Jul 28, 2021

Eventing Kicks Off in Style at the Tokyo Trot Up

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. Equestrian Media Services / EMS Photo

There were a few last-minute dramas at the first horse inspection for the Tokyo Olympics which took place in the main equestrian park at Baji Koen Equestrian Centre at 9:30 a.m. JST today.

While all three U.S. team members - Boyd Martin (Tsetersleg), Philip Dutton (Z) and Doug Payne (Vandiver) - and alternate rider Tamie Smith (Mai Baum) were accepted without hesitation, Polish team rider Pawel Spisak’s horse, Banderas, was not accepted and will therefore not take part in the competition.

Banderas, a 14-year-old gelding, failed the second horse inspection at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and did the same at the 2017 European Championships in Strzegom. However, he and his experienced rider, for whom this would have been a fourth Olympics, won twice at CCI4* level in 2019.

Puerto Rico’s individual contender Lauren Billys’s Castle Larchfield Purdy was sent to the holding box and asked to trot again, but passed on reinspection.

Jessica Phoenix withdrew 19-year-old Pavarotti, a veteran of the past two World Equestrian Games, meaning that Canada will be represented only by Colleen Loach and Qorry Blue D’Argouges in Tokyo.

The USA is drawn third of the 15 teams, one behind Great Britain. Thailand is the first team to go, while the Germans are second-last, with only Brazil behind them. The home nation, Japan, is sixth to go.

The full team draw is as follows:

  1. Thailand
  2. Great Britain
  3. USA
  4. Switzerland
  5. Japan
  6. Australia
  7. China
  8. Poland
  9. Sweden
  10. France
  11. Italy
  12. Ireland
  13. New Zealand
  14. Germany
  15. Brazil

The first session of dressage commences on Friday, July 30 – 8:30 a.m. JST (Thursday, July 29 – 7:30 p.m. ET), with a second session on Friday, July 30 – 5:30 p.m. JST (Friday, July 30 – 4:30 a.m. ET), and a third on Saturday, July 31 – 8:30 a.m JST (Friday, July 30 – 7:30 p.m. ET)The ground jury comprises president Nick Burton (GBR), Christina Klingspor (SWE) and Jane Hamlin (USA), and they will be judging the new, short Olympic test, specially written for this competition, which takes just 3minutes and 50 seconds to complete.

Click here to access our Tokyo Olympics Hub and stay up to date with all of the action!

Apr 25, 2025 Competitions

2025 K3DE Rider Talk: What Are They Saying About Cross-Country?

Riders in both the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S and the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L are sharing similar sentiments about this year's cross-country courses: course designer Derek di Grazia didn't play around this year. Here is what some of the riders across both divisions had to say about the tracks they will aim to conquer on Saturday.

Apr 25, 2025 Competitions

Off the Record Breaks Records in Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S at Defender Kentucky

Off The Record decided not to let Michael Jung be the only record-breaking entry at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this week and delivered a career-best score in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S on Friday morning. He and Will Coleman delivered a test that received a score of 21.8, not only marking a personal best for the horse but also securing their position at the top of the leaderboard going into cross-country tomorrow.

Apr 25, 2025 Competitions

Soaked, but Not Shaken: Boyd Martin Flies the Flag for the U.S. at Defender Kentucky in Second

Boyd Martin and the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding Commando 3 were the last pair to go in the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L field on Friday afternoon and were warmly greeted to the bluegrass with an impressive downpour that outshined anything the other horse and rider pairs had to combat throughout the day. But that didn’t stop this pair from putting their best foot forward and impressing the judges enough to earn them a score of 26.0, just 0.2 points ahead of second-place pair Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality.

Apr 25, 2025 Association News

Beware of Phishing Attempts and Other Types of Fraud

Please always remain vigilant when it comes to sending any personal communications via email or text. Every year we receive reports of members and leaders of our sport receiving phishing attempts both online and by phone. These are often communications disguised as being sent from USEA staff or other leaders. As the years go on, the phishing attempts appear to be more directed and tailored.

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