United States Eventing Association

Fast Facts: 2022 Maryland 5 Star

The inaugural Maryland 5 Star in 2021 made quite the splash as U.S. rider Boyd Martin broke the 13-year dry spell of an American rider having won a five-star competition. This year, 26 hopeful pairs are aiming to bring home the win for their home country in the event’s second year of competition.

The Field:

• This year, the Maryland 5 Star has 26 entries in the CCI5*-L competition. The CCI3*-L has more than double the entries with 59 horse and rider pairs competing. There are 38 young horses set to make their USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championships debut in the YEH Four-Year-Old Championship and 65 promising young event horses in the YEH Five-Year-Old Championship.

• There are five countries set to represent in the five-star: USA, France, Canada, New Zealand, and Great Britain. U.S. riders make up 69% of the field.
• Turning up the heat for all five-star pairs, the new FEI Eventing World Number #1 rider Tim Price has his name on the lineup this year with Trisha Rickard’s 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding Coup de Coeur Dudevin (Top Gun Semilly x Tiebreak Combehory).
• Of the riders on this year’s entry list, 17 competed last year including the following top-ten finishers: Oliver Townend who placed second with Cooley Master Class (but is returning this year with As Is); Tim Price who placed third last year with Xavier Faer; Jennie Brannigan who concluded the 2021 competition in fourth riding Stella Artois and has two mounts entered in this year’s five-star (Twilightslastgleam and FE Lifestyle); the 2021 fifth-place finisher Will Coleman won’t be returning with Tight Lines but does have two entries in Don Dante and Cold Red Rum; Lauren Nicholson and her sixth place finishing partner Landmark’s Monte Carlo are returning no doubt with hopes of moving up the leaderboard this year; Great Britain’s Harry Meade and Superstition are making the trip back to the States after the pair finished in seventh last year; Doug Payne and and Quantum Leap are back and ready to improve upon their ninth place 2021 finish; and lastly Frenchman Astier Nicolas has brought Babylon de Gamma back to Maryland after finishing in 10th during the event’s inaugural year.

• The Irish Sport Horse is the rider-favorite breed in this five-star competition with seven horses in the field making up the majority. The Thoroughbred, however, runs a tight race with six entries on the roster.
• While last year’s Champion Boyd Martin doesn’t have an entry in the five-star, you will see him competing Miss Lulu Herself in the CCI3*-L and three entries (Sky Moon, Spartan Martin Z, and Fast Forward) in the USEA YEH Five-Year-Old Championship.
• There is one new international pair hoping to make their mark at the second Maryland 5 Star: New Zealand’s Hayley Frielick riding Kathryn Robertson’s 10-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding Dunedin Black Watch (Dylan Thomas x Watch First).
• Liz Halliday-Sharp, Jennie Brannigan, and Buck Davidson all have two entries in the five-star, but Brannigan gets the honorary title of the busiest five-star rider with five horses competing over the course of the weekend. In addition to her two five-star mounts, Brannigan has one entry in the USEA YEH Four-Year-Old Championship and two entries in the USEA YEH Five-Year-Old Championships.

• Hannah Sue Hollberg (née Burnett) has the ride on the most senior horse competing in the CCI5*-L with Jacqueline Mars’ 19-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Harbour Pilot (Cruising x Shannon).
• Five horses will be attempting their first five-star this weekend: Twilightslastgleam, Dunedin Black Watch, Direct Advance, Danito, and Campground.
• There is one mare on the CCI5*-L entry list: Zoe Crawford’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare K.E.C. Zara (Visa Aldatus Z x Puissance Flight).

The Facts:

• Alex Lochore (GBR) is the technical delegate with Andrew Temkin (USA) assisting.
• Christian Landolt (SUI) is the president of the ground jury of the CCI5*-L competition and will be assisted by Gretchen Butts (USA) and Judy Hancock (GBR).
• Ian Stark (GBR) is the cross-country course designer.
• Ken Krome (USA) is the show jumping course designer.

How to Watch:

USEF:
Live coverage will begin the CCI3* & CCI5* jogs on Wednesday, October 12th at 12pm & 1pm EST. For entertaining commentary during the CCI5*-L jog, check out the Maryland 5 Star Youtube Channel.

Streaming On Demand via USEF Network within North America is free to US Equestrian Members or with a Free Fan Membership- Click Here to Watch, Click Here to Fan Account creation.

To watch live and on-demand, a subscriber membership is required- use promo code Maryland22 to pay $15 for the year (a $10 discount from our regular price).

Horse & Country:
The livestream will will begin with the CCI5* Jog on Wednesday Oct. 12 at 1:00pm EST.H&C CCI5*-L livestream available outside of North America (H+C subscription required).

For entertaining commentary during the CCI5* jog, check out our YouTube channel for live commentary!

MPT:
Broadcast of the CCI5* competition will begin on Thursday Oct. 13 at 2:00pm in the MPT viewing area only. MPT will only broadcast the CCI5*-L competition. MPT will also provide a livestream of the broadcast- click here.

For live Jogs or CCI3*-L coverage tune-in to USEF Network or H&C outside of North America. For entertaining commentary during the CCI5*-L jog, check out the Maryland 5 Star Youtube Channel.

ESPN:
Will begin with the CCI5* Show Jumping on Sunday Oct. 16 at 2:00pm EST. Listed as “MARS Maryland 5 Star Equestrian Championships” or “Maryland 5 Star Equestrian Championships.”

The Competition Schedule

Wednesday, October 13

• 12:15 p.m. - CCI3*-L horse inspection
• 1:30 p.m. - CCI5*-L horse inspection

Thursday, October 14

• 8:00 a.m. - CCI3*-L dressage
• 8:00 a.m. - YEH 4-year-old Championship dressage and conformation
• 8:00 a.m. - YEH 5-year-old Championship dressage and conformation
• 10:00 a.m. - YEH 4-year-old Championship jumping and galloping
• 2:00 p.m. - CCI5*-L dressage

Friday, October 15

• 8:30 a.m. - CCI3*-L dressage
• 8:00 a.m. - YEH 5-year-old Championship jumping and galloping
• 2:00 p.m. - CCI5*-L dressage

Saturday, October 16

• 9:30 a.m. - CCI3*-L cross country
• 2:00 p.m. - CCI5*-L cross country

Sunday, October 17

• 8:00 a.m. - CCI3*-L second horse inspection
• 9:45 a.m. - CCI5*-L second horse inspection
• 2:00 p.m. - CCI3*-L show jumping

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