Apr 24, 2024

Fence-By-Fence: The 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event Cross-Country Course Preview

By Meagan DeLisle - USEA Staff
11 | Ditch Brush. USEA/Lindsay Berreth photo

If all goes according to plan in the first part of the extended weekend, we will see 36 horses galloping across Derek di Grazia's CCI5*-L cross-country course at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (DK3DE). We partnered up with the team at CrossCountry App to bring you a preview of both the five-star and CCI4*-s tracks this year.

In the five-star, di Grazia has set an optimum time of 11 minutes and 15 seconds across his 6,410-meter course which means riders should be galloping along at a pace of 570 mpm. Horse and rider pairs will have to tackle 45 efforts set up across the 27 obstacle course.

The CCI4*-S will also require horses and riders to be at their best as they navigate 36 efforts throughout di Grazia's 22 obstacle track. This course has an optimum time of 6 minutes and 44 seconds and successful pairs will gallop across the 3,835 meter track at a speed of 570 mpm.

Check out our preview of the five-star track below. You can also utilize the CrossCountry App to access the five-star and four-star course walk with photos.

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