United States Eventing Association

It was a weekend to remember at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. Special stories were plentiful, with Oliver Townend taking his fourth Kentucky win in his 100th career five-star start, horses like Sharon White's Claus 63 and Liz Halliday's Cooley Nutcracker completing their first five-stars, and fan favorites like Mia Farley and Phelps and Lauren Nicholson and Vermiculus impressing.

Pierre Le Goupil, a former elite-level eventing athlete, turned decorated course designer in charge of designing the eventing course at this year’s Paris Olympics, has been appointed the new cross-country course designer for the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory, beginning in 2025.

One of the important concepts that event riders of all levels should understand, and practice is how the dressage flatwork carries over into the show jumping and cross-country phases. Don’t forget, the word dressage, translated from French, literally means training.

While Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent started the weekend at the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L a bit down the leaderboard in a tie for eighth after dressage, the world No. 1 can never be ruled out for a five-star win. Townend and “Rosie” climbed the leaderboard yesterday with just .4 time penalties on cross-country, and today they earned a nail-biting win after both the leader, fellow British rider Tom McEwen on JL Dublin, and second-placed Brit Yasmin Ingham on Banzai du Loir, had single rails over Steve Stephens’ show jumping course.

The Ground Jury was busy this morning assessing the 40 horses that presented in the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event Cosequin CCI4*-S and the remaining 25 pairs in the CCI5*-L.

At the end of an eventful day of cross-country at the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L, three British riders rose to the top of the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L, led by dressage leaders Tom McEwen and JL Dublin.

With the Paris Olympics on the horizon this summer, riders from the top eventing nations are gunning for a coveted team spot, and British team selection is particularly tough due to a plethora of talent. Tom McEwen came to the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event to prove he’s on form with James and Joe Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin, and he’s out in front after two days of dressage.

Great Britain’s Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir found themselves in a familiar position today at the top of the leaderboard after dressage at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, scoring a 26.0. A year ago, Ingham and “Banzai” led the field heading into cross-country after Friday’s dressage, but they drew an earlier start this year, and Ingham’s got a few more challengers to come tomorrow.

Are you following along with the action from home this weekend? Or maybe you're competing at an event and need information fast. Either way, we’ve got you covered! Check out the USEA’s Weekend Quick Links for links to information including the prize list, ride times, live scores, and more for all the events running this weekend.

Thirty-five five-star horses presented today under sunny skies at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event.