British Olympic gold medallists head line-up for world’s newest five-star event

British Olympic gold medal-winner Oliver Townend tops a list of stellar names due to compete at the world’s newest CCI5* event.

Oliver and Cooley Master Class with whom he won the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2018 and 2019, will be joined at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill by top British and British-based riders, as well as some of the other top names in the sport from across the world.

This first running of the CCI5* event, the seventh at this level globally and the second in the US, should have been last year but it was lost to the coronavirus pandemic. It takes place from 14-17 October at the newly constructed Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Elkton, Maryland.

Also entered are Britain’s Harry Meade, on the 12-year-old British-bred gelding Superstition, with whom Harry finished fifth at Kentucky CCI5* this year, and US-based British rider Leslie Law, who took individual gold and team silver at the 2004 Olympics, on 12-year-old gelding Voltaire De Tre, with whom Leslie finished 26th at Kentucky.

Also in the mix are British-based Jonelle and Tim Price, Jonelle riding her 2018 Badminton winner Classic Moet and Tim on Xavier Faer, on whom he finished second at Kentucky this year.

Other top names include all the Tokyo US eventing team riders: Phillip Dutton, on Fernhill Singapore and Sea Of Clouds, Boyd Martin, on Long Island T and On Cue, and Doug Payne, on Quantum Leap.

More combinations due to contest the CCI5* will be confirmed before the close of definite entries on 30 September.

The event is also hosting a CCI3*-L, which is acting as the US national championship, and a young horse class.

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