United States Eventing Association

The Maryland 5 Star Daily: Dressage Day One

After the first horse inspection held yesterday, 45 of the 46 pairs presented to the judges will move forward with competition in the inaugural Maryland 5 Star CCI5*-L starting with the dressage phase today. In addition to the CCI5*-L, CCI3*-L competitors will also put on their dancing shoes as well as the Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) East Coast Championship competitors.

Allison Springer and the 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Vandyke (Vancouver x Shannondale Willow) will be the first to kick off FEI competition at 8:03 a.m. in the CCI3*-L. A total of 25 three-star horses will do dressage today with the final CCI3*-L pair of the day, Elinor MacPhail O’Neal and Sally Cox’s 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding Zick Zack (Blue Hors Zack x Mercedes) entering the arena at 11:25 a.m. The remaining 25 CCI3*-L pairs will make their way down the centerline starting at 8:03 a.m. on Friday.

In the CCI5*-L22 pairs will come before the judges with Buck Davidson having the honor of being the first five-star rider to compete at the Maryland 5 Star aboard the 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding Carlevo (Caresino x Ramatuelle) owned by Katherine O’Brien. They will set the standard for the week’s five-star showdown at 1:03 p.m. Davidson will also close out the first day of CCI5*-L competition with Kathleen Cuca’s 16-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Jak My Style at 4:27 p.m. Starting at 1:03 p.m. on Friday the final 23 CCI5*-L entries will wrap up the dressage phase of the five-star competition.

The first of the YEH partnerships to go before the judges will be the Irish Sport Horse gelding Fernhill Domino (Sligo Candy Boy x Unbelievable Cappolla) owned by the Fernhill Domino Syndicate and ridden by Ryan Wood. They will start the 2021 YEH Championships with the dressage and conformation phase at 8:00 a.m. The pairs competing in the 4-year-old Championships will then go on to the jumping and galloping phase starting at 10:30 a.m. with owner/rider Carleigh Fedorka’s Thoroughbred gelding Resurgent (Sky Mesa x Galloping Aim) being the first to go. A victor will be crowned in the 4-year-old Championships at the end of the day today, who do you think it will be?

While the 4-year-olds will be crowned this afternoon, the YEH 5-year-old Championships will begin their weekend with dressage this afternoon, but will not finish out their competition until tomorrow. The first horse to be presented to the judges in the 5-year-old dressage and conformation phase will enter the arena at 8:00 a.m. That honor goes to Linda Hudson’s Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley On A Quest (Ramiro B x Beyond Rubies) who will be ridden by Catherine Pournelle. The final rider to go today in the 5-year-old class will be Ivie Cullen-Dean riding her own Warmblood gelding Redfield Splash of Cream (Canabis Z x N.J.H. Van Der Meet) at 3:27 p.m. YEH Championship action will resume on Friday, with the jumping and galloping phase which kicks off at 8:00 a.m.

Here’s what you need to know to follow along today:

• Horses and riders in the CCI5*-L will perform the 2021 FEI CCI 5 Star Dressage Test (B), and horses and riders in the CCI3*-L will perform the 2021 FEI CCI 3 Star Level Dressage Test (B). The YEH championships each have their own Championship dressage tests which they will execute. You can access the YEH 4-year-old test here and the YEH 5-year-old test here.
• The entire CCI5*-L will be available via livestream through USEF Network in North America and through Horse & Country outside North America. USEF Network will also provide exclusive coverage of the CCI3*-L. Additionally, press conferences will be livestreamed through the event’s Facebook page.
• Follow along with the live scores for all divisions here.
• Dressage ride times for the CCI5*- L can be found here.
• Dressage ride times for the CCI3*-L can be found here.
• The USEA will be posting updates throughout the day on Instagram. Follow @useventing to keep up with the action on the story.
• Meet the USEA Young Event Horse graduates competing in the Maryland 5 Star here.
• Did you miss our 2021 Maryland Five Star Rider Roster? Click to take a look at all of the CCI5*-L competitors, and learn a little bit about each pair.
• Want more facts? Read through the USEA’s fast facts of the Maryland 5 Star!

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