Not Your Day: Knowing When to Push On—or Pull Up—On Cross-Country
Every eventer knows the feeling: cross-country day arrives, but something feels off. Maybe your week of preparation fell apart, your horse is sharper than expected, or an early mistake rattles your confidence.
The Path to Preliminary: How the USEA EA21 Program Helped Willow Schwartz with Her Eventing Goals
Since getting the ride on RH Finnegan nearly three years ago, Willow Schwartz has had the goal of competing successfully at Preliminary, and with the help of the USEA’s Emerging Athletes Under 21 (EA21) program the last two seasons, she and “Finn” have achieved that goal and more.
Finding Footwork for Young Event Horses
Learning footwork is a key concept when teaching a young horse to jump. Using grids in the arena over show jumps will set them up for success as they start to learn about cross-country questions like banks and ditches and will help them learn rhythm and relaxation.
A Double-Clear Earns Smith and Lillet 3 the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S Win
Time was the deciding factor in today’s show jumping for the Cosequin Lexington, CCI4*-S at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and Tamie Smith was able to keep her place at the top of the podium with Lillet 3 after producing the only double-clear round of 31 pairs to jump Guilherme Jorge’s co...
The 2026 K3DE Daily: Show Jumping Day
And just like that, it's the final day of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event! First up this morning, competitors in both the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L divisions will have to undergo the final horse inspection at High Hope Lane which will kick off with four-star competitors at 8:30 a.m. EST and be fo...
An Eventful Cross-Country Day Sees Standings Shuffle in Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S
By the end of cross-country this morning in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, the standings looked nothing like they did after Friday’s dressage. Derek di Grazia’s track produced no double-clear rounds, and 34 of 42 starters completed.
The 2026 K3DE Daily: Cross-Country Day
It's cross-country day at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event! Easily the busiest day the Kentucky Horse Park sees each year, make sure to get there early, grab your coffee, and go ensure you get the viewing spot you want for both the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L divisions today.
Spencer and Thoroughbred Artist Hold Narrow Lead at Defender Kentucky After Dressage
New Zealand’s Monica Spencer found herself in a familiar position at the end of the second day of dressage at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event today—in first after dressage in the five-star aboard her longtime partner Artist.
Fence-By-Fence: The 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event Cross-Country Course Preview
Derek di Grazia been the cross-country course designer at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event since 2011, and this year, as always, he's put together a masterful track for the feature CCI5*-L division. In addition, di Grazia has designed the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S track since the division w...
