United States Eventing Association

What Happened Where? 2025 Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L Cross-Country Rewind

Lexington, Ky.—April 26—The time was tough to make in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S this morning at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and cross-country course designer Derek di Grazia made it just as tough in the CCI5*-L as well with just one rider making the optimum time of 11 minutes and 20 seconds—and somehow managing to do it twice on both of his entries!

Great Britain's Harry Meade brought home Et Hop du Matz and Grafennacht at 11:18 and 11:19 respectively. Meade now sits in third and fourth with his two entries, jumping up from 17th (Et Hop du Matz) and 18th (Grafennacht) after dressage.

Overnight leaders Michael Jung (GER) and fischerChipmunk FRH were the fastest pair with time penalties, adding just 2.4 to his dressage score of 18.6 to hold onto his spot at the top of the leaderboard on a new score of 21.0 going into the final phase. Second-place pair Boyd Martin and Commando 3 added 6.8 time penalties to go into show jumping still in pole position on a new score of 32.8, meaning Jung and Chipmunk have two rails in hand tomorrow.

When you look at the scoreboard, little blips popped up all over the track with no clear problem points resulting in repeat issues throughout the afternoon.

Four pairs retired on cross-country, three were eliminated, there was one rider fall, and one rider, Caroline Pamukcu, opted to withdraw one of her entries, She’s the One, midway through the afternoon after retiring her other entry, HSH Double Sixteen, on course.

Read below to see where riders ran into issues on the five-star course.

#3 | On the first of his three rides today, Boyd Martin and Fedarman B were awarded 15 penalties for a missed flag at 18E, the Head of the Lake.

#7 | At Pete’s Hollow (14ABC) Sharon White and Claus 63 picked up 20 penalties for a refusal at the third element, the skinny chevron, on the way out. They grabbed another 20 penalties at the C element of fence 20, the Normandy Bank, and again at 22C, Cosequin Cove, where they were unfortunately eliminated.

#9 | Clarke Johnstone (NZL) and Menlo Park found themselves adding 20 penalties to their score after a refusal at the C element of the Care Credit Question at 6. They had another hiccup and had a refusal at the E element of the iconic Head of the Lake (18ABCDEF) and then later were eliminated for a third refusal at 20C, the Normandy Bank.

#11 | Caroline Pamukcu and her five-star first-timer HSH Double Sixteen were awarded penalties for a downed flag at the second corner at 9AB, the Equestrian Events Corners. The Cosequin Cove caught up with the pair as they chose to retire at the B element at 22ABC.

#14 | Hiarado seemed to lose his focus a bit at the first question at the MARS Sustainability Bay (4ABC) to earn 20 penalties for a refusal with Jonelle Price (NZL).

#15 | Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle seemed to have a miscommunication on whether they were taking the four or five strides to the skinny on the way out of the Rolex Crossing at 12, and FE Lifestyle just glanced off at the last minute. She pulled up at 14, Pete’s Hollow, to save the horse for another day—potentially keeping her alternative option of going to Badminton in a few weeks’ time in the back of her mind.

#17 | While no penalties were awarded here, it is worth noting that Calvin Bockmann and The Phantom of the Opera stumbled on the landing after the third element at Pete’s Hollow, causing those around to gasp as the horse regained his footing. Amazingly Bockmann stayed in the saddle, “Phanty” pulled himself to his feet, and the pair kept on rocking. They did pick up 15 penalties for a missed flag at Cosequin Cove (22ABC) later on in the course.

#18 | We were gutted to see one of our five-star debutante pairs, Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times, had a refusal at the B element at Pete’s Hollow (14ABC). That didn’t stop them though; Wildasin got it done and got back to work in her typical fashion, completing her first five-star cross-country course of her career.

#19 | The out of the MARS Sustainability Bay (4ABC) resulted in a refusal and 20 penalties being added to the score of Lauren Nicholson and her five-star first-time horse I’ll Have Another. She pulled up off course at 9B, the Equestrian Events Corners.

#20 | Tim Price came back on his second ride of the day, Happy Boy, and they activated a frangible pin very early on in the course at fence 3, the Wofford Rails, for 11 penalties. They then had two separate refusals to earn 20 more penalties each: once at 6B, the Care Credit Question, and the other time at that double of corners at 9B, the Equestrian Events Corners. Price and Happy Boy were pulled up at 22, the Cosequin Cove, for suspicion of blood on the horse, however, it was confirmed that was an error, their time was adjusted, and they were allowed to restart again. They finished with no further issues and were the first pair to make the time.

#24 | Katherine Coleman and Monbeg Senna had a refusal at 12B, the Rolex Crossing, to earn 20 penalties.

#26 | Another five-star first-time pair, Cassie Sanger and Redfield Fyre, were awarded 15 penalties for a missed flag at the Normandy Bank at 20ABC.

#27 | The final skinny chevron rails at Pete’s Hollow (14ABC) did cause Brooke Burchianti and Cooley Space Grey to acquire 20 penalties for a refusal, but the pair otherwise finished the course in style to complete their first five-star!

#32 | The Normandy Bank saw Bec Braitling and Caravaggio II picking up 20 penalties for a refusal at the final element, but they finished the course in fine form.

#33 | Another of our five-star first-time pairs, Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic did have a refusal at 15A, the drop at the EEI Root Cellar, but they finished out the day and can now say they have run a five-star cross-country course!

#35 | Alderwood caught a hoof on the drop into the Head of the Lake (18ABCDEF), resulting in him and Matthew Brown taking a swim into the water when he just couldn’t land quite right. We were happy to see both of them pop back up quickly and walk away safely.

#37 | Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri, another five-star first-time partnership, found themselves a bit close into the third element at the Care Credit Question at 6, resulting in a refusal for 20 penalties. They had another refusal at 8, the Fox’s Den Gate. They later retired at the Ditch Brush at 10.

#38 | The C at Cosequin Cove (22) caught out yet another pair in Tim Price and Falco as the horse glanced off at the very last minute to add 20 penalties to their score.

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