Boyd Martin has confirmed his ride for the Mars Badminton Horse Trials (8-12 May) next month and will bid to become the second rider to complete all the world’s five-stars there.
The US rider – who was born in Australia and initially represented that nation – has already started at all seven five-stars, but he fell across country on his only attempt at Badminton, in 2016.
Boyd Martin had entered world team silver medallist Tsetserleg TSF and On Cue for both Badminton Horse Trials and this week’s Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (25-28 April).
He has now clarified his plans and withdrawn Christine, Thomas IV and Tommie Turner’s Tsetserleg from Kentucky with the intention of taking him to Badminton. He will run 2021 Maryland 5 Star winner On Cue, also owned by the Turners plus Boyd himself, in the five-star at Kentucky. He also has Commando 3 and Federman B in the CCI4*-S at Kentucky.
Badminton final scores
Boyd will try to join Tim Price as the only riders who have completed the world’s seven regular five-stars, although if he succeeds Tim will still have a slight upper hand because he also completed the one-off five-star at Bicton in 2021.
US-based Australian Clayton Fredericks has also started all seven regular five-stars, but has not completed Maryland (he withdrew after dressage on his only attempt).
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Alice Dunsdon has ridden at the most five-stars on the same horse as she has started six of the events on Fernhill Present, the exception being Maryland, which didn’t run at five-star level when she was making her bid to complete the set. She finished five of the events, but wasn’t quite able to make it a full house at Badminton. H&H followed her epic journey to the Australian five-star at Adelaide back in 2015, as well as her Badminton campaign the following year.
Enjoy the best of Kentucky with Horse & Hound
To ensure you keep up to date with all the breaking news, behind the scenes insight, and the best of the action throughout Kentucky Three-Day Event with no limits on how much you can read, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website from £1 a week in the UK or less than $2 a week in the US. Sign up now. And don’t miss our Kentucky Three-Day Event magazine report in the issue of Horse & Hound dated 3 May.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
