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A five-star winner, a fall forgiven and an emotional story: US eventing squad selected for the World Championships

Pippa Roome — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:07:41 +0000

Defender Kentucky five-star winners Will Coleman and Diabolo will head up the US squad for the eventing World Championships at Aachen in August.

The US selection pathway for the Aachen 2026 eventing team is more straightforward than some others such as Britain’s – where riders have the pick of multiple events – in that the vast majority of US contenders head to Kentucky Three-Day Event for either the five-star or four-star short, so these two classes act as the major spring championship trial.

As such, the US squad includes the five-star winners in Will and Diabolo and runners-up Caroline Pamucku and HSH Blake, plus frequent team rider Phillip Dutton, who was eighth on Possante. Also included are Boyd Martin and Cooley Nutcracker (11th in the five-star) and Kentucky four-star winners Tamie Smith and Lillet 3. The four-star runner Very Dignified is one of two direct reserve mounts for Will.

There are no major surprises in the squad. Selectors obviously decided they could forgive Tamie her fall at Defender Bramham Horse Trials.

Perhaps the only real question mark is the absence of Boyd’s Commando 3 (sixth at Kentucky five-star after very good five-star form in 2025) from either the squad or reserve bench – one has to assume this smart horse is out of contention with some kind of setback. Boyd has a reserve listing for Shanroe Cooley, who was third at Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials.

The selection of Cooley Nutcracker has a particular emotional pull because he was ridden at Paris 2024 by Liz Halliday, before her life-changing injury in a fall, and is owned by a syndicate called Liz’s Nutcrackers, which includes Liz and her mother, Debby. Liz watched the horse in action at Kentucky in April, her first return to an event since her accident.

Of interest to British fans will be the inclusion on the reserve list of Wiltshire-based Tiana Coudray with her Bramham podium finisher D’Artagnan. Should she be called up, this would be Tiana’s first championship since the 2012 London Olympics.

Fellow reserve Hallie Coon (Kapriccio) is also based in Wiltshire, while Allie Knowles (Montpellier Scais) has been competing in Britain this season as part of the development tour and sealed her reserve listing with results at Bicton Horse Trials and Bramham.

The squad includes three riders from the US’s 2022 world silver medal-winning team (Will, Tamie and Boyd), but no horses – unless Will ends up riding his old favourite Off The Record (seventh individually at the 2022 worlds), who is one of his two direct reserve horses.

It will be decided nearer the time of the World Championships which four riders from the US squad make up the eventing team and which rides as an individual.

US eventing squad for the 2026 World Championships

The full squad, in alphabetical order by athlete surname, is:

Will Coleman with 14-year-old gelding Diabolo

Owner: Diabolo Group

Breeder: Fritz Maschmann

Breeding: by Diarado out of a mare by Aljano 2

Groom: Erin Jarboe

Phillip Dutton with 13-year-old gelding Possante

Owner: The Possante Group

Breeder: De Radstake B.V

Breeding: by Namelus R out of a mare by Otangelo

Groom: Emma Yanek

Boyd Martin with 12-year-old gelding Cooley Nutcracker

Owner: Liz’s Nutcrackers

Breeder: Gary Doherty

Breeding: by BMC Tolan R out of a mare by Cobra

Groom: Stephanie Simpson

Caroline Pamukcu with 11-year-old gelding HSH Blake

Owners: Mollie Hoff, rider’s mother Sherrie Martin, rider and her husband Deniz

Breeder: Justin Burke

Breeding: by BMC Tolan R out of a mare by Kannan

Groom: Chloe Teahan

Tamie Smith with 10-year-old mare Lillet 3

Owners: Molly and Jennifer Duda

Breeder: Morena Petersen

Breeding: SIEC Livello out of a mare by Calidio I

Groom: Savannah Gwin

Direct reserve horses for Will Coleman:

Seventeen-year-old gelding Off The Record

Owner: Off The Record Syndicate

Breeder: Peter G. Brady

Breeding: by VDL Arkansas out of a mare by ARD Ohio

Groom: Erin Jarboe

Eleven-year-old mare Very Dignified

Owners: Jerome Broussard, Gloria Callen and Elizabeth Lendrum

Breeder: Deirdre Bowler

Breeding: by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet out of a mare by Ricardo Z

Groom: Erin Jarboe

The following combinations have been selected as alternates and are listed in alphabetical order (grooms have not been published for the reserves):

Jennie Brannigan with 16-year-old gelding FE Lifestyle

Owners: Tim and Nina Gardner

Breeder: Danny Arnold

Breeding: by Leo Von Faelz out of a mare by Brandenburger

Hallie Coon with 11-year-old gelding Kapriccio

Owners: rider and Helen Coon

Breeder: E. Van Hal

Breeding: by Dexter R out of mare by Carambo

Tiana Coudray with 12-year-old gelding D’Artagnan

Owners: Kyrle Arscott, Tiana Coudray, and Annabelle James

Breeder: unlisted

Breeding: by Diamant De Semilly out of a mare by Cassini II

Phillip Dutton with 11-year-old gelding Denim

Owners: Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran, and Neill Sites

Breeder: Bachmann

Breeding: by Dinken out of a mare by Ibisco

Sydney Elliot with 16-year-old gelding QC Diamantaire

Owner: Carol Stephens

Breeder: Berthold Gerdes

Breeding: by Diarado out of a mare by Sandro Hit

Emily Hamel with 19-year-old gelding Corvett

Owner: Black Flag Option, LLC

Breeder: Doris Schimmer

Breeding: by Corrido out of a mare by Clearway

Allie Knowles with nine-year-old Montpellier Scais

Owner: Katherine O’Brien

Breeder: Ben Wentink

Breeding: by Quasimodo Van De Molendreef out of a mare by Indoctro

Boyd Martin with 11-year-old Shanroe Cooley

Owner: Dallas LLC

Breeder: Anthony Smyth

Breeding: by Dallas VDL out of a mare by Condios

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World Championship hopefuls battle at Bramham – and rider who broke arm six weeks ago leads under-25s

Pippa Roome — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:46:35 +0000

World Championship hopefuls dominate at the top of the Defender Bramham Horse Trials dressage leaderboard for the CCI4*-S class, with Jesse Campbell first and Tom McEwen second.

Jesse and Speedwell – owned by Karen Coumbe and Deborah Strang, mother of Jesse’s late wife Georgie, who previously rode the horse – scored 25.5 to take the lead soon after lunch.

“It’s not often you can get the work you do at home out of the horse in the arena and he really gave me that. Bar one mistake, everything else just felt really rock solid and I could place him where I wanted, and he was soft around my leg. It was cool,” said the New Zealand rider.

Elaborating on his Bramham Horse Trials dressage error, Jesse Campbell said: “Because he was feeling great, I went for a little bit of a bigger step in my half-pass and he just broke into canter. I probably should have waited, got the balance and then gone. But he actually recovered it really quickly.”

Jesse said he has worked on the 12-year-old horse’s confidence.

“We’ve always known he’s a fantastically talented horse, but he needs to believe it as well,” he said.

Jesse said New Zealand high performance manager Jock Paget had told him he needed to do a long-format competition early in the year to be in the running for the World Championships in Aachen in August, so he went to Strzegom in April, which he won.

“I thought maybe Luhmühlen Horse Trials four-star short would be the thing, but when he won at Strzegom I thought I wanted to come to Bramham, which is a little bit busier and has the arena on grass – it mimics more what the World Championships is going to be like,” he said.

Tom McEwen had similar thoughts in bringing the Lamberts’ and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin here, after his European individual bronze last year and win at Kronenberg CCI4*-S in March. The British pair scored 26.8 to sit second.

“I thought he was fantastic. I’m absolutely delighted with him,” Tom said. “He loves performing in front of people, so the more people that came, the better he got.

“I thought that was a really, really nice test, so I am super disappointed with the mark. I looked up every time at seven, 7.5 and I was thinking ‘What do you guys actually want?’ The judges have obviously stuck to their grouping and that’s what they stayed at. But I’ve ridden two tests, on two different horses, so to know the difference between mine – I think they are a little bit out, which is a shame.”

Kitty King holds third on the late Elizabeth Golby’s 10-year-old Renkum Jitterbug, a new ride for her this year, having scored 27.7 today.

Samantha Lissington, another hoping for a World Championship call-up for New Zealand, sits fourth with Ricker Ridge Sooty GNZ on 29.2, with last night’s leader, Cheshire-based Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian (Manjushri) fifth on 29.4.

US pair in sixth after Bramham Horse Trials dressage

There was much anticipation around the first test this morning, as US rider Tamie Smith and her Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4*-S winner Lillet 3 took to the arena. This pair, too, are front runners for selection for the World Championships for their nation.

“I was hoping for exactly what she was – maybe I was hoping for a better score, but it’s hard to be first in and they’re judging strong, and I think that’s great. I think the standard needs to be high,” said Tamie, whose test, which scored 30 for sixth overnight, was only marred by the mare stepping backwards in her final halt.

Tamie has been riding Lillet 3 for about 18 months after she started her career with Germany’s Andreas Dibowski.

“She’s a real trier, but she can be both very sweet and really moody and opinionated. She tells you exactly how she feels at all times,” said Tamie.

Brotherton leads under-25 championship at Bramham

Barnie Brotherton heads the under-25 championship in seventh place overall in this class, with his mother Naomi’s DHI King Nelson, scoring 30.2.

“I was not expecting as good a test as that because I haven’t had much prep,” said Barnie, who broke his arm six weeks ago today when a horse he was feeding in the field kicked him.

“It turned around and double-barrelled out at my head, I put my arm up in the way and it luckily got my arm instead,” said Barnie.

The 23-year-old started riding again, just on DHI King Nelson, two weeks ago and is wearing a splint on his arm this week.

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Thank you, Mai Baum! Five-star hero bows out on a winning note

Lucy Elder — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:23:16 +0000

Tamie Smith’s five-star hero Mai Baum signed off from his stellar career with a win at his final event.

Rebecca Farm in Montana had been earmarked for Mai Baum’s swansong and the 19-year-old gelding waved a glorious farewell to his sporting career with victory in the CCI4*-S at The Event. The pair added only time-faults to their dressage score of 22, sealing the win before a retirement ceremony after prize giving on Sunday (20 July).

Alex Ahearn, who owns “Lexus” with her parents Eric Markell and Ellen Ahearn, rode him in the lap of honour and the retirement ceremony. His saddle was then removed and a wreath placed around his neck, before he posed for photos with fans and enjoyed a stroll with groom Alyssa Dobrotin.

The north west of the US and Rebecca Farm have been a major part of Mai Baum’s career – this win was his third victory at the venue – and Tamie said that it felt “very fitting that he have his last hurrah in the very place he began”.

“He has nothing to prove and deserves to retire as healthy as he is. Lexus isn’t a commodity to us, he is our family, and he deserves to finish his competition career with a massive party,” said Tamie, when his retirement plans were announced.

“Mai Baum has been my magic carpet and I feel so privileged for all he and I learned together. He is the horse that put me on the map, helped me earn that pinque coat, and win medals at many team championships and Nations Cups.”

She added that although it was his last competitive outing, but he will stay in work when he returns home to California as “he loves to bounce around”.

Michele Pestl and Ellen Ahearn found Mai Baum at the Munich Auction in Germany and imported him to the US. He started his career with Alex, who initially worked for Michele in Washington state and who then later moved with the horse to Tamie’s base in Temecula.

Alex and Mai Baum made their international debut at Rebecca Farm back in 2013, finishing ninth in the CCI1* (now CCI2*-L), and she produced him to two-star (now three-star) before Tamie took on the ride.

Winning the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2023 was a career-defining moment in his and Tamie’s journey. Their CV also boasts team gold at the 2019 Pan American Games, world team silver in 2022, and ninth at Badminton.

The gelding finished in the top 10 on 27 of his 35 international starts, including 14 wins and seven other podium finishes. He also recorded a ninth place finish at Kentucky CCI5* in 2021 and travelled to Tokyo as the alternate for the US Olympic team the same year.

“I am very grateful to have had the journey we’ve had together along with Eric, Ellen and Alex,” said Tamie. “It’s been one hell of a ride, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows and a lot in between.

“But what has been the best of this amazing journey has been the many places we’ve travelled to and the many people we have met throughout the years. Lexus and I broke through many glass ceilings to achieve what we did. I think it’s a testament to his heart and my perseverance, as well as his amazing team who helped all along the way.

“I owe so much to Mai Baum and his family. I owe so much to everyone who has believed in me throughout the years and I can’t wait for the next chapter.”

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No fairytale retirement win for Mai Baum as Maryland 5 Star cross-country proves influential

Pippa Roome — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 19:17:45 +0000

Tamie Smith has pulled up Mai Baum on the Mars Maryland 5 Star cross-country course, ending hopes of a fairytale win on his retirement from top-level eventing.

The US pair were the dressage leaders and were going well today until the hill up to fences 17 and 18ab, the Sawmill Slices, when the 2023 Kentucky Three-Day Event winner suddenly looked tired. Tamie didn’t really even try to make the turn to the fence, putting her hand up to call time on the 18-year-old world team silver medallist’s five-star career.

Other well-placed riders besides Tamie Smith have also had problems on the Maryland 5 Star cross-country course, which has proved extremely influential.

Bubby Upton and Cola, third after dressage for Britain on their Maryland debut, suffered a broken frangible for the second time at five-star this season when they incurred 11 penalties at the rail into the Irish Horse Board Coffin at 12a. They then took a couple of long routes, but held it together to complete with 12.8 time-faults.

Canada’s five-star debutante Lindsay Traisnel (eighth after the first phase) was held on course because Grace Taylor had a fall from Game Changer. Lindsay then had two run-outs with Bacyrouge before retiring.

Boyd Martin took a fall when Commando 3, seventh after dressage, hit the first table oxer at fence 3a, the Select Event Group Locust Log Pond, and came down in the water on landing. Both walked away.

Britain’s David Doel went clear inside the time earlier over Ian Stark’s track with his own, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas’s Galileo Nieuwmoed and has the best score on the board of those pairs who have completed. He will finish the day in fifth or better.

End of day update: David Doel finished the day in second place and Bubby Upton in fourth.

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Top horse kicks off his swansong event by floating to Maryland 5 Star lead: ‘It’s bittersweet’

Pippa Roome — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 19:32:17 +0000

Tamie Smith has taken the lead in the Mars Maryland 5 Star dressage, kicking off Mai Baum’s final five-star with a score of 25.3.

The 18-year-old US eventing legend, who belongs to his original rider Alexandra Ahearn and her parents Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell, will step down from top-level sport after this weekend.

Tamie pulled off a mistake-free test today and earned the first 10 of the competition, from ground jury president Christina Klingspor at C, for her final centreline.

Mai Baum is a slender, extremely elegant black gelding by Loredano 2. He and Tamie Smith put in a Maryland 5 Star dressage test which was rhythmic and fluid, with flying changes so silky smooth onlookers barely even noticed them.

“That was probably his best test – he’s just getting better with age and so strong,” said Tamie, referencing the fact that the horse won the CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) here in 2015, his first season with Tamie, and now returns to do the five-star as his final event at the top level.

“It’ll be his last five-star, so it’s a bit bittersweet but it felt really good to feel that test after all the hard work we’ve been putting in. He feels like he’s a 10-year-old.”

Tamie and Mai Bau ended a 15-year drought for the home side in the other US five-star at Kentucky Three-Day Event when they won there last year and were also team silver medallists at the 2022 World Championships. The horse has won 13 times internationally in his career – once with Alexandra before she handed over the reins and 12 times with Tamie – and has become renowned for his first-phase prowess, so his lead today is no surprise.

Tamie said today that Mai Baum will still be out and about when he steps down from the top level – he may do some short format and showcase competitions and she is also interested in the hunter derby circuit.

She said: “He is only 30% blood and while he’s very athletic, he doesn’t have a lot of thoroughbred in him. It takes a tremendous amount to get him and keep him in that peak performance. ‘Lexus’ could do anything – he could do pure dressage, he could just do showjumping, he could go on the trail with Alex [Ahearn, his owner], he’s a very all-around type horse when he’s not five-star fit. We’ll keep enjoying him.”

Brits hold the other two podium places with just a few more tests to go. Oliver Townend lies second on 26.5 with another veteran, three-time five-star winner Ballaghmor Class, and Bubby Upton is third on Cola, just 0.2 of a penalty behind Oliver.

Tim Price has moved into fourth for New Zealand with his double world bronze medallist Falco on 27.4, while Dorset-based home side rider Cosby Green, the overnight leader on Highly Suspicious, is now in fifth on her mark of 28.

End of day update: Tamie holds her lead, with Oliver second, Bubby third and Tim fourth. Boyd Martin piloted Tsetserleg TSF into fifth at the conclusion of the phase and Cosby Green is now sixth.

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Brits, five-star winners, and an eye-catching skewbald among Maryland 5 Star entries

Becky Murray — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 16:42:37 +0000

Four Brits, former five-star winners and an eye-catching skewbald mare are among the Mars Maryland 5 Star entries.

There are 23 combinations entered for the US event, which takes place at Fair Hill on 17-20 October.

Harry Meade, who jumped three clear cross-country rounds at Burghley last month, will fly across the pond with two rides; Charlotte and Peter Opperman’s experienced 17-year-old Away Cruising and 10-year-old Et Hop Du Matz, whom Harry co-owns with Mandy Gray. Away Cruising has seven five-star completions under his belt, his most recent at Badminton this year, when he and Harry were 20th. Et Hop Du Matz is making his five-star debut.

Oliver Townend returns to Maryland 5 Star, this time with Tokyo Olympic team gold medallist and three-time five-star winner Ballaghmor Class, owned by Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan. The 17-year-old gelding missed the spring season owing to a hoof abscess followed by a “minor issue”, but made his comeback at Cornbury last month, when he and Oliver were second in the open intermediate. On Saturday (28 September) they topped the Little Downham CCI4*-S.

Bubby Upton will be making her Maryland debut with her mother Rachel’s 14-year-old Cola III. Bubby came back from serious injury at the beginning of the year to finish 10th at Badminton with Cola, and the pair won the Hartpury CCI4*-S in August.

David Doel is making the trip with Gillian Jonas and Mary Fox’s 13-year-old gelding Galileo Nieuwmoed. The consistent pair have five top-level completions under their belt, of which four were top-10 placings, including second at Burghley last year.

Other Maryland 5 Star entries

New Zealand’s Tim Price brings forward 2021 Pau five-star winner and world team bronze medallist Falco, owned by Sue Benson.

For the home side, all eyes will be on Tamie Smith and Ellen Ahearn’s 18-year-old Mai Baum. Maryland 5 Star will be the 2023 Kentucky Three-Day CCI5 winners’ last top-level competition together; Tamie told Eventing Nation Mai Baum will retire from top-level eventing.

Former Maryland 5 Star winners Boyd Martin and On Cue will hope to reclaim their 2021 crown, while Boyd is also entered with his Tokyo Olympic ride and world silver medallist Tsetserleg, and five-star debutant Commando 3. Bruce Davidson Jnr is entered with Sorocaima, with whom he was ninth last year.

Canada’s Jessica Phoenix has two rides; Jim Phillips’ 14-year-old gelding Wabbit, and Jessica’s own 16-year-old skewbald mare Fluorescent Adolescent, who is making her five-star debut.

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Five-star winner withdraws from Olympic contention: ‘There is not adequate time’

Pippa Roome — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 13:20:14 +0000

Tamie Smith has ruled herself and Mai Baum out of contention for the US eventing team at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Last year’s Kentucky Three-Day Event winner pulled away from his handler and “tweaked himself” before Kentucky this year and Tamie says there is now not enough time to prepare him before the mandatory US team outing at Stable View (21-23 June).

“Leading into a much anticipated Olympic team selection next week and after deliberating with our team and Mai Baum’s owners, we have decided to withdraw him from team consideration,” said Tamie last week.

“This was a difficult decision because we have felt Mai Baum would have contributed positively to the team had he been selected. Since his setback leading into Kentucky, there is not adequate time remaining for preparation and conditioning for him to be in top form for the team mandatory outing in a few short weeks. We are obviously disappointed, but always have his best interest at heart and will be looking to aim him for an exciting fall competition.”

Tamie Smith, who does not have any other horses in contention for the team for the Paris Olympics, finished her message by saying she will be cheering on Team USA from Rebecca Farm, which runs the same weekend as the Olympic eventing, and encouraging them to bring home the gold.

Tamie and the 17-year-old Mai Baum, who belongs to his former rider Alexandra Ahearn and her parents Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell, were the alternates for the US team at the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. Since then they have been ninth at Badminton Horse Trials and won Kentucky, as well as contributing to the US’s world team silver in 2022.