Competitors at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships were up bright and early this morning for the final veterinary inspection. Horses and riders arrived at the jog lanes behind the Kentucky Horse Park steeplechase barn at 7:00, groomed and dressed in their best.
The jog started with the CH-J*. The first horse sent to the holding box for further inspection after the jog was Charlotte Evans’s 15 year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred mare, Mail Order Bride. Mail Order Bride was spun after her initial jog, and was re-jogged. The mare cantered a couple strides coming down the lane, and was not accepted to move on to stadium. The next horse to show a soundness issue was Nicole Doolittle’s10 year-old Warmblood mare, Utopia III. Utopia was sent to the holding box, and Nicole withdrew her from the event. In addition to the two horses withdrawn in the jog, Coleen Shaughnessy withdrew her 9 year-old Hanoverian gelding, Wynthrop.
The CH-Y** jog followed the CCI*. Luckily, all of the horses in the 2 star trotted up sound. The Young Rider Championships will commence and winners will be determined after the show jumping phase today.
It's the most wonderful time of the year—and we aren't talking about the holiday season. Welcome to 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE) week! This week the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, will be crawling with eventing lovers from all across the globe for the first five-star of the 2025 season and the USEA is excited to once again be onsite for all of the action.
The USEA is saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Dr. Timothy “Tim” Holekamp on April 19. He was 79.
While we all attend the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event for the competition, the next best thing about the event is definitely the shopping! The USEA is excited to be back on-site at the Kentucky Horse Park for the competition this year and to debut some all-new apparel items for the 2025 season. Here is a sneak preview of what you can expect to see at our booth, located just behind the Rolex Stadium next to the large Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event booth, this year.
They don't call it the "Best Weekend All Year" for no reason! If you love the sport of eventing (or just horses in general) the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event is most likely a staple on your calendar or a must-see on your bucket list. This week, thousands of eventing lovers will flock to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, for one of two U.S.-based five-stars that takes place each year, as well as top-shelf CCI4*-S competition and two nights of spectacular show jumping.