United States Eventing Association

Boyd Martin and Veteran Tsetserleg TSF Stay on Top at $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final

Lexington, Ky.—Aug. 29—The standings shuffled significantly this morning after cross-country in the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final at the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds, but one thing stayed the same—Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF are at the top of the leaderboard.

After leading yesterday’s dressage, Martin and “Thomas” headed out on to Jay Hambly’s course with no breathing room ahead of second-placed Caroline Pamukcu and King’s Especiale.

While only one of 41 pairs made the optimum time of 6 minutes 27 seconds (Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times), Martin’s 8.8 time penalties with Thomas was enough to keep them in first place on a score of 32.5. Will Coleman and Diabolo moved into second from a tie for fifth on 35.6, and Martin moved into third on Commando 3 after being tied for fifth with Coleman on 36.0.

“Thomas was vintage Tsetserleg,” said Martin. “The biggest challenge I had is he was attacking the fences, and I felt like all the way around he was brave as a lion. I was trying to slow him down and steady him up without wrestling him too much. But all in all, he’s such an experienced, seasoned campaigner. Every time he’s been at the Kentucky Horse Park, he knows it’s time to go. He was full of running, and all in all gave me a fantastic round.”

Martin, Cochranville, Pennsylvania, was complimentary of Hambly’s track, which caused some issues, especially at fence 14abcd, the Nutrena Narrows.

“I think for this time of the year, basically every top horse on this side of the country is competing here, so I think he built a challenging track,” said Martin. “There were lots of questions that really tested your rideability and your turning, and it was what I think of as a 4 ½*-short. And I'm glad I was sitting on two of my most seasoned horses today.”

Thomas, a 17-year-old Trakehner gelding (Windfall 2 x Thabana) owned by Christine and Thomas Turner and Tommie Turner, will head to the MARS Maryland 5 Star (Elkton, Maryland) in October.

Commando 3, an 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Connor 48 x R-Adelgunde) owned by Yankee Creek Ranch LLC, was Martin’s reserve horse for the Paris Olympics a few weeks ago, and will also head to Maryland for his five-star debut.

“‘Conner’ was absolutely brilliant,” said Martin. “He's one of the best horses in the world. He’s had a long preparation to be ready to go to the Olympics, and sadly for Conner, he didn't get his chance to show his stuff in Paris. He did it quite easy today. I've been having him ultra-prepared to step in at any minute. We had him very fit and schooled up and ready to rumble for last month. I'm just so excited for the future with Conner. He's just an amazing animal.”

Coleman and Diabolo were set to compete at the Paris Olympics after the gelding was subbed in for Coleman’s other horse Off The Record at the last minute, but an ill-timed foot issue meant he didn’t compete. Instead, he’ll also be heading to Maryland.

“My goal was really just to give him a nice round,” said Coleman, Charlottesville, Virginia. “About 20 seconds of time is what I had aimed for. This event is just one step towards a bigger goal at Maryland, but I was happy with how my horse responded.”

While the summer ground in Kentucky was a bit firm, Coleman was complementary of Hambly and the cross-country crew for their efforts. “The conditions really couldn’t have been worse with how hot and dry it’s been, so all credit to the whole team that really made the most out of the ground out there. It’s still firm but we really appreciate their efforts,” he said.

Coleman has had “Dab” in the barn for nearly two years, and it took the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado x Roulett M), who’s owned by the Diabolo Group, several months to really settle in after his trip from Australia.

“I think any horse you get, there’s just always this kind of 12 to 18 months where you have to invest in them to let them learn your system, let them kind of acclimate to your way of doing things, and vice versa, you’re doing the same in response to the horse,” said Coleman. “I think some of the foundational stuff we were trying to establish has become established, and now there’s a lot of trust and understanding between us, and the communication is getting a lot better. He still has some anxiety, but it’s all going in the right direction, and I think we can clean up the few errors we had in the dressage. But all things considered, coming out after a couple months, these are two decent first days and hopefully we’ll have a good jump round tomorrow.”

Of 41 pairs to start, 30 jumped clear over the fences. Liz Halliday took a fall from Shanroe Cooley at fence 21b, a skinny table coming out of the final water, and was transported to the University of Kentucky hospital. Rachel Lawson fell from High Tide at fence 14b, which was part of an abcd combination that caused the majority of refusals today, but no injuries to horse or rider were reported.

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About the USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC)

The USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds is the pinnacle of the sport at the national levels. Held annually, the best junior, adult amateur, and professional competitors gather to vie for national championship titles at every level from Starter to Advanced. This ultimate test of horse and rider draws hundreds of combinations from around the country to compete for fabulous prizes, a piece of the substantial prize money, and the chance to be named the National Champion at their respective levels. In fact, the 2021 AEC garnered over 1,000 entries and now stands as the largest eventing competition in North American history. The 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds will be held Aug. 27—Sept. 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Click here to learn more about the USEA American Eventing Championships.

The USEA would like to thank Presenting Sponsor: Nutrena Feeds; Advanced Final Title Sponsor: Adequan; Platinum Level Sponsor: Bates Saddles, Horse & Country; Gold Level Sponsors: ARMA, Parker Equine Insurance, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Smartpak, Standlee; Silver Level Sponsors: Auburn Labs, Canter Culture Riding Apparel, Kerrits, The Jockey Club, Rood & Riddle; Bronze Level Sponsor: 70 Degrees, Athletux, The Chronicle of the Horse, D.G. Stackhouse & Ellis, Dubarry of Ireland, Equestrian Team Apparel, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Kraft Horse Walkers, Retired Racehorses Project, Ride EquiSafe, Santa Cruz Animal Health; Contributing Level Sponsors: Cross Country App, Georgetown – Scott County Tourism, Lexmark, L.V. Harkness, #WeRideTogether; and Prize Level Sponsors: BEMER, Ecogold, EquiFit, Equilab, FarmVet, FLAIR Equine Nasal Strips, Horses 4 Your Consideration, I Love My Horse Eventing Boutique, Jack’s Favorites, Jane Heart Jewelry, Kentucky Equine Research, LeMieux, Mare Goods, Neighborly Tack, Outlaw Nutrition, Palmera Polo, Parkmore Supplements, Practical Horseman / Equine Network, Rachel Dory Equine Fine Art, Remond Minerals, Secretariat Center, Shapley’s, Sidelines Magazine, Strides for Equality Equestrians, and VTO Saddlery.

About the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final

The $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will take place at the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, Aug. 28-30, 2024. Thanks to Adequan’s amazing support, the Adequan® USEA Advanced Final will bring together the country’s top riders to vie for $60,000 in prize money and the title of Adequan® Champion. To qualify for the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final at the AEC in 2024, competitors will need to complete a minimum of two events without cross-country jump penalties at any USEA recognized Advanced horse trials, CCI4*-S, CCI4*-L , CCI5*-L, World Championships or Olympic Games. Click here to learn more about the $60,000 Adequan® USEA Advanced Final.