Jennie Brannigan’s ride Twilightslastgleam was not accepted at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up this afternoon (23 April).
The 15-year-old thoroughbred, owned by Nina Gardner, was sent to the holding box and then spun when presented for re-inspection. Twilightslastgleam has completed the five-star here twice before and was sixth at Maryland 5 Star last autumn.
Jennie will still start the competition on FE Lifestyle, who is also entered at Badminton Horse Trials, so may only do dressage here if the US rider has her sights set on the Gloucestershire five-star.
Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up: 35 presented
Thirty-five horses were presented to the ground jury – president Christian Steiner of Austria, Denmark’s Anne-Mette Binder and Canada’s Peter Gray – this afternoon and the rest were all passed as fit to move forward to the competition.
As usual at the Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up, the horses who have flown in from Europe were presented first, for biosecurity reasons. These included three British representatives – Tom McEwen’s ride Brookfield Quality and Harry Meade’s Grafennacht and Et Hop Du Matz.
Britain’s fourth horse, Dyri, was presented with the horses based in North America as he and rider Lucienne Bellissimo live on this side of the Atlantic.
With temperatures touching 25ºC, New Zealand’s Jonelle Price was perfectly dressed for the weather, wearing a simple but smart white dress to bring forward Hiarado, while the home side’s Matthew Brown caught the eye when he paired yellow trainers and tie with a blue suit as he presented Alderwood.
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A number of horses showed some high spirits, including Katherine Coleman’s Monbeg Senna for the home side, who reared up when initially presented to the ground jury, and US first-timer Brooke Burchianti’s Cooley Space Grey, who popped in a cheeky buck after the turn.
Bronte Beach Z, the ride of US-based Australian Ema Klugman, scattered a plant pot when she veered off the runway and Dyri celebrated the announcement he had passed with a buck or two.
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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.
