United States Eventing Association

Boyd Martin has big aspirations for Commando 3 this year, including a trip to the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event for the ultra-competitive CCI4*-S, and he’s off to a strong start this weekend at the Stable View CCI4*-S, leading the division after dressage and show jumping.

There aren’t many riders who can say they competed at five of the world’s seven five-star events in 2023, but the 2023 World Equestrian Brands USEA Rider of the Year Boyd Martin can. With nine starts across the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials (Germany), Defender Burghley Horse Trials (England), MARS Maryland 5 Star, and Pau (France), Martin earned five top-5 finishes.

The final CCI5*-L of the year took place from Oct. 26-29 at Pau in France, and the United States had four riders represented.

It’s not deja vu—the 5-year-old Zangersheide gelding Shmick (Luigi d'Eclipse x Winter Lady), owned by Anne Hennessey, has claimed another Young Event Horse Championship title. Last year’s Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse 4-year-old East Coast Champion returned to this year’s finale at Fair Hill and amazed the judges for a second time to add the title of 5-year-old champion to his growing resume.

Boyd Martin knew he had a talented partner in Commando 3, but with just under a year competing together, Martin hadn’t truly tested the gelding until this weekend at the Morven Park International CCI4*-L.

It can often be an unknown when a rider buys a horse produced by someone else, and top riders like Boyd Martin aren’t immune to that. When he tried Commando 3 late last year, the gelding had competed through his first CCI4*-S with Swedish rider Louise Romeike, and while Martin had high hopes for “Connor,” he knew he wouldn’t really find out what kind horse he was until he tackled a tough CCI4*-L course.

With a strong third place finish in their first CCI4*-L together this spring at Tryon (Mill Spring, North Carolina) and a win in their most recent CCI4*-S outing at the same venue, it might be tempting for Boyd Martin to target a fall five-star with Commando 3, but he says he’s planned for 2023 to be a building year for his newest top talent.

The Fork at Tryon took place this past weekend, September 14-17, 2023, at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina. The event featured international competition at the CCI4*-S, CCI2*-L, and CCI1*-S levels, as well as national competition at the Advanced, Intermediate, Preliminary, Modified, Training, Novice, and Beginner Novice levels.

American Olympian Boyd Martin came to Bromont to prepare his very best horses for the biggest event in the world, the Burghley Horse Trials (England). He should leave feeling fairly confident, having taken the win in the CCI4*-S Saturday afternoon with his Tokyo Olympic mount Tsetserleg TSF on a final score of 52 points. He also took third with On Cue (56.1), and fifth with Commando 3 (59.3), as well as third in the CCI3*-S with Contessa (44.6).

Laura Collett had a few seconds in hand as she headed out onto Mike Etherington-Smith’s cross-country course at the Longines Luhmühlen CCI5*-L this morning with London 52.

After a disappointing run on her first horse Dacapo, where she retired on course, Collett was determined to give London 52, or “Dan” as he’s known in the barn, a good ride around the twisty, mentally-taxing track.