United States Eventing Association

For the first time in 15 years, an American will enter show jumping in first place at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Tamie Smith and Mai Baum are the first U.S. pair to lead the Kentucky five-star after cross country since Becky Holder and Courageous Comet in 2008. However, the bigger history they hope to make will be becoming the first American winners of the event since Phillip Dutton and Connaught overtook Holder and Courageous Comet for the 2008 title.

From the precision of dressage to the boldness of cross-country, 38 horse and rider pairs in the CCI5*-L and 49 in the CCI4*-S are moving on to eventing's next phase at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. Big crowds are expected to line the galloping lanes of Derek di Grazia's cross-country track to cheer on eventing's very best.

Competition at Kentucky kicked off on Thursday with the first half of both the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L fields putting their best foot (or shall we say hoof?) forward in front of their respective dressage judges and today the remaining competitors will wrap up the first phase of competition in the Rolex Arena.

The wait is over! The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian finally kicks off this morning with four-star dressage leading the way at 8:00 a.m Eastern where we will see the first 24 pairs make their way down the centerline. Following yesterday's first horse inspection of the five-star field, all 38 pairs that presented were accepted with 20 of them starting their five-star journey this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. EST.

There are a few things you shouldn’t forget when packing for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event: your tickets, comfortable walking shoes, rain gear (just in case!), and your wallet! With one of the largest vendor fairs at any equine event in the country, there are ample shopping opportunities all across the Kentucky Horse Park this week—including the USEA booth! Located just behind the Rolex Stadium, you can easily pop in before you make your way to watch dressage or show jumping, or hit the booth on your way back up from the cross-country track.

In preparation for the highly anticipated Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event which gets underway this week, USEA Podcast host Nicole Brown has a quick chat with last year's USEF National Five-Star Champion and Kentucky third-place finisher Doug Payne. Payne shares about his earliest Kentucky memories, the prep work leading up to the competition this year, and how he is going to balance his very busy schedule with a horse in the CCI5*-L and CCI4*-S, as well as a horse in the CSI3* Grand Prix that runs alongside the eventing competition.

The countdown to Kentucky is officially on, and the eventing world is abuzz with talks about who will lead the field this year in the bluegrass. With a strong field of U.S. horse and rider pairs, as well as a fierce lineup of international competitors, it truly is anyone's game this year. Want to feel as prepared as possible going into the upcoming competition? Check out our rider cards below which outline important details and fun facts about each pair on this year's roster!

Now that entries are officially closed for the 2023 edition of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, it's time to take a look at the star-studded field that will be contesting the first of two U.S. CCI5*-L events this year. While big-name athletes like current World Champion, Yasmin Ingham, and U.S. fan-favorite, Boyd Martin, may be the initial draw for some eventing enthusiasts, the United States Eventing Association (USEA) is eager to watch the impressive 11 USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) graduates compete for top honors in the 5-star division.

A total of 45 out of 47 horses were presented at the first horse inspection of the 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L on Wednesday, April 27. Only two pairs were sent to the holding box but, after representing, they were both accepted. Therefore, all 45 horses will move forward in the CCI5*-L.