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.
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The Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and JL Dublin lit up the arena at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials with a stunning performance and took the lead after the first day of dressage with the excellent mark of 22.4. They have almost five penalties over second-placed Emily King and Valmy Biats on 27.3.
At some point in your riding career, you probably found yourself feeling or dealing with a little fear, failure, or frustration. We’ve all been there. Regardless of whether we’re competitive or recreational, we’ve likely found ourselves getting a bit stuck on stress or a struggle; dealing with a little defeat or disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.
We might still be recovering physically from the excitement of the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, but mentally we keep playing the weekend over and over again in our heads. This is a weekend that many eventers and lovers of the sport all over the country (ourselves included) look forward to each year and this year was no exception. From teams getting to experience their first time ever at the championship to mascots swapping gear in a show of camaraderie, there were so many great moments that took place during this year's end-of-the-school-year event. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the three day competition below!
As we gear up for the summer, the competition season isn’t slowing down and it’s time for one of the staple events on the international calendar in the U.S., the Tryon International Three-Day Event (Mill Spring, North Carolina). This event hosts one of five CCI4*-L events on the U.S. calendar, and this year there are 13 competitors in the field. Continue reading below for more interesting facts pertaining to the event that kicks off this Thursday, May 8.