United States Eventing Association

No one could catch Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class in the dressage arena today despite the remaining 23 pairs' best effort. Angela Hislop’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ramiro B x The Swallow) will stand at the top of the leaderboard on a 21.1 heading into the Maryland 5 Star cross-country – the day which is on everyone’s mind.

Yesterday half of the CCI5*-L and CCI3*-L pairs had their turn in front of the judges at the 2021 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, and today the remaining groups will canter down centerline in the main arena. The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships also kicked off yesterday with the 4-year-old champion being crowned and the 5-year-olds doing their dressage and conformation phases.

The U.S. is happy hunting ground for Cooley Master Class, Angela Hislop’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Ramiro B x The Swallow), and so FEI World #1 Oliver Townend keeps crossing the pond to compete in the U.S. five-stars. After back-to-back Kentucky Three-Day Event wins, Cooley Master Class couldn’t defend his title due to a cut keeping him from passing the final jog. He came back to the U.S. to add a new trophy to his collection and is off to a great start scoring a 21.1 and leading the field by a mile following the first day of dressage of the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill.

On Saturday morning 45 horses will leave the start box at the 2021 Maryland 5 Star to tackle Ian Stark's first-ever five-star cross-country course. With 28 fences and 43 jumping efforts at 570 mpm, the horses and riders will need to be fit as they look to make the optimum time of 11 minutes.

The first horse inspection at the first Maryland 5 Star took place this afternoon in the infield of the steeplechase track at Fair Hill in Elkton, Md. There were 46 horses presented to the ground jury of Angela Tucker (GBR), Martin Plewa (GER), and Mark Weissbecker after Lexi Scovil did not bring forward Chico’s Man VDF Z and Boyd Martin did not present Long Island T.

It’s finally here! After being selected as the fall location for a second CCI5*-L in the U.S. in 2017, the inaugural Maryland 5 Star will take place at Fair Hill in Elkton, Md. this week starting with the first horse inspection today. There are 48 horse and rider pairs in the five-star field hoping to bring home the first Maryland 5 Star victory. Who do you think will be leading the victory gallop?

On July 23, 2017, the US Equestrian Federation (USEF) selected Fair Hill as the location for a fall CCI5*-L competition following an extensive process. The competition was supposed to debut in 2019, but the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) was in the midst of changing the star system and creating new requirements for five-star competitions. Fair Hill decided to delay until 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced an additional postponement. After four years the event has finally arrived and the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill will get underway on Wednesday, October 13.

A broken buzzer, surprise music, and tight time allowed made for an exciting finale to the inaugural Morven Park Fall International CCI4*-L, but at the end of the weekend, it was Phillip Dutton and Quasi Cool who emerged victorious.

Cross-country in the CCI4*-L at Morven Park proved to be a true test causing major shifts on the leaderboard that would leave 11 pairs out of contention. Fortunately, all horses and riders are resting safely back at the barns and will be ready to fight another day. Time was also a definite factor on Derek di Grazia’s course with only one pair, Caitlin Silliman and Ally KGO, putting in a double clear round which would launch them from 20th to third place. At the end of the day, adding just four-time penalties to their initial dressage score of 29.8, it was Phillip Dutton and Caroline Moran’s Quasi Cool (Quo Vados I x B-Estelle) who would slide into first with a score of 33.8.

Buck Davidson and Cooley Candyman were the first pair to canter through the fog and down centerline in the inaugural Morven Park International CCI4*-L. They scored a 29.6 to take the lead which they wouldn’t relinquish throughout the entire division. Rolo 7 LLC’s Irish Sport Horse gelding (Sligo Candy Boy x Dashing Hill) is just 8 years old and attempting his first CCI4*-L, but he bested the field of 24 horses.