaborating on what happened in the walk, Finn said: “In our last test at Thoresby, I went wrong in the test and missed the walk. Then when I went back to do the walk, he jogged – he’d never normally jog – so that’s probably my fault from last time. He’s a very clever horse and he remembers those sort of things.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: “a special feeling” for Finn Healy

Finn Healy said that to experience riding his dressage in the huge Kentucky Three-Day Event stadium with a horse he’s produced from a four-year-old was “a pretty special feeling”.

“I bought him as a four-year-old from Monbeg, who we’d previously done quite a bit of business with,” said Finn, whose pony European champion Midnight Dancer came from Monbeg.

“Marti [Rudd] said, ‘I’ve got this four-year-old who’s a little bit wild, he’s unbroken, but I think he’d be great for you’ and so we went and watched him loose jump, and he was absolutely wild. You could barely touch him.

“And then I came back a few months later, after Tomas [Doyle, at Monbeg] had worked his magic and backed him, and we bought him. He was a really sharp young horse. He nearly got put on the transfer list a couple of times because of how sharp he was, but he managed to stay just about at a manageable level.

“I always had him in mind as a young rider horse and with his compact type, that’s probably what Marty had in mind for me buying him, but it quickly became apparent he was going to be far more talented than that.”

The pair did do the young rider Europeans last year, finishing 15th individually, and then stepped up to four-star with a double clear in the young horse class at Blenheim Horse Trials.

“I think he’s got all the ability to go all the way,” said Finn. “He’s got so much fight – if you’re watching him go cross-country and showjumping, he’ll fight me the whole way round, but when the chips are down, that’s what matters, because then he’ll push himself more than any other horse I’ve known.

“It’s his greatest strength, his fight, and for a little horse, he has all the character you need.”

“Good or bad, we’re learning”

Finn said he and the other two riders are learning a huge amount from the experience in Kentucky.

“The Rising Lions initiative is aimed at bringing an under-25 team of riders out to some of the biggest events in the world to try and get experience at these events and it’s absolutely invaluable,” he said.

“With the amount of stuff to get organised to go on a flight and then all the different aspects of coming to an event like this that I’ve never experienced, and I know the other two members on the team haven’t experienced – we’ve learned so much already.

“However the competition goes, whether it’s good or bad, we’ll have learned a huge amount and that’s really the aim.”

Finn said he’s “absolutely loving” his Kentucky experience.

“It’s the most surreal place I’ve ever been to for a horse competition,” he said.

“We came in on the first day and walked round the corner and looked at the stadium and we were all like, ‘Oh my god, this is something’. The people here have been so helpful, nothing’s been any trouble and they’ve made us feel really welcome.”

The other two Brits from the Rising Lions programme, Isabelle Cook and Elizabeth Barratt, both perform their dressage tomorrow.

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What time do the British riders go cross-country on Saturday at Kentucky?

Pippa Roome — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:03:53 +0000

The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country times have been released for the action on Saturday (25 April).

The CCI5* starts at 1.30pm (6.30pm British time), when Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King are first out of the start box. The riders then set off at five-minute intervals, with Caroline also last to go, on her third ride HSH Blake at 3.50pm (8.50pm British time).

Defender five-star: Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country times for Brits

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed: 1.55pm (6.55pm British time)
Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B: 2.15pm (7.15pm British time)
Harry Meade and Superstition: 2.30pm (7.30pm British time)
Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality: 3.25pm (8.25pm British time)
Harry Meade and Grafennacht: 3.45pm (8.45pm British time)

Five-star: other key pairs

Tim Price (NZL) and Global Quest: 1.40pm (6.40pm British time)
Will Coleman (USA) and Diabolo: 2pm (7pm British time)
Phillip Dutton (USA) and Possante: 2.10pm (7.10pm British time)
Boyd Martin (USA) and Cooley Nutcracker: 2.25pm (7.25pm British time)
Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist: 2.55pm (7.55pm British time)
Jennie Brannigan (USA) and FE Lifestyle: 3.10pm (8.10pm British time)
Padraig McCarthy (IRL) and Pomp N Circumstance: 3.15pm (8.15pm British time)
Tim Price (NZL) and Vitali: 3.35pm (8.35pm British time)
Boyd Martin (USA) and Commando 3: 3.40pm (8.40pm British time)
Caroline Pamukcu (USA) and HSH Blake: 3.50pm (8.50pm British time)

There are also three British pairs in the CCI4*-S this year, thanks to funding from a new initiative called Rising Lions.

Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S: British times

Finn Healy and Greannanstown Monbeg Joe: 10.21am (3.21pm British time)
Isabelle Cook and Cymoon “F” Z: 10.48am (3.48pm British time)
Elizabeth Barratt and Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau: 11.06am (4.06pm British time)

Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country times – full times:

Cross-country times are on the right of the list at each link.

CCI5*
CCI4*-S
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When do the Brits and other key contenders do their dressage at Kentucky?

Pippa Roome — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:43:41 +0000

The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage times have been released for competition over the next two days (Thursday 23 and Friday 24 April).

The CCI5* takes place in the afternoon each day, so the first pair down the centreline in the CCI5*, Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King, will perform their test at 1.30pm (6.30pm British time) on Thursday. Caroline is also last to go, on her third ride HSH Blake at 3.18pm (8.18pm British time) on Friday.

Defender five-star: Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage times for Brits

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed: 2.10pm on Thursday (7.10pm British time)
Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B: 3.16pm on Thursday (8.16pm British time)
Harry Meade and Superstition: 3.40pm on Thursday (8.40pm British time)
Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality: 2.38pm on Friday (7.38pm British time)
Harry Meade and Grafennacht: 3.10pm on Friday (8.10pm British time)

Five-star: other key pairs

Tim Price (NZL) and Global Quest: 1.46pm on Thursday (6.46pm British time)
Will Coleman (USA) and Diabolo: 2.18pm on Thursday (7.18pm British time)
Phillip Dutton (USA) and Possante: 3.08pm on Thursday (8.08pm British time)
Boyd Martin (USA) and Cooley Nutcracker: 3.32pm on Thursday (8.32pm British time)
Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist: 1.24pm on Friday (6.24pm British time)
Jennie Brannigan (USA) and FE Lifestyle: 1.48pm on Friday (6.48pm British time)
Padraig McCarthy (IRL) and Pomp N Circumstance: 1.56pm on Friday (6.56pm British time)
Tim Price (NZL) and Vitali: 2.54pm on Friday (7.54pm British time)
Boyd Martin (USA) and Commando 3: 3.02pm on Friday (8.02pm British time)
Caroline Pamukcu (USA) and HSH Blake: 3.18pm on Friday (8.18pm British time)

There are also three British pairs in the CCI4*-S this year, thanks to funding from a new initiative called Rising Lions.

Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S: British times

Finn Healy and Greannanstown Monbeg Joe: 11.07am on Thursday (4.07pm British time)
Isabelle Cook and Cymoon “F” Z: 8.51am on Friday (1.51pm British time)
Elizabeth Barratt and Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau: 9.54am on Friday (2.54pm British time)

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage times – full times:

Dressage times are on the left of the list at each link.

CCI5*
CCI4*-S
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British stars, a few bucks and sunshine: update from the Kentucky five-star first trot-up

Pippa Roome — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:50:35 +0000

Twenty-nine horses were presented at and passed the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up for the five-star competition this afternoon (22 April).

As usual at this event, the horses who have flown in from Europe came forward first, so they are kept separate from the horses based in North America, for biosecurity reasons.

The eight “international” horses this year include five for Britain (David Doel’s ride Galileo Nieuwmoed, Tom Jackson’s Plot Twist B, Tom McEwen’s Brookfield Quality and Harry Meade’s Superstition and Grafennacht).

Tom McEwen presents Brookfield Quality at the Kentucky first trot-up 2026. (Image credit: Pippa Roome)

In addition, there is one starter for Ireland (Padraig McCarthy’s Pomp N Circumstance) and two for British-based New Zealander Tim Price, Global Quest and Vitali.

The experienced Vitali becomes quite wound up at horse inspections and Tim tried to approach at a trot, but the horse jibbed and pulled back as he reached the corner to turn onto the strip. Tim coaxed him through it and commentator Steven Wilde asked the crowd to hold their applause to avoid making the horse more tense.

A few bucks at the Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up

Later on at the Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up, home side first-timer Alexander Conrad’s ride Malibu Preacher let fly a series of bucks as he returned down the runway, causing the ground jury to step back to avoid his hooves.

No horses were sent to the holding box or even asked to trot again, so aside from these moments the trot-up was uneventful, with the crowd enjoying the warm sunshine and temperatures around 24°C.

The five-star ground jury this year consists of New Zealand’s Andrew Bennie (president), Finland’s Seppo Laine and the USA’s Valerie Pride. They were joined at the trot-up by veterinary delegate Debbie Williamson of the USA.

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See all the fences Tom McEwen and Harry Meade will jump at Kentucky five-star this week

Pippa Roome — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:04:48 +0000

The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course for the 2026 event (22-26 April) is designed again by Derek di Grazia.

There are 28 numbered fences and the course is 6312m long, giving an optimum time of 11min 5sec.

Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course: fence by fence

Fence 1: Woerthy Tribute

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Fence 2: Market Table

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Fence 3: Wofford Rails

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Fence 4abc: Mars Sustainability Bay

Fence 4a

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This is followed by a right turn to fence 4b, which is up a bank.

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Fence 4b

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Fence 4c

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Fence 5: Bourbon Barrel Table

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Fence 6: Triple Bar

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Fence 7abcd: Care Credit Question

Fence 7a direct route

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Fence 7b all routes

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Fence 7cd direct route

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The alternative here involves four elements and means riders jump each part separately rather than on a related line. The same ditch at 7b features on this route too.

Fence 7a alternative

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Fence 7c alternative

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Fence 7d alternative

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Fence 8: Fox’s Den

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Fence 9ab: Opposing Corners

Fence 9a

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Fence 9b direct route

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The long route here involves turning back away from the direction of travel after 9a to jump an easier corner at 9b.

Fence 9b alternative

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Fence 10: Ditch Brush

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Fence 10 side view

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Fence 11abc: Sunken Road

Fence 11abc direct route

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Fence 11bc direct route

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The longer route here involves three separate elements.

Fence 11a alternative route

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Fence 11b alternative route

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Fence 11c alternative route

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Fence 12abc: Spring Water

Fence 12a all routes

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Fence 12a from the back

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Fence 12bc direct route

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The longer route here avoids the corner in the water.

Fence 12b alternative route

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Fence 12c alternative route

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Fence 12c alternative route from the back

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Fence 13: Mick’s Picnic Table

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Fence 14abc: Pete’s Hollow

Fence 14a direct route

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Looking over fence 14a to fences 14b and 14c

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Fence 14b direct route

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Fence 14c direct route

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The longer route here is on a wider line to the right of the direct choice.

Fence 14a alternative route

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Fence 14b alternative route

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Fence 14c alternative route

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Fence 15abc: EEI Root Cellar

Fence 15a

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Fence 15a side view

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Fence 15b

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Fence 15c

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Fence 16: Owl Hole at the Mounds

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Fence 16 full view including decoration

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Fence 17: Paddock Gate

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Fence 18ab and 19ab: Defender Head of the Lake

Fence 18a direct route

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Fence 18b and 19a direct route

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Fence 19b direct route

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The alternative here involves jumping a difference fence into the water at fence 18a, then circling between 18b and 19a, taking them both at less of an angle on the straight route. The alternative final element, a corner at 19b, then flows on from 19a.

Fence 18a alternative route

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Fence 19b alternative route

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Fence 20: T Bar

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Fence 21abc: Normandy Bank

Fence 21a direct route

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Fence 21b direct route

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Fence 21c direct route

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The long route here is on an S-bend.

Fence 21a alternative route

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Fence 21b alternative route

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Fence 21c alternative route

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Fence 22: Hillside Shelter

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Fence 23abcd: Cosequin Cove

This complex offers multiple options, but is cleverly numbered so some routes are not available once a rider has committed to a certain line.

Fence 23a direct route

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Fence 23bc direct route

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Fence 23d direct route

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Fence 23ab alternative route

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Fence 23c alternative route

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Another alternative 23c

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Alternative 23d

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Fence 24: Pergola Tables

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Fence 25: Lincoln Lodge

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Fence 26ab: Mighty Moguls

Fence 26a

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Fence 26b direct route

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Fence 26b alternative route

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Fence 27: Kentucky Coffee Bean Table

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Fence 28: The Pinnacle

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How to watch Kentucky Three-Day Event live from anywhere in the world

georgia.guerin@futurenet.com (Georgia Guerin) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:00:49 +0000

Live stream the Kentucky Three-Day Event this week (23–26 April 2026) and enjoy the action from the only US five-star to run this year.

As well as the CCI5*, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event is home to the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and the Kentucky International CSI5* showjumping, presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

At a glance

Kentucky Three-Day Event date: 23–26 April 2026
Watch Kentucky Three-Day Event on TV: USEF Network
Watch Kentucky Three-Day Event from anywhere: Use this NordVPN deal – 75% Off

How to watch the Kentucky Three-Day Event on TV

The Kentucky Three-Day Event is available to live stream via USEF Network, which is powered by ClipMyHorse.TV. To watch live, you need to register for a free fan account – you do not need to buy a ClipMyHorse.TV membership.

If you would like to watch on demand, however, you can only do this with a ClipMyHorse.TV membership.

If you’re away from home, you can use NordVPN to secure your stream of the action from anywhere in the world.

Kentucky Three-Day Event broadcast schedule

Times listed are British Summer Time, with local time (EST) in brackets.

Thursday 23 April

1pm (8am) | CCI4*-S dressage

6.20pm (1.20pm) | CCI5* dressage

Friday 25 April

1pm (8am) | CCI4*-S dressage

6pm (1pm) | CCI5* dressage

Saturday 26 April

2pm (9am) | CCI4*-S cross-country

6.30pm (1.30pm) | CCI5* cross-country

Sunday 27 April

3.45pm (10.45am) | CCI4*-S showjumping

6.30pm (1.30pm) | CCI5* showjumping

How to follow with Horse & Hound

H&H eventing editor Pippa Roome will be in Kentucky and creating extensive online coverage, in addition to what will be included in the magazine report.
To keep reading after five articles, readers will need to buy a subscription either to the website or to the magazine. To buy a Horse & Hound website unlimited subscription, visit horseandhound.co.uk/join. Or, for great value, visit magazinesdirect.com/XHH-brandsite for a magazine subscription that includes unlimited website access plus the digital version of the magazine. If you are already a magazine subscriber, find out how to activate your website access at horseandhound.co.uk/subscription-benefits
Our magazine report from Kentucky will run in the 30 April issue.

How to watch the Kentucky Three-Day Event from anywhere

If you’re away from home and your normal coverage is geo-blocked, a VPN will get you your usual coverage from anywhere in the world.

There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. We’d suggest using a paid-for service such as NordVPN, where you can get an exclusive 75% off, which offers a 100% risk-free money back guarantee. If you’re not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.

NordVPN exclusive deal – 75% Off
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Harry Meade confirms entries for Kentucky and Badminton five-stars

Pippa Roome — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:29:01 +0000

World number one Harry Meade has confirmed his entries for the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event – and by default for Mars Badminton Horse Trials.

The British-based horses flew to the US yesterday (15 April) for Kentucky (22-26 April) and Superstition, owned by Harry and Mandy Gray, and Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht were the two who took the plane for the Meade stable.

That leaves Mandy Gray and Harry’s Et Hop Du Matz, the Oppermans’ Cavalier Crystal and Annaghore Valoner (owned by Dinah and Stephen Posford and their daughter Juliet Carter) as the entries for Harry Meade at Badminton Horse Trials (6-10 May).

Both Superstition and Grafennacht have previous good form at Kentucky. Superstition was fifth there in 2021 and Grafennacht landed fourth place last year.

Et Hop Du Matz and Annaghmore Valoner make their Badminton debut, though both have top-four placings at other five-stars to their names.

Cavalier Crystal is the most experienced of Harry’s Badminton trio – she was fourth at Badminton last year, finishing on her dressage score, and has been third at Defender Burghley Horse Trials three times.

Five British horses at Kentucky five-star

The other British entries for the five-star at Kentucky this year are Galileo Nieuwmoed, ridden by David Doel, Brookfield Quality, with Tom McEwen, and Plot Twist B with Kentucky first-timer Tom Jackson.

Ireland’s Padraig McCarthy, who is based in Devon, also travels to the event with Pomp N Circumstance, as does Dorset-based New Zealander Tim Price with Vitali and Global Quest.

The home side’s Buck Davidson is the latest withdrawal from Kentucky, with Cooley Candyman. Buck still starts on the experienced Sorocaima.

There are 31 pairs are set to go to post in the five-star at Kentucky next week. The first horse inspection takes place on Wednesday, the dressage on Thursday and Friday, the cross-country on Saturday and the final horse inspection and showjumping on Sunday. Find out how you can access the Kentucky Three-Day Event live stream.

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14 to watch in Kentucky – can one of these pairs take the 2026 title next week?

Pippa Roome — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:58:32 +0000

Who are the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event riders with a chance of winning next week’s US spring five-star (23-26 April)?

Tom McEwen starts as favourite with Brookfield Quality, but behind him, it’s a relatively open field with about half the field having a chance of taking home the title. Let’s find out who the leading Kentucky Three-Day Event riders for 2026 are…

Kentucky Three-Day Event riders to watch for 2026

Whether you’ve got your tickets or are watching from home, these are the combinations you need on your radar.

1. Boyd Martin (USA) and Miks Master C

14-year-old bay gelding, by Mighty Magic out of a mare by Flyinge Quite Easy 958, owned by OHP Hammertime Partners

This horse was third here with Liz Halliday in 2023, with Boyd Martin taking over the ride after her serious accident in 2024. This will be Miks Master C’s first five-star run since then. He and Boyd have been in the top 10 at all four of their four-star starts, including winning one, and with a sub-30 dressage test every time. Their record suggests either time-faults could be their Achilles’ heel – or Boyd has only really pressed that button once. We’ll find out which in the next few weeks at either Kentucky or Badminton Horse Trials, as this pair have entries at both.

5. Tim Price (NZL) and Global Quest

13-year-old by Gelding, by Metropole out of a mare by Big Sink Hope, owned by Diana and Lance Morrish

This horse was produced by the late Georgie Campbell and has been with Tim Price since 2024. He was fourth at Boekelo 2024, then completed his first five-star at Pau Horse Trials last year. The Dorset-based rider will want to improve on his first and last-phase performances from Pau at this second five-star. Warmed up with second in the advanced at Thoresby, beaten only by his stablemate and fellow Kentucky contender Vitali.

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed at Badminton in 2025. (Image credit: Nico Morgan)

8. David Doel (GBR) and Galileo Nieuwmoed

15-year-old dark bay gelding, by Carambole out of a mare by Harcos, rider, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas

This experienced pair’s 12 five-star starts have yielded eight top-15 finishes, including eighth here and second at Burghley in 2023. They fell at both Badminton and Burghley last time, but made amends with ninth at Pau in the autumn. David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed are leaderboard climbers rather than first-phase stars.

9. Will Coleman (USA) and Diabolo

14-year-old dark bay gelding, by Diarado out of a mare by Aljano 2, owned by Diabolo Group

Hailing from the Tinney family in Australia, Diabolo has been with Will Coleman since 2023. He’s won three times at CCI4*-S in the past two years, including at Kentucky 2024, a result which earned him a direct reserve listing to Will’s world team silver medallist Off The Record for the Paris Olympics – he was called up but then withdrawn at the last minute himself with a hoof abscess. He now tackles his first five-star, so he’s new to the level, but will be one to watch.

12. Phillip Dutton (USA) and Possante

13-year-old bay gelding, by Namelus R out of a mare by Otangelo, owned by The Possante Group

Produced in Britain from two- to four-star level by Emily King, when he was called Imposant, this horse has been with Phillip Dutton since January 2023 and gained five top-10 four-star results since then, including a win at Unionville last autumn. He can do a mid-to-low 20s dressage at that level and Phillip knows what it takes to win here (2008 on Connaught) so don’t discount him despite it being the horse’s first run at five-star.

14. Tom Jackson (GBR) and Plot Twist B

11-year-old bay gelding, by Plot Blue out of a mare by Concorde, owned by Mary Harris and Ruth McMullen

Last year’s Pau runner-up, on his dressage score, having also completed Pau with a clear cross-country jumping round the year before but been retired at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in between. He’s also previously been seventh in the young horse class at Blenheim Horse Trials and obtained the same placing at CCI4*-L at Bramham Horse Trials. He’s likely to be pegged by his dressage, but can move up the ranks. Tom Jackson makes his Kentucky debut.

16. Boyd Martin (USA) and Cooley Nutcracker

12-year-old black gelding, by BMC Tolan R out of a mare by Cobra, owned by Liz’s Nutcrackers

Another horse who came to Boyd after Liz Halliday was injured. He was her ride at the Paris Olympics (called up when Diabolo was withdrawn), where they finished at creditable 19th. He and Boyd were third at Pau last year and have also had three top-10 four-star placings together, including a win. Although he probably won’t lead the dressage, he should be sub-30 to be competitive and has the form to back that up in the following phases.

17. Harry Meade (GBR) and Superstition

17-year-old bay gelding by Satisfaction FRH out of a mare by Cordalame, owned by Mandy Gray and rider

Harry took over this ride from Lucy Jackson in late 2019 and they have a great five-star record – fifth at Kentucky 2021, two sevenths at Maryland 2021 and 2022, 12th at Burghley 2024 and sixth at Badminton last year. The horse finds competing stressful so Harry takes the novel approach of doing it sparingly and simply preparing him for the big ones at home; don’t be deceived by the fact he hasn’t run since Badminton last year as this won’t put Harry off in the slightest. Should be top six again.

Monica Spencer and Artist on the way to a top-10 finish at Kentucky 2025. (Image credit: Amy Dragoo)

22. Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist

15-year-old bay gelding, by Guillotine out of a mare by Volksraard, owned by Spencer Eventing

This pair consolidated a string of great five-star results – seventh at Maryland 2023, 11th at Burghley in 2024 and seventh and eighth at Kentucky 2024 and 2025 – by finishing second at Maryland 5 Star last term, having led after both the first two phases but had two down in the showjumping ring. “Max” is a good-moving thoroughbred and could be the dressage leader. Time-faults across country and showjumping rails are their nemesis and will probably prevent a win but can certainly be top six. Monica is based in the USA, having moved in the winter of 2023/2024.

29. Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality

17-year-old bay gelding, by OBOS Quality 004, owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn

On paper, the favourites, but there’s a strong chasing pack behind them. Tom and “Nervous Norris” were fifth here last year – when time-faults were their major failing – and third at Pau 2024. They also have two retirements on their five-star scorecard, so not totally consistent, but on their best form, they are pillar-to-post leaders. The Brookfield owners tend to shift their horses between riders and this one has been with Tom since 2022, having previously been competed by Piggy March.

32. Tim Price (NZL) and Vitali

16-year-old bay gelding, by Contender out of a Heraldik mare, owned by Alexander and Joseph Giannamore and rider

Vitali has a 100% record for finishing in the top 10 across his eight five-star results – and has been close to winning numerous times, only to be let down by his showjumping. He prepped for this with a win in the advanced at Thoresby, but we all know the final phase is a different game for him after cross-country. He hasn’t jumped on a surface in that phase at five-star since Luhmühlen 2022, so perhaps that will help him and he’ll finally get that victory – it would be an incredibly popular result.

Boyd Martin and Commando 3 en route to second at Kentucky 2025. Credit Amy Dragoo (Image credit: creditUnknown)

33. Boyd Martin (USA) and Commando 3

13-year-old bay gelding, by Connor 48 out of a mare by Amigo xx, owned by Yankee Creek Ranch LLC

Having fallen at Maryland in 2024, Boyd was the runner-up here last year on Commando 3, when he said he could be “a career-changing horse” for him. They followed up with third at Maryland in the autumn – when he said the best is yet to come for Commando and that next year he’d “like to hopefully try to win one of these things”. They certainly have as good a chance as any of the home side. Commando 3 came from Sweden’s Louise Romeike, joining Boyd in 2023.

Harry Meade and Grafennacht on the way to fourth at Kentucky Three-Day Event 2025. (Image credit: Amy Dragoo)

34. Harry Meade (GBR) and Grafennacht

14-year-old bay mare, by Birkhof’s Grafenstolz out of a mare by Narew, owned by Amanda Gould

Harry took over this mare after William Fox-Pitt’s retirement – she was in the top 15 at Badminton twice with her former rider. Last year, the pair won Montelibretti CCI4*-L and were fourth at Kentucky. If Harry could get a few more marks from “Lillie” in the dressage – certainly possible, as William managed it – she could be his long-awaited first five-star winner.

35. Caroline Pamukcu (USA) and HSH Blake

11-year-old black gelding, by BMC Tolan R out of a mare by Kannan, owned by Mollie Hoff, rider’s mother Sherrie Martin, rider and her husband Deniz

Caroline has three horses entered but this is probably the only one with a real win chance. He was a serious talking horse in the build-up to Paris 2024, where inexperience perhaps caught up with both of them and they finished 36th. Caroline then had a baby in January 2025 – named Blake after the horse – and, having staged a fast comeback, landed fourth at Maryland last year, the horse’s first five-star. Could lead the dressage so the first two phases won’t be over until this chap has his say – and he could go last on the final day too.

Don’t forget there are also three young British riders among the Kentucky Three-Day Event riders in the CCI4*-S this year, so if you’re watching the Kentucky live stream you’ll want to keep an eye on them too.

To get your tickets, visit kentuckythreedayevent.com

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Who will be first to ride at Kentucky Three-Day Event and when will the Brits go?

Becky Murray — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:49:22 +0000

Boyd Martin has been given number one in the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event draw (23-26 April), although whether he is actually first down the centreline will depend on final withdrawals as riders confirm entries across Kentucky and the Mars Badminton Horse Trials.

The four-time Olympian has been drawn first in the CCI5* with OHP Hammertime Partners’ Miks Master C – although the 14-year-old gelding remains in the Badminton entries and will not run at both. Boyd is 16th to go with Liz’s Nutcrackers Cooley Nutcracker and 33rd with Yankee Creek Ranch’s Commando 3.

World number one Harry Meade is second to go with Et Hop Du Matz and 17th with Superstition, both owned by Harry and Mandy Gray, and second-last with Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht. Although he can ride all three at Kentucky, it is expected that he will only take two to the US. Harry has five entered for Badminton; Cavalier Crystal (Charlotte and Peter Opperman), Et Hop Du Matz, Superstition, Grafennacht and Annaghmore Valoner (Stephen and Dinah Posford and Jules Carter) and can ride up to three here.

Brit David Doel is drawn eighth with the experienced Galileo Nieuwmoed – owned by David, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas – and Tom Jackson will start 14th with Plot Twist B, owned by Ruth McMullen and Mary Harris. Tom McEwen is 29th to go with John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality.

New Zealand’s Tim Price starts fifth with Lance and Diana Morrish’s Global Quest and 32nd with Vitali, owned by Tim and Joseph and Alexander Giannamore.

There was a surprise withdrawal from Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, winners of Maryland 5 Star in 2003. The pair have also withdrawn from Badminton.

Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4*-S draw

Three young Brits are entered in the Cosequin CCI4*-S, thanks to a support package from the new Rising Lions initiative – Elizabeth Barratt, Isabelle Cook, and Finn Healy. Finn is number 121 with his own Greannanstown Monbeg Joe, Isabelle and Cymoon F Z (Tina Cook and Jim Chromiak) will wear number 130 and Elizabeth and Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau (Barratt Eventing) are 136.

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‘One of those things’: five-star winner ruled out of Kentucky and Badminton

Becky Murray — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:58:21 +0000

Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue will not contest a spring five-star, following a “setback in training”.

The 2023 Maryland 5 Star winners were entered for both Mars Badminton Horse Trials (6-10 May) and Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (23-26 April) and were expected to compete at the latter. After withdrawing from Badminton yesterday (8 April), they have now also withdrawn from Kentucky.

Austin confirmed to H&H that he and 17-year-old Colorado Blue – who were third at Badminton last year and runners-up at Defender Burghley Horse Trials – would not be travelling to the US.

“He’s had a bit of a setback in training, but hopefully it’s fairly short-term. We’re going to give Badminton and Kentucky a miss this time, and hopefully have him back out in five or six weeks,” said Austin.

Austin and Colorado Blue finished sixth in Thoresby Park’s four-star Grantham Cup at the weekend (3–5 April) in what was their prep run for Kentucky.

“He was on great old form, it’s just one of those things. We’re going to miss a five-star this spring but it’s not the end of the world,” he said.

“Hopefully we’ll have Aachen [the World Championships on 11-23 August] to look forward to.”

As reported yesterday, Ireland’s Joseph Murphy has withdrawn Belline Fighting Spirit from Kentucky – but he remains on the Badminton entry list, so is expected to run at the Gloucestershire event.

Padraig McCarthy is now the only remaining Irish entry for Kentucky, with Rachel and Sarah Gough’s and his own Pomp N Circumstance. There are 35 entries remaining from the original 37 for the US CCI5* – find out which Kentucky Three-Day Event riders are in with a chance.

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Recent withdrawals mean Badminton and Kentucky entry lists start to firm up

Pippa Roome — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:33:47 +0000

The entry lists for the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (22-26 April) and Mars Badminton Horse Trials (6-10 May) are starting to firm up, as the latest withdrawals come in.

Austin O’Connor has today withdrawn his 2023 Maryland 5 Star winner Colorado Blue from Badminton, so he is firmly expected to board the plane to Kentucky.

Another Irish rider, Joseph Murphy, has withdrawn Belline Fighting Spirit from Kentucky; he remains on the Badminton entry list, so is likely to run at the Gloucestershire event.

Ian Cassells, part of the Irish silver medal-winning team at last year’s Europeans with Millridge Atlantis, is also among the latest Badminton Horse Trials withdrawals, with Master Point. They came 13th there last year on their debut at the event.

Badminton final scores

Harry Meade has withdrawn Cavalier Crystal from Kentucky, leaving Et Hop Du Matz, Grafennacht and Superstition as his potential rides for that event. It is possible for riders to pilot three horses at Kentucky, although it would be very unusual for an overseas rider to do so and it’s likely Harry’s hand will thin to two mounts before the horses travel to the US.

Harry still has five entries at Badminton; Cavalier Crystal, Et Hop Du Matz, Superstition, Grafennacht and Annaghmore Valoner. He can ride up to three horses at Badminton, so the most probable scenario is that Harry will have two starters at Kentucky and three at his local five-star, Badminton.

David Doel’s top horse Galileo Nieuwmoed remains on the entry list for both Kentucky and Badminton. David’s plan A is to take Galileo to Kentucky, leaving him with Ferro Point and Midnight Rollercoaster at Badminton. The British rider’s three horses are double-entered at Badminton, so he only has two entries between the three horses and does not plan to ride three there.

US rider Boyd Martin has Miks Master C as a possible starter at both Kentucky and Badminton. It seems likely his intention is to take him to Badminton, and Commando 3 and Cooley Nutcracker to Kentucky.

Finally, Hayden Hankey told H&H his ride Fools In Love had colic surgery last Wednesday (1 April) so he is expected to be withdrawn from his planned Badminton debut.

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New programme gives three young British riders chance to compete at Kentucky

Pippa Roome — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:06:07 +0000

Three young British riders will contest the Cosequin CCI4*-S at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (23-26 April) this year, thanks to a support package from a new “privately funded initiative” called Rising Lions.

The three pairs are Elizabeth Barratt, 20, with Barratt Eventing’s Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau, Isabelle Cook, 21, on her mother Tina Cook and Jim Cromiak’s Cymoon “F” Z and Finn Healy, 21, with his own Greannanstown Monbeg Joe. Elizabeth is also entered on Georgina-W, owned by Barratt Eventing, but that horse’s trip is not funded by Rising Lions.

“Rising Lions is currently backed by a small number of individuals who are keen to support the next generation of talent in this country,” a spokesperson for the programme told H&H. “If and to the extent it becomes more established, they may seek to partner with businesses and/or other like-minded individuals in order to increase the opportunities offered.

“The idea of Rising Lions came about from a discussion recognising that younger riders often only ever get the opportunity to compete overseas if they are part of a championship team.

“That itself is obviously fantastic experience, but it was felt that if there were more opportunities for up-and-coming British based riders to compete throughout Europe and beyond in high-profile events, not only would that better prepare them for championships but also help them acquire the tools needed more generally for them to keep forging their way towards a career at the top of the sport.”

Rising Lions is looking to fill a gap, rather than interfere with or compete with existing programmes and initiatives.

“It has nothing to do with championship programmes and is independent of British Eventing, with British Eventing having no role in deciding which riders are invited to travel with the Rising Lions,” the spokesperson said.

“Similarly, initiatives like The Howden Way are already doing an amazing job supporting talented young riders, and on a much greater scale than anything Rising Lions can offer. If Rising Lions can complement this existing support we hope that can only be a good thing and for the benefit of the sport as a whole,” said the spokesperson.

British Eventing CEO Rosie Williams said: “This is a fantastic initiative, and it’s great to see some of our talented young riders given the opportunity to experience not only the competition but all the elements involved in safely travelling horses — and themselves — to a different time zone and vastly different conditions.

“It’s also a pleasure to work closely with Vanessa Coleman from Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, as well as US Equestrian and Rising Lions, to support this programme, and we look forward to welcoming some American riders to our shores soon.”

Vanessa Coleman, CEO of Equestrian Events, Inc, organisers of Kentucky, said: “We look forward to giving this team of under-25 riders from Great Britain a warm Kentucky welcome and making sure that everyone has an amazing experience!”

Rising Lions: how the riders were chosen for Kentucky

The Kentucky trip is described as “effectively a test run, but something which has been a long time in the planning”.

“A key milestone was meeting with the Kentucky team when they were over for Burghley last year, something which gave us an extremely helpful insight into the event and everything it would involve, including for both riders and horses,” said the spokesperson.

“Kentucky could not have been more helpful and it has been fantastic to see their enthusiasm for what Rising Lions are trying to do. Hopefully other events will be willing to work with us in the same way going forward.

“That meeting with Kentucky was also the starting point for discussions about which riders might be invited on this first trip. What we had not realised was that the Kentucky CCI4*-S is typically heavily oversubscribed and rather than a random ballot, entries are selected based on individual rider FEI world rankings.

“That immediately substantially narrowed the field of under-25 riders we could consider, particularly in light of the fact we needed to start planning early and no one could give us any guarantee on where the cut off might fall in 2026.

“We were also advised that Kentucky would be adding additional performance-related entry requirements for the first time in 2026.

“Amongst other things, for example, this meant from our perspective we would only be looking at horse and rider combinations who had already completed a four-star with a clear cross-country during 2025.

“Putting all that together left us with a short list of individuals who would fit all the criteria imposed on us. We sought input from a few different people within the sport and ultimately came to a decision.

“Unlike selecting a championship team, this was not a case of making a statement about who we think is most likely to win a medal at the current time, rather it was a question of which horse and rider combinations might benefit the most from this particular opportunity.

“There are lots of very deserving riders out there, but we are delighted to be working with Isabelle, Finn and Elizabeth this time round, all of whom are receiving a carefully designed and comprehensive support package for their exciting trip.”

Asked about future plans for the programme, the spokesperson said: “A lot might depend on whether we consider the Kentucky trip to be a success, something which will in large part be measured in terms of what the individual riders are able to get out of it.

“However, there have already been a lot of discussions about what events we might decide to target next, as well as offering other riders the opportunity.

“We really like team concepts and in an ideal world we can get some other nations to embrace what we are doing. If the Rising Lions could take on a team from the home nation (or even multiple nations!) at each event we go to that would be fantastic. If this ended up being the forerunner to some sort of age group Nations Cup programme that is something we would consider a huge success.”

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Four British riders among ‘one of the highest-rated’ Kentucky five-star fields ‘on record’

Lucy Elder — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:23:15 +0000

World number one Harry Meade heads the British entries for the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (23 to 26 April).

Four British riders are among the 37 entries for the sole US CCI5* this spring.

Harry has four horses entered, including Et Hop Du Matz and Grafennacht, with whom he finished third and fourth respectively at Kentucky last year. He also has Superstition and Cavalier Crystal on the list for Kentucky at this stage.

All four of Harry’s possible rides are also entered at Badminton, and will not run at both, but holding entries at both spring five-stars keeps his options open at this stage.

Joining Harry in the British camp are Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality, who were fifth at Kentucky last year, 2025 Pau runners-up Tom Jackson and Plot Twist B, and David Doel with his great five-star campaigner Galileo Nieumoed. David and Galileo Nieumoed are also entered at Badminton.

New Zealand’s Tim Price is among the other key contenders set to cross the pond next month. He is entered with Global Quest and five-star stalwart Vitali. Ireland has three entered: five-star winners Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, Padraig McCarthy and Pomp N Circumstance, and Joseph Murphy and Belline Fighting Spirit. Both Austin and Joseph are also entered for Badminton with their potential Kentucky campaigners.

World number two Boyd Martin leads the charge for the home side. Boyd’s Kentucky entries are his 2025 Kentucky runner-up Commando 3, as well as Miks Master C, who finished third in 2023 with Liz Halliday, and Cooley Nutcracker, whom Liz rode at Paris 2024 and who has twice finished in the top 10 at five-star.

“With so many world-class combinations entered in this year’s event, Kentucky will celebrate one of its highest-rated fields on record,” said a Defender Kentucky spokesperson.

“There are four CCI5*-winning riders in the line-up: Boyd Martin, Tom McEwen, Austin O’Connor and Tim Price, who will be looking for his seventh victory at this level. Price also has the highest-rated horse, Vitali, on the entry list, with both Vitali and Colorado Blue ranked among the world’s top 10 eventing horses.”

For the full 2026 Defender Kentucky entries list, visit: https://www.kentuckythreedayevent.com/5-entries-and-ride-times

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The rider flying between hemispheres for her spring five-star prep – and the fellow thoroughbred lover who makes it possible

Pippa Roome — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:18:49 +0000

Sophia Hill revealed her busy spring schedule flying between hemispheres after finishing third in the $100,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing Showcase at Bruce’s Field, Aiken, South Carolina last week (27-28 February).

The 28-year-old rider competed in Britain in 2024, including finishing 22nd at Burghley Horse Trials with her top horse Humble Glory, but is opting to base herself between her native Australia and the USA this spring, having been back Down Under last season.

Former racehorse Humble Glory, by Bernardini, has been stabled with US-based New Zealand rider Monica Spencer since Maryland 5 Star last autumn, in which the pair finished sixth.

Sophia Hill has a business and a full yard of other competition horses at home, so she opted to leave “Hughie” with Monica and travel back and forth while preparing for this spring’s Kentucky Three-Day Event (23-26 April).

While she’s away, Monica rides the horse – and she’s well qualified to prepare a thoroughbred for five-star as she was second at Maryland last year on Artist and has been seventh and eighth at Kentucky on him.

Sophia flew into the US to compete in a combined event at Ocala, Florida ahead of the eventing showcase. She returned to Australia the day after, and will be back in the USA to to compete Humble Glory at The Event at TerraNova CCI4*-S (26-29 March). She will fly back to her homeland to compete at Adelaide CCI5* (16-19 April), then head back to the USA to contest Kentucky.

“It’s a lot of flying”

“It’s a lot of flying, but it’s actually easier for us doing it like this than basing in the US, because we have a team of horses in Australia,” said Sophia, who also has a two-year-old child to look after.

“We also have an income in Australia and we’re really lucky. We’re great friends with Monica and really trust her to leave Hughie with her. If it wasn’t for her, this wouldn’t be possible.”

Sophia and Humble Glory were the fastest pair of the day over Jay Hambly’s cross-country course at the showcase.

She said: “We’re pretty much following Monica’s prep to Kentucky and she was coming here, and it’s an awesome event, and there’s some good prize money. We thought ‘Maybe we can help fund Hughie’s time in the US and get some prize money!’”

The pair were 19th after dressage on a score of 35.1, but Sophia was the sole rider to finish on her first-phase score, which was rewarded with a podium place. Phillip Dutton won with Denim and Elisa Wallace was second with Lissavorra Quality

“That was so much fun. I’ve never done a cross-country quite like that,” she said.”It was just like, jump, jump, jump, and everything came up so fast, but I couldn’t have been sat on a better horse for it. He’s just so agile, has such quick acceleration, just loves to gallop and the jumps back him off. He was amazing.”

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Advance tickets for the 2026 Kentucky Three-Day Event are available now

georgia.guerin@futurenet.com (Georgia Guerin) — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:23:09 +0000

Kentucky Three-Day Event tickets are now available for the 2026 event, which will be held 23–26 April 2026, and you can get them at an ‘advance sale’ price.

If you’re heading to the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, you’ll need a ground admission ticket to access the Kentucky Horse Park grounds, the Kentucky Three-Day Event international trade fair and parking. If you want to watch the dressage or showjumping in the arena, you’ll also need a grandstand ticket. The details for all ticket types, along with current pricing, are below.

Kentucky Three-Day Event entry tickets

Early-bird tickets are no longer available, but you can still save money booking in advance with the current ‘advanced sale’ rates. These are valid until 12 March 2026. From 13 March, tickets will be sold at full event price.

Grandstand ticket prices vary dependent on seat position. All prices listed include taxes and fees. Group discounts (6–50) are available.

Dressage day 1 (Thursday 23 April)

Ground admission: $28

Grandstand ticket: From $25.80

Dressage day 2 (Friday 24 April)

Ground admission: $28

Grandstand ticket: From $25.80

Cross-country day (Saturday 25 April)

Ground admission: $55.50

Showjumping day (Sunday 26 April)

Ground admission: $51.10

Grandstand ticket: From $28

Kentucky International CSI5* tickets

Returning for the eighth year, the Kentucky International is the $400,000 CSI5* invitational grand prix showjumping class held as part of the Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Grandstand ticket: From $27.50

Two-day hospitality package: $291

Three-day hospitality package: $391

(Image credit: creditUnknown)

Kentucky Three-Day Event season tickets

Four-day tickets (Thursday to Sunday)

If you plan to attend the whole event, a four-day season ticket will cost $130 per person. These need to be bought in advance and they do not include grandstand seating tickets.

Three-day tickets (Friday to Sunday)

These three-day season tickets cost $123 per person. These need to be bought in advance and they do not include grandstand seating tickets.

Parking

Parking is included in the price of the ground admission tickets, but if you would like to add preferred parking to your experience, this will cost $261 and is valid across the whole event.

Kentucky Three-Day Event hospitality tickets

There are three different types of hospitality available – Five Star Club, Lexington Club and Kentucky Club – as well as the Membership Pavilion, which is new this year. Prices start at $361.

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‘It’s obvious why riders love Kentucky,’ says H&H’s Pippa Roome

Pippa Roome — Thu, 01 May 2025 09:28:35 +0000

H&H magazine and eventing editor Pippa Roome reflects on the Defender-sponsored US five-star and shares her favourites to win the title at Mars Badminton

Kentucky is one of those places where they say, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” Event week this year lived up to that, with everything from biting wind to monsoon-like rain and blazing sun.

Ask any foreign rider why they come to Kentucky and they say they just love it there; it’s easy to see why. The permanent facilities at the Kentucky Horse Park are excellent, the main stadium is impressive and Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course always gets a result without punishing horses.

The Americans also can’t do enough for their visitors. You know as soon as they hear a British accent, they’ll ask where you’re from and give you a warm welcome. At the Wednesday night party for riders, connections and officials – held at the immaculate sales complex at Fasig-Tipton – they lay on a lavish buffet and free bar.

I flew to Kentucky early this year and spent four days with family as tourists before the event. I’d never even looked at the horse park’s offerings, including a 64,000sq ft museum dedicated to horses, and there’s plenty to do in the local area too, from watching racing or early morning training at Keeneland to bourbon distillery tours and much more.

The riders who travel to Kentucky from Europe are understandably the cream of their country’s crop – few people will put a horse on a plane without even a hope of winning back their airfare. Boyd Martin proved he can mix it with those competitors, with three horses in the top seven, all of whom put in double jumping clears, but otherwise the US riders were off the pace.

There were bright sparks for the home side in their first-timers, all five of whom completed. At opposite ends of the age scale, Mary Bess Davis, 46, and Shannon Lilley, 45, have both had long journeys to five-star – while Cassie Sanger is just 20 and will be in Britain later this year, based with Ros Canter, courtesy of the Wilton Fair Grant.

The US team don’t have a championship this year – their regional championship, the Pan American Games, is four-yearly, falling in the season before the Olympics, unlike our Europeans, which take place every other year. That will give time for new team managers Leslie Law and Karyn Shuter to establish themselves and build towards the Aachen World Championships in 2026.

Olympians head-to-head at Badminton

Trying to pick a winner in the Mars Badminton Horse Trials field, it’s hard to see past Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo, who won there in 2023, were European champions that season and took Burghley last autumn after team gold in Paris. Ros was a wide-margin winner two years ago, which might not happen again in easier conditions, but “Walter” has only gained in experience since then.

Their closest challengers could well be their Olympic team-mates Tom McEwen and JL Dublin or Oliver Townend and the all-time great Ballaghmor Class, who has an extraordinarily consistent five-star record, iced by four wins, although none of them at Badminton (yet). Tom starts with the benefit of having got his eye in for a big track at Kentucky.

If you want a longer-priced one to watch, consider Tim Price and Vitali. This lovely little horse has historically been let down by his showjumping and his single fence down at Burghley last year to hold second drew a huge cheer in the press office; it was one of the moments of the season. Hopefully it wasn’t a one-off.

The Prices didn’t have luck on their side in Kentucky – only one of Tim’s three rides went clear across country and two, including the well-placed Jarillo, were withdrawn on Sunday morning, while Jonelle had a run-out on Hiarado. Team Price will hope to turn the tide in Gloucestershire.

● Who do you fancy for the Badminton title? Write to hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine

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See pictures of one rider’s incredible save to stay on board at Kentucky – and find out what people were shouting as she went across country

Pippa Roome — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 11:30:25 +0000

US rider Emily Hamel and her mount Corvett provided the drama in the final phase of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event last week. Corvett has a helicopter jumping style, going very high over his fences, and at fence seven on Sunday, one of his leaps went stratospheric. He jumped his pilot out of the saddle, meaning she had to perform a brilliant save to stay on.

“That was unexpected and doesn’t happen that often, but I was like, ‘We have come too far. I am not falling off.’ He’s a crowd pleaser, so I think that was part of why he did it,” said Emily.

Emily had to circle while regaining her seat, incurring four faults, and also had 6.8 time-penalties. But in the end, she only lost one rank on her overnight place and finished 12th.

Corvett’s leap over fence seven, which so nearly resulted in a fall for rider Emily Hamel. (Image credit: Amy Dragoo)

Emily Hamel hangs on tight after Corvett’s unseating leap – and manages to get back in the saddle and continue her round. (Image credit: Amy Dragoo)

The crowd were willing the US rider to stay on board and keep her 100% five-star completion record with the popular grey Corvett.

The pair have started and finished nine times at the top level, their best results including seventh at Maryland 5 Star last year, 20th at Burghley Horse Trials in 2022, 10th at Kentucky in 2023 and 15th at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in 2024. Their five-star results have been recorded across five different events as they have also had a run around Badminton Horse Trials.

At Kentucky this year, Emily Hamel and Corvett, known as Barry, went clear across country with 10.8 time-faults – and cross-country day was particularly special for them.

“It’s his birthday today and people around the course were shouting, ‘Happy birthday Barry!’ It was so sweet, I almost wanted to cry,” said Emily.

Talking about their round, she added: “It rode a little harder than I thought and I don’t know if it was because the footing’s a little bit soft, but he tried so hard out there. He was really nippy when he needed to be – like if he had to add a stride quickly, he’s just so honest.

“We have had such a long partnership and I’m trying not to take that for granted because he’s 18 this year. Every time I get to go around a five-star with him, it’s pretty special.”

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‘Greatest event rider ever’ takes his fifth Kentucky title

Pippa Roome — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 21:22:57 +0000

Michael Jung topped the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event results this afternoon, winning his second title here with FischerChipmunk FRH and his fifth in all.

The Olympic champions clipped fence three in today’s showjumping, but they had entered the arena with two rails in hand and nothing else fell, so they won with a comfortable 7.8-penalty margin.

“So many things can go wrong – it’s happened a few times to me, but I believe in my horse and I’ve always had luck here – without luck you win nothing,” said Michael.

“I’m very thankful for everything, for such a good horse, for my owners, for my family, all the people who work in the background. I’m sitting here, but it’s a big win for everybody in my team, all the other horses I ride and train and all my friends and family who help me get here.”

FischerChipmunk – who belongs to Michael’s father Joachim, the German Olympic committee for equestrian sport and Klaus and Sabine Fischer – is 17 years old now. He also won here in 2022, while Michael won the Kentucky title with FischerRocana FST in 2015, 2016 and 2017, as well as taking individual gold at the 2010 World Equestrian Games here on La Biosthetique-Sam FBW.

US rider Boyd Martin jumped clear to finish second in the Kentucky Three-Day Event results and land the national championship title on Commando 3.

He said: “Michael is an inspiration to me – I often watch videos and try to copy him. I’ve never seen a rider so good in all three phases and he’ll be remembered as one of greatest event riders ever.

“I was thinking this morning I had two chances of winning – maybe Michael went to the strip club last night and had too much bourbon or maybe he goes off course, otherwise I’m grateful for second place.”

Harry Meade added that Michael is “hands down, without a doubt, the greatest event rider there has ever been”.

“I don’t think there will be anyone better ever – when you are living in the moment of an extraordinary thing happening, you don’t appreciate it, but I think he’ll be remembered in 50 years time as the best there ever was,” he said.

Of the 12-year-old Commando 3 – who is known as “Connor” and owned by Yanke Creek Ranch, LLC – Boyd said: “Last year I had him as a back-up for the Olympics. I didn’t even do a long format with him so he’s very untested coming into this. So I didn’t know what I was in for and he pulled it off.

“I think he could be a career changing horse for me.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event results: top five overnight unchanged

The showjumping did not change the order of the top five overnight in the Kentucky Three-Day Event results, with Harry Meade holding third and fourth and Tom McEwen fifth.

Boyd also kept the sixth place he occupied at the start of the phase when he finished one second over the time on Fedarman B.

The US rider and his third mount Luke 140 swapped places with New Zealand’s Monica Spencer, Luke’s jumping clear earning him seventh and Monica finishing eighth with two fences down and three seconds over the time on Artist.

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A bitless bridle and brilliant jumping – British riders claim three top-five places at Kentucky

Pippa Roome — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 20:44:46 +0000

Harry Meade finished third and fourth after two good rounds to hold his overnight places in the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event showjumping on Et Hop Du Matz and Grafnnacht – and Tom McEwen also retained his provisional ranking, claiming fifth on Brookfield Quality in a good week for Britain.

“They were brilliant. I’ve been fifth, fourth and third here now,” smiled Harry, who was fifth on Superstition in 2021, leaving it for the journalists to fill in that perhaps we can expect second and first in the future.

Harry jumped out of order on Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht, who was fourth overnight. Memories of this mare’s last five-star showjumping round, when she had a cricket score at Badminton Horse Trials last year with William Fox-Pitt, costing the pair the title, were in many minds, although she did also jump plenty of good rounds with William, including when second at Maryland 5 Star in 2023.

She rattled a few fences today, but Harry was able to coax her round with just the oxer in the middle of the treble at fence 11abc down, which did not alter her final placing.

“I thought she was super,” said Harry. “I’ve got a little bit of a hypothesis about her, which hopefully is proving to be effective, about jumping her off a curve the whole time, as well as jumping nothing big outside. And I was able to do that the whole way through the course. The only fence I couldn’t come off a curve to was the middle part of the treble and she had that down.”

Harry jumped Grafennacht in a bitless bridle here, as he did when the pair won the CCI4*-L at Montelibretti in March.

“If I think something isn’t brilliant, I try and just un-complicate it as much as possible, like everything off, and she quite likes it,” he explained.

Harry’s second ride, Mandy Gray’s and his own Et Hop Du Matz, jumped a secure clear.

“He’s a really proper, proper horse, and he went in and nailed everything,” said Harry. “It was fun just to school him round and and he really exceeded expectations. I felt it could have gone two holes higher.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event showjumping: McEwen holds fifth

Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality, owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry – just toppled the brown Appalachian mountains spread fence at number two.

“It was an uncharacteristic rail, but he jumped brilliantly and the rest of the round he was great,” said Tom “It’s his first time in this sort of atmosphere – he’s been down to Pau, which obviously is a cracking atmosphere in a full ring, but this is definitely the next step up so I’m really, really pleased with how his week’s gone.

“He’s feeling well fit and fresh and we’ve got a really cool five-star horse on our hands so it’s very, very exciting.”

Tom finished on the same score as Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. The pair could not be split by cross-country score as both had 10.4 time-faults, so the next differentiator in FEI competitions is dressage score, which gave Tom the edge, leaving him fifth and Boyd sixth.

Boyd also finished seventh on Luke 140 and second on Commando 3, behind winners Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH.

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Two horses held and one withdrawn at Kentucky final trot-up, plus two withdrawn before inspection including top-six contender

Pippa Roome — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 14:00:40 +0000

Three horses have left the five-star competition at or before the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event final trot-up.

The most significant from the point of view of the top of the leaderboard is Jarillo, Tim Price’s ride who is owned by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead, James and Rachel Good and who lay in sixth place overnight after a clear with 11.6 time-faults yesterday. He was withdrawn before the inspection.

Kentucky Three-Day Event final trot-up: two held

It wasn’t Tim’s morning, as another of his rides, his own and Sue Benson’s Falco (15th overnight), was sent to the holding box and the New Zealander then elected to withdraw. This leaves Tim with just Happy Boy (now lying 21st) in the competition.

Germany’s Calvin Böckmann and The Phantom Of The Opera (14th overnight) – who belongs to the Böckmann family – were also sent to the holding box, but the horse passed when re-presented to the ground jury, consisting of Christian Steiner of Austria, Denmark’s Anne-Mette Binder and Canada’s Peter Gray.

US-based Australian Ema Klugman also withdrew the syndicate-owned Bronte Beach Z (18th overnight) before the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event final trot-up.

Twenty-three horses remain in the five-star competition, with showjumping starting at 2.30pm local time (7.30pm British time).

Germany’s overnight leader Michael Jung has two fences in hand to win on his Olympic champion and 2022 Kentucky winner FischerChipmunk FRH, with US rider Boyd Martin sitting second on Commando 3.

Britain’s representatives are crowded in behind the leading pair, with Harry Meade third and fourth on Et Hop Du Matz and Grafennacht and world number one Tom McEwen fifth on Brookfield Quality. All three are within four faults – the equivalent of one showjump down – of Boyd so there is plenty of potential for movement in the final phase.

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Tom McEwen slips two spots in Kentucky cross-country: ‘I was dead set to make the time, but sometimes you have to ride what’s in front of you’

Pippa Roome — Sun, 27 Apr 2025 00:20:08 +0000

Tom McEwen holds fifth place after the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country, having finished with 10.4 time-faults on Brookfield Quality.

“‘Norris’ is incredible and he was brilliant,” said Tom. “He’s unique in every way and there were some individual moments, but he’s as straight as the day is long and he’ll sort his legs out and do anything he can for you.”

Tom McEwen was third after his dressage but his 26 seconds over the 11min 20sec optimum time on the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course meant he dropped two ranks on the scoreboard, with Michael Jung (FischerChipmunk FRH), Boyd Martin (Commando 3) and compatriot Harry Meade’s two horses (Et Hop Du Matz and Grafennacht) in front of him.

Tom and Brookfield Quality, who belongs to John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn, had an awkward jump at the ditch at the Care Credit Question, where the horse almost landed with his back legs before his front, and Tom said that rather set the tone of their round.

“I was dead set after trying to make the time, to be as smooth as I imagine Harry [Meade] was and I saw Mickey [Michael Jung] be, but sometimes you have to ride what’s in front of you,” said Tom.

“The only thing that I was disappointed with was my own decision to go long at the last water [Cosequin Cove] – maybe I should have gone straight, but I just felt that he was getting a little bit tired at that point. So I thought, you know what, he’s tried hard enough. Let’s give him a nice journey home and actually he jumped brilliantly all the way home.”

World number one Tom was “riding a finish” much of the way home and joked he’s now looking for a job with trainer Willie Mullins.

The rider said Derek di Grazia had “designed another brilliant track”.

“I thought the ground might have been a bit dead, but for me personally, it rode really well. I know our British horses are possibly more used to it than some others, but I thought it rode really good,” he concluded.

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Kentucky cross-country juggles scoreboard – but Michael Jung increases his leading margin

Pippa Roome — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 22:11:47 +0000

Michael Jung holds a commanding lead after the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country, sitting 11.8 penalties ahead of his nearest challenger.

The German rider put in the third fastest round of the day, with 2.4 time-faults, on FischerChipmunk FRH. Home side rider Boyd Martin (Commando 3) retains second place, with Britain’s Harry Meade in third and fourth after the only two clears inside the time over Derek di Grazia’s track.

“It was a great feeling. It’s a long time since I rode such a tough course, but I really believe in and trust my horse,” said Michael, who hasn’t competed at five-star since he and Chipmunk – who belongs to Michael’s father Joachim, the German Olympic committee for equestrian sport and Klaus and Sabine Fischer – won here in 2022.

“I know he’s a good runner, and he has so much scope. He’s 17 now, he’s very experienced, so I’m very, very lucky to have him.

“The ground was a bit softer that I expected, but still good at the jumps, it wasn’t bad. A few distances were longer than I thought, which might be partly to do with the ground.”

Michael Jung took one planned long route on the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course, opting for the slightly slower first element into Pete’s Hollow at fence 14abc, which was less upright and gave a straighter route through the combination.

“I thought there maybe the horses needed a breather after the big hill – that’s the highest point of the cross- country and I want to give him a more simple jump there,” he said.

Boyd Martin: ‘He’s a gutsy horse’

Boyd Martin added 6.8 time-faults on Yankee Creek Ranch, LLC’s Commando 3, which allowed him to keep his second place, but means Michael has an increased margin for error in the showjumping.

“He’s young and green and you just don’t know if they are true five-star horses until you arrive,” said Boyd. “I fell off him early at Maryland last year, but I was a bit rickety after falling off earlier that day, so I didn’t really worry about that too much.

“He felt very, very strong in his last run at Stable View four-star short, and I just thought we’d give it a crack.

“He really worked hard to get inside every flag for me, even though he’s green and a bit unorganised sometimes, but he’s a gutsy horse.”

Boyd Martin and Commando 3 at Kentucky 2025. (Image credit: Amy Dragoo)

Boyd rode three horses and said the ground was a little more chopped up on the turns and heavier by the time he went on out on Commando 3.

Boyd’s 10.4 time-faults on the Annie Goodwin Syndicate’s Fedarman B mean he has moved up from 11th to seventh, while his 16.8 time-penalties on the syndicate-owned Luke 140 slipped him from sixth to ninth.

Britain’s Tom McEwen now holds fifth, after 10.4 time-faults on Brookfield Quality – owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn – who was third after dressage.

Lucienne Bellissimo, a US-based British five-star first-timer, had an awkward jump over the ditch at the Care Credit Question and then a refusal at the following angled hedge. She and Dyri then had a further refusal at Fox’s Den Gate at fence eight and she pulled up a couple of fences later.

Jarillo best of Price’s three

New Zealand’s Tim Price had a slightly disappointing day after having three horses in the top 10 after dressage. He has moved up from equal seventh to sixth on Lucy Allison, Frances Stead, James and Rachel Good’s Jarillo, but didn’t manage jumping clears on either of his other rides.

“Jarillo was really good – he’s a wee, honest little horse with so much ability to dig himself out of a few green moments and that’s exactly what he did. And I thought he actually stayed in terms of stamina better than Pau. It’ll set him up for the future,” said Tim.

Happy Boy – owned by Susan Lamb, Therese Miller and Tim – broke a frangible at fence three and then had a couple of run-outs in what Tim described as an “educational round”. The pair were also stopped on course – in the middle of the Cosequin Cove water – because officials thought the horse had blood in his mouth, but were allowed to continue once the horse had been checked and it was clear there was no blood.

Tim had the opportunity to make a real impact on the leaderboard on final ride Falco, owned by his rider and Sue Benson, but the pair ended up a bit far off the first arrowhead out of the Cosequin Cove (fence 22abc) and so the two strides before the final element became long, the horse chipped in a third, ran out of space and refused.

The rider said: “Falco was just superb everywhere and was up on the time, and everything was a joy. But unfortunately, at the Cosequin Cove, he just went a bit lower with his belly over the first and he’s such a deliberate jumper, such a careful horse. He’s not like an old-fashioned eventer that would just step over no matter what. It just put us on a bit of a half distance, and he just put in a little stop.”

Derek di Grazia’s course rode very well and proved influential – there were 16 jumping clears from 33 starters and no serious injuries to horses or riders.

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British rider puts in only clears in time on Kentucky cross-country: ‘I tried to save a quarter of a second here and there’

Pippa Roome — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 21:23:07 +0000

Harry Meade put in the only two clear rounds inside the time over the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country course today. The British rider’s brilliant performances mean he has moved up from 17th after dressage to third on Mandy Gray and his own Et Hop Du Matz and from 18th to fourth with Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht.

After his second ride, Harry shared one of the tactics he used to put in such fast rounds: “I thought there was a repeat pattern at some of the fences where there was a sharp turn afterwards. For example, at the table before the Cosequin Cove water, I swung out onto fresh ground and then jumped that fence at 45 degrees back towards the direction of travel. I thought if I could save quarter of a second here and half second there, it would just eat back up to be inside the time.”

Harry’s first ride was the 11-year-old Et Hop Du Matz, who stormed round, taking all the direct routes.

“I’m thrilled with him,” said Harry. “I slightly boldly said he was probably the best cross-country horse I’ve ever sat on just before Maryland, where I fell off him and I felt a bit stupid, because he’s a sublime cross-country horse.

“He leaves the start box with a resting heart rate, a completely resting brain, and he is relaxed the whole way around, and he can read everything. He’s got time and he’s game and it’s all slow motion. He’s just cool, he’s rangey, he’s athletic.

“I said a couple years ago, I think he’s the best horse no one’s ever heard of, but I hoped he would come into his element. He’s still gangly and green and weak and I hope he’ll get better and better. And that took nothing out of him – he could have had two minutes longer on the course, or he could have had another six inches of rain in the last month, and it would have suited me even more.”

Harry said his only slight surprise was at the final water, the Cosequin Cove at fence 22abc, where he was planning to take six strides between the corgi in and the first triple brush arrowhead.

“I just saw a five and squeezed,” said Harry, who was then quite far off both triple brushes, but Et Hop Du Matz showed his scope and cleared them without any drama. “The only surprise for me was the scallop caught my foot in the air. That’s the nice thing about a good horse, they can take take off from a long way or a close spot, and both look fine.”

Harry Meade on Grafennacht: ‘She’s game and trusting’

Harry Meade set out at the end of the Kentucky Three-Day Event cross-country day on the former William Fox-Pitt ride Grafennacht, who he doesn’t know terribly well yet – they had a “good spin” around a CCI4*-L in Italy in March, where they won, but didn’t cross-country school before or after that as the ground was first too wet, then too firm.

“So I was actually coming in quite blind and still getting to know her a bit on the way round, and trying to adjust my riding to her,” he said.

Asked what he’s learnt about the mare today, he replied: “She’s a super game horse. She’s got a massive heart. She wouldn’t be the most sort of athletic, scopey horse that could fiddle if she was slightly wrong on a fence, but she’s very uncomplicated in her mind.

“The big thing for me was that she doesn’t like adding a stride. If she does, she hollows her back, drops her back, and slightly bundles through it. So it was just trying to keep galloping and standing her off everything. And I was really pleased with the ride she gave me through the Cosequin Cove water, because I took out a stride coming to the first brush, which then made the second one nice.

“That said, I did the opposite at the second water [the Rolex Crossing, 12abc] – she plopped into it. I spoke to William earlier today, and he said, ‘Just remember, she sort of plops into her water. She doesn’t jump generously out.’ And she did plop into that. So I just sat up and added a stride. But the great thing about cross-country riding is you can analyse these things, but a lot of it’s just reacting into the instincts in the moment. She’s a cool horse.”

Harry added that Grafennacht didn’t read the final angled brush element of the Care Credit Question at fence 6abc and he “sort of just held her to it, and she was very game and trusting”.

The mare also got a little close to the corner in the Defender Head of the Lake and twisted over it so he took a split second decision to take the long route out.

“I was trying not to chivvy her or harry her on the way round, but just to settle back into that good gallop, and just try, in a very un-interrupting way, to save quarter of a second at each fence,” he said.

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Meet the 20-year-old five-star talent who’s coming to compete in Britain this summer

Pippa Roome — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:03:18 +0000

Cassie Sanger is the youngest rider at this year’s Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event – and we’ll be seeing more of this promising talent in Britain later this year.

The 20-year-old US rider is a recipient of this year’s Wilton Fair Grant and will soon be coming over to the other side of the Atlantic to be based with Ros Canter. The Wilton Fair Fund, given by David and Cheryl Lenaburg in memory of their great event horse Wilton Fair, allows up to $100,000 (about £75,000) in grants to be given each year for educational opportunities for riders ages 29 and under who have not yet ridden for a senior team.

Cassie’s ride at Kentucky is the 12-year-old Redfield Fyre.

She said: “I’ve had him since I was 15 and I took him to his first event in the States. I’ve had him for pretty much exactly five years. He’s like a sibling to me; we’ve really grown up together. It’s cool to be here with a horse that I know so well, inside and out, and I think he knows me just as well.

“I just have loved getting to know him through every single level. Every experience that he’s had has been one that I’ve had with him. So that’s been a really key part to building such a strong partnership.”

Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre scored 38.6 in the first phase.

“That was probably one of the best tests he’s done in quite a while. I was really happy with him,” said Cassie.

“He got a little bit tense in the warm-up today and he had been so chill all week, so I did get a little on edge in the last five minutes. But he went in there and really tried to stay with me the whole way, which is just the most important thing. That’s all I could hope for. So I’m really proud of him today.”

Cassie said Redfield Fyre is “a tricky horse, especially on the flat, and on the ground he’s pretty emotional”. Over the past year, since he stepped up to four-star level, she has been working out the best routine for him.

“This whole week I’ve been riding him twice a day, but for shorter rides because he doesn’t have a ton of gas in the tank to keep working on the flat. It’s very hard for him. So I’m like, give me 15 minutes of your time and that’s it and we’ll be good,” she said.

Cassie is also a full-time student at the University of Richmond, studying journalism.

She explained: “We got a farm this past fall in Ocala which has been super exciting, so I’ve been there since December. When I’m not in Ocala at the farm, I’m at school and then the horses will sometimes come up north with me. So we’re all over and it’s a ton of moving parts.”

The rider has been trained by British 2004 Olympic champion Leslie Law for the past three years and also paid tribute to Darrah Alexander, who trained her for six years before Leslie.

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‘I had no feeling below the waist and was told I wouldn’t ride again’: an extraordinary five-star debut

Pippa Roome — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 09:28:38 +0000

Shannon Lilley thought she was on track to make it to five-star soon after winning Pan American team gold in 2011 on Ballingowan Pizazz. But as she put it, “Sometimes life has another plan.”

For Shannon, that involved a serious spinal injury, which doctors told her meant she would never ride again. But 13 years on from waking up one day unable to feel anything from the waist down, she makes her five-star debut this week at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Speaking after her dressage yesterday, Shanon Lilley said: “I had a disc explode and crush all the nerves at the back of the spinal column. I was lucky because it was below the cord, but I lost everything from my waist down – I could walk, but I had no sensation, no feeling and no pelvic function.”

She had emergency surgery, during which doctors decided against fusing the vertebrae and instead spent hours removing the fragmented disc material.

“It was a lot of rehab, like uncomfortable rehab for people to talk about,” said Shannon, whose problems included incontinence for the first year and having to catheterise herself.

“I have always been fairly strong mentally. I think that’s one of my strengths. And I wouldn’t take no for an answer. I wouldn’t settle for, ‘This is as good as it’s going to get and this is sort of what you have for the rest of your life.’ Maybe you call that defiant, I don’t know.

“I just thought, you just keep plugging away. There’s got to be a better way. If you work hard enough, it’ll get better. And it did. I did a ton of functional strength training, movement-based strength training, I was in the gym a lot doing things like that.”

Shannon Lilley: ‘Just get comfortable with your new body’

Alongside her physical recovery, Shannon Lilley had to grapple with what to do with her horses – eventually selling Ballingowan Pizazz to Alexandra Baugh, who won young rider individual gold and junior individual silver at the North American Youth Championships on him – and professionally. She spent some time working outside equestrianism in events and then rebuilt her equestrian business, focusing on coaching and eventually riding and competing again.

“They said I wouldn’t ride again and I didn’t really ride for two or three years. It was about five years to get back to close to the same level I was at before,” said Shannon, who also had to work through the mental game of returning to eventing.

“I was like, just go novice [90cm level] and get comfortable with your new body. That was the biggest thing in the beginning. And then after that, okay, now I’ll go training, now I’ll go preliminary. And then it all went away and it was fine and everything kind of snapped back into place. And it was good, but it did take a while.”

It’s not surprising Shannon said yesterday after her Kentucky dressage debut: “It feels pretty special just to be here and I’m very thankful for that part.”

At 45, she added that she’s probably the oldest rookie – not quite, in fact, as Mary Bess Davis takes that honour at 46 – while her equine partner Eindhoven Garette is one of the younger horses at 11.

Shannon bought the Selle Français from J-P Sheffield through her Pan American Games team-mate Buck Davidson.

She said: “I give Buck all the credit because he saw him on the video and said, ‘You have to buy this horse. You need better horses.’ And he was right. I was sort of leery [wary] in the beginning because he was a little challenging when I first got him as a young horse.

“But Buck was absolutely right, because he kept saying, no, he’s a class horse, he’s all class. And he was right because he goes and he’s such a professional. He works so hard, he’s so brave and he can run for days.”

Having put a first-phase score of 39.8 on the board, Shannon will head out across country at 3.10pm local time (8.10pm British time) today. It may be more than a decade after she anticipated galloping across the hallowed Kentucky bluegrass, but she’s made it, and there will be huge goodwill behind her.

*Update: 28 April*

Shannon and Eindhoven Garette were one of 16 combinations who jumped clear around Derek di Grazia’s cross-country track. collecting 30.8 time penalties. They moved up from =27th after dressage to 19th place after cross-country. Two down and 0.8 time penalties in the final jumping phase saw them move up a further two places, to finish 17th on 79.4.

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‘I’m emotional – it’s taken 20-odd years’: British rider makes five-star debut

Pippa Roome — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 21:54:18 +0000

US-based British five-star first-timer Lucienne Bellissimo scored 33.7 for 15th on Dyri in today’s Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage.

This pair have consistently produced tests in the 20s, but Lucienne was not disappointed, saying: “None of it was quite as through and as relaxed as I’ve been having for the season leading up to this, but I’m grateful that he’s in there [the competition].”

Lucienne (née Elms), who has been based in the US for six years, added: “I think it’s probably the first time he’s felt me go, ‘Oh, we’re at a five-star’ and he’s held his breath a little bit too. So it’s as much a rider thing as a horse thing. But he’s a star and he always tries, so hopefully in the future, he will lay down a 20s test at five-star as well.”

Asked what it means to her to be making her five-star debut after her Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage, Lucienne Bellissimo, 41, was holding back tears as she said: “Too much, actually – I’m normally a really cool customer and I never get nervous. And I’ll be honest, today I’m just almost emotional because it has taken 20-odd years… I don’t cry. There’s been a lot of injuries and things along the way, so I just feel really grateful.”

The 13-year-old Dyri runs in the ownership of Lucienne’s business, Horse Scout Eventing, LLC.

She said: “He’s really nice horse to work with at home. He’s not that complicated. He does try and, if anything, because he’s a bit introverted, when he does get nervous, he’ll back off the contact and suck into himself while being a little bit hot.

“He’s the nicest horse I’ve produced on the flat. I’ve produced a lot of event horses who were not anywhere near as nice as a quality as this one. He’s a sweet gelding.”

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s cross-country over Derek di Grazia’s course, Lucienne said: “There’s a lot there for him to do. I’ve just got to ride it well, to be positive and not be unrealistic.

“If he starts to feel tired, he might have to do a couple of the alternatives. I think the weather’s going to play a fair part. He’s not a horse that tends to finish pulling, so I’ve just got to use my brain and feel what he’s saying a little bit.”

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One rider lands two top-six places in Kentucky dressage despite ‘monsoon’ conditions

Pippa Roome — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 21:41:14 +0000

Home side rider Boyd Martin holds second and sixth after the Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage, piloting both Luke 140 and Commando 3 to sub-30 scores today.

Boyd was last to go on Yankee Creek Ranch, LLC’s Commando 3 and had to ride in very heavy rain, but pulled off a score of 26 for second overnight, with four nines scattered through his score sheet. He said: “That was a freaking monsoon that hit, so full credit to the horse. He kept it together and went in and did a good test.”

The US rider added of the 12-year-old Commando 3: “He’s very good on the flat. He’s flamboyant, he’s good-looking, he’s got presence and enthusiasm. He can be pretty spooky though, so I am glad we got to do the ring familiarisation.

“And in a weird kind of way, maybe the rain helped – he was sort of keeping his head down a bit or something. But he was well behaved in there, so I was very pleased with him.”

Boyd and Commando 3 sit just 0.2 of a penalty ahead of Britain’s Tom McEwen (Brookfield Quality), who hold third, and 7.4 marks behind leaders Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH.

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: Boyd Martin – ‘I dared not breathe’

Boyd was also the first rider in today, scoring 27.9 for sixth with the syndicate-owned 14-year-old Luke 140. His test was just marred by Luke 140 stepping sideways behind in his first halt and a blip in his second flying change.

“I felt like I prepared him well for the halt and then he sort of just stumbled a bit, so he lost his footing, which was a shame because I usually get them every time,” said Boyd.

“But it was pretty good – he’s a great dressage horse if you can get him settled and being here for a couple of days and doing the ring familiarisation makes a big difference. And right from the warm-up I knew he was in a good gear and he went in and did well.

“My favourite part of the test was that he walked all the walk, which has been our biggest challenge in the lead up events. He anticipates the next movement and starts prancing around like a Tennessee Walking Horse. So I tell you, my legs were just gently dangling and I dared not breathe on him. And he was a very good boy and walked every step.”

Boyd said he has fallen off Luke 140 seven times already this year.

He said: “At home he’s a very difficult horse. He is just bursting with enthusiasm. But I almost put up with anything when they’re great horses – he’s a pain in the ass a lot of the time, but when you get to this event he’s a champion.”

Debutante claims fourth

German Libussa Lübbeke, 24, holds fourth on 27.1 with Caramia 34. This pair were young rider team silver medallists in 2022 and make their Kentucky debut after 19th at their first five-star, Luhmühlen Horse Trials, last year.

Caramia 34 was bred by Libussa’s parents and ridden by her brother Fritz Ludwig until 2019, up to three-star level.

New Zealand’s Tim Price is in fifth with his final ride, his own and Sue Benson’s double world bronze medallist Falco.

“I thought he was super. He’s like putting on an old pair of shoes compared to the other two yesterday,” said Tim. “He was through, really nicely connected and he’s just been getting better and better with improving the quality of his way of going.

“This morning he was quite buzzy to work and I thought, ‘Oh, maybe I should have done a little bit more.’ But you’ve just got to trust your partnership and the fact he knows his job. He felt really good out here in the warm-up and then I was just hoping that I’d be able to go in there and get the same feeling and I did.

“There were a couple of mistakes, but the reality is it’s still dressage and you’ve got to do a really perfect job and he’s not God’s gift to dressage, it’s learned and I think he tried his heart out for me.”

Tim also holds equal seventh on Jarillo and ninth on Happy Boy.

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British rider claims podium position in Kentucky dressage – plus his unusual preparation: ‘He never lets anyone down’

Pippa Roome — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:38:10 +0000

Britain’s Tom McEwen has claimed third place for Britain at the close of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage today.

Piloting Brookfield Quality, owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry, Tom scored 26.2, which was just bested by the final pair of the day, the home side’s Boyd Martin with Commando 3, who landed a mark of 26. Germany’s overnight leader Michael Jung still holds top spot on a commanding 18.6 with FischerChipmunk FRH.

The 16-year-old Brookfield Quality, who was third at Pau last year, is known as Nervous Norris at home.

“He’s never let anyone down – he’s Nervous Norris, but he’s an absolute legend of a horse and he was fantastic. I was so pleased with him. It really felt like we got the most out of the test,” said Tom.

“He dealt with it in there like a trooper because he can be a bit spooky. I still can’t get him past the tent outside, so I was just absolutely delighted with him.”

Tom McEwen produced the son of OBOS Quality 004 in a pleasing uphill frame in the Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage and said there were “a couple of little mistakes, but that’s there or thereabouts at this level”.

Tom landed plenty of eights with the marks just dropping down in one area for three fives, but the marks were inconsistent around these movements – he pulled in a five, an eight and a seven for his half-piroutte right and two fives and a 7.5 for the transition to collected trot that followed.

Tom’s preparation for Kentucky with Norris has been unusual in that he has run in two open novices and an open intermediate, rather than any higher-level classes.

The rider explained: “He always produces it when he gets there and confidence is key with him and actually just allowing him to be running around nice and smoothly. For him, the more relaxed he is, the more chance you’re going to have of producing a test like today.

“It’s very different to a lot of other people’s pathways to get to five-star. But he’s an absolute little legend and we have built a really good partnership over the last couple of years. We seem to understand each other. We are obviously quirky enough together and he’s just pretty mint, really.”

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: Harry Meade and Lucienne Bellissimo

Harry Meade and Grafennacht had some of the worst of the weather today, performing in heavy rain towards the end of the action.

Amanda Gould’s mare, who joined Harry last summer after William Fox-Pitt retired, seemed a little bright and distracted and the pair scored 35.2 for 18th overnight.

“Much of her test was lovely and I was pleased with her overall way of going, but there were a few costly mistakes. It’s early days in our partnership but there’s lots more to come,” said Harry.

Harry also sits in 17th on his ride from yesterday, Et Hop Du Matz.

The third British pair today, US-based Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri, scored 33.7 for 15th overnight.

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‘His mascot is a unicorn drama llama and he’s really horse shy’ – meet this rising eventing star

Pippa Roome — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:12:13 +0000

When Tim Price and Jonelle Price’s horses reach top level, they each get a mascot, chosen by their grooms, who pick something to suit each mount’s personality. So what did they choose for Jarillo, who is the pathfinder at this week’s Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event?

“A unicorn drama llama,” says Tim – which seems appropriate for a horse who is very talented, but also extremely sensitive.

Tim first saw Jarillo with Swedish rider Ludwig Svennerstal, who had him in his yard to sell. He was at novice level then.

“I just thought he was super quality, so the next day I went to his place and bought him,” said Tim after his dressage at Kentucky yesterday. “I didn’t really expect him to go to five-star – not that I ever think of a limitation for a horse, but he was just a real modern eventer type and pretty showy. I thought maybe he’s going to be great up to four-star, but he’s proven a bit more to me since then.”

Among Jarillo’s successes so far, he was third in the eight- and nine-year-old class at Blenheim Horse Trials in 2023, won a CCI4*-S at Thoresby last year and was ninth at Pau Horse Trials last autumn on his five-star debut.

While he undoubtedly has huge ability, the 11-year-old – owned now by Lucy Allison, Frances Stead and James and Rachel Good – is also very sharp.

Tim said: “Every day of the week at home, whatever’s going on, it’s catching his attention. But then I think that gives him his quality as well. He’s really horse shy and the one good thing is you’re never in the ring with someone else, so finally you go in there and take a breath.

“And I think it [his sharpness] is also a really good characteristic for cross-country, for alertness. When horses are a bit tired and waning a little bit, he’s still on his feet and he’s thinking and he’s in the moment with me.

“So I think he’s one of the nicest young five-star horses around and I’m very privileged to ride him.”

Tim says going first this week is helpful in terms of giving the horse shy Jarillo more space in the warm-up rings.

“I’ve had quite a few horse shy ones, including Wesko and Bango, to the point where I started to wonder if it was me making them horse shy,” he said. “But I think I’m quite good with them because I just stay soft and relaxed and go with them rather than create a brick wall, which creates more tension.”

Although Jarillo is a light type, Tim adds that he is a “good eater – like a lanky teenage boy!”

The pair made a great start yesterday in the dressage, scoring 28.4 for equal second overnight.

And because we know you want to know – the Prices other five-star horses this week have as their mascots a troll (Hiarado), Batman (Happy Boy) and Tigger (Falco).

A photo posted by on

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‘As colourful in personality as she is in looks’ – meet the skewbald mare going five-star eventing

Pippa Roome — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:09:00 +0000

Among the bays and greys, there’s a flash of colour in the five-star at Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this week, as the skewbald Fluorescent Adolescent steps forward.

“She is as colourful in personality as she is in looks,” said the mare’s rider, Canada’s Jessica Phoenix, after her dressage test yesterday. “She has a larger than life personality and she loves people, loves treats, loves cameras.”

Jessica adds: “She is a crowd favourite almost everywhere we go and she has a lot of fans asking for photos with her, which she loves. She’s just one of those horses that fills space with her personality.”

“Lacey” was competed up to three-star level by Jessica’s student Makayla Rydzik, who passed on the ride when she didn’t have time to compete her any more. She still owns the now 17-year-old.

Fluorescent Adolescent was actually bred by Jessica’s first eventing coach Kelly Plitz and her husband Ian Roberts, Canadian Olympians who are based at Dreamcrest Farm in Ontario. She was named, and trained and competed from a four-year-old up to the current two-star level, by another Canadian rider, Hannah Rankin.

Her sire is the coloured stallion Gaudy, a son of Fidermark NRW (by Florestan I), and she is out of a mare called Amelia (by Ali Baba), who Kelly and Ian both competed up to current three-star level.

At Kentucky Three-Day Event yesterday, Fluorescent Adolescent – also the name of a song by the Arctic Monkeys – scored 36.8 in her dressage test for 11th overnight.

“Lacey was a real professional in there,” said Jessica. “She definitely is a horse that can feel atmosphere and I was just so pleased that she went in there, felt a little bit of it, calmed down, got to work, felt a little bit of it, calmed down, went back to work.

“She’s just getting so much stronger in that phase and I’m really proud of what she did in there today.

“She is just a phenomenal horse. She is all heart. When she comes to a competition, she’s there to win. She normally does not win on the first day, but she just claws her way up the leaderboard all weekend long. She is a horse that loves being in the atmosphere at the big shows and she really thrives under that type of pressure.”

The pair have completed the CCI4*-S at Kentucky twice, with jumping clears across country both times. Although she did the dressage at Maryland 5 Star last year, Lacey was then withdrawn so this will be her five-star cross-country debut.

Looking forward to Saturday, Jessica said: “She doesn’t have the hugest step cross-country – there’s definitely a couple of options on the course where you can do different striding to still make the quick routes work, so I think we’ll be looking into that with Lacey.

“She is a horse that leaves the start box going to make time so you just want to really protect that heart in her and give her the best ride with the best lines possible so that she stays really confident.”

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‘Parents are superhumans’: three months from having a baby to riding three horses at Kentucky

Pippa Roome — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:12:33 +0000

Caroline Pamukcu is riding three horses at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this week (24-27 April), just three months after having her first baby with husband Deniz.

Her daughter Blake – named after Caroline’s Paris Olympic horse HSH Blake – was born on 29 January and Caroline talked yesterday about her experience of becoming a parent and returning so quickly to top-level competition.

Caroline said: “My husband and I keep saying to every parent we know, ‘You guys are superhumans’. We had no idea how much work it is, but it’s so rewarding, right? My favourite thing is waking Blake up in the morning before I go ride and she starts smiling and it’s amazing. She’s so special. It’s great that I can do both.”

The 30-year-old was back competing at international events in early March and shared what it has taken for her to return to fitness, saying: “It’s hard, obviously. I tried to stay as fit as I could through the pregnancy, but the last month I just sat and ate. I ate so much. It was so nice just to get big.

“And then the first month back, I really had to work hard. I had to go to the gym every day and really push myself. It’s not super glamorous trying to get your body to go from that to being five-star fit.

“But again, it’s worth it. I’m so glad we took the time and did this, because it’s such an important part of my life now. There will always be another horse show. There’s not always going to be time to have babies. So I’m glad that we did it.”

Caroline Pamukcu: “It’s interesting having a baby in our camper”

Caroline also said it’s “extra interesting having a newborn in our camper” when the family are on the road to events.

Talking about the journey to Kentucky, she said: “We left the Ocala horse show, drove till 2am, then we stopped and slept in a Buc-ees [a chain of service stations] parking lot. And then we took our baby into the Buc-ees and had our first Buc-ees experience, which was fun.

“And then got here, and my husband and I probably binge ate 5,000 calories. Then I came and said hi to the horses and then the next day, it’s like Groundhog Day, you start all over again at another horse show.”

Caroline lies third after the first day of dressage in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, having scored 27.9 with her own, her husband Deniz, her mother Sherrie Martin and Mollie Hoff’s HSH Blake.

She said the horse “hasn’t done a ton of dressage since the Olympics” and she has probably only schooled him four or five times this year, with yesterday’s arena familiarisation the first time he’s worn a dressage saddle in 10 days.

She said: “He’s 10 this year and he’s done so much, so I thought it was important for us just to have fun this season and to take the pressure off. We don’t have to hunt for a team this year, so it’s just nice to enjoy everything.

“He finds everything so easy. I took him for a stretch this morning and then I came up here and only warmed up for 10 or 15 minutes before I went in the ring. I was just making it easy and keeping it fun.

“The flying changes were expensive because he was late in both of them, which is annoying because I’ve been trying so hard with them. But that’s all right – we’ve got a year to improve before the World Championships.”

Caroline also rides two horses in the five-star this weekend, HSH Double Sixteen, who scored 39.7 yesterday for 14th overnight and She’s The One, who starts at 2.04pm local time (7.04pm British time) today.

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