There’s something to be said about having the ability to repeat a success. Last year’s 6-year-old World Champions at Le Lion are on track to do that again, returning to take the Thursday lead in the 7-year-old CCI3*-L Championship. Belgium’s Lara de Liedekerke-Meier took the lead yesterday with Tara van het Leliehof on a score of 28.6. Even if they’re toppled from the lead today, they’ll be within range of taking the crown nonetheless as defending champions. France’s Thomas Carlile is one rider to have pulled a Le Lion double, and in fact he’s done it twice, most recently in 2022 and 2023 with Golden de Beliard.
On the schedule today is the start of competition for the 6-year-old CCI2*-L Championship, followed by the conclusion of the 7-year-old CCI3*-L Championship. The latter’s schedule includes the USA’s Hallie Coon and Tykillen Tango (3:12 pm local time / 9:12 am EST) and Phillip Dutton with Darwinn (4:15 pm local / 10:15 am EST). On Thursday, North America was also represented by Canadian Olympian Mike Winter with Billy Debussy – they started their competition off with a 37.3 yesterday.
You can view full timing and live scoring here, and if you want to follow along live you can do so on ClipMyHorse.TV here or it does actually look like the FEI is also providing a free version on their YouTube for at least some of the competition here.
FEI WBFSH Eventing World Championships for Young Horses (Le Lion d’Angers, France): [Website] [FEI Info Hub] [Entries/Timing/Scoring] [Live Stream – ClipMyHorse.TV] [Live Stream – FEI YouTube]
U.S. Events This Weekend
Maryland 3 Star at Fair Hill & USEA East Coast Young Event Horse Championships (MD): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [CrossCountry App XC Maps] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event (KY): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Live Score Feed, sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products] [Volunteer]
Ram Tap National H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]
Sol Events at Willow Draw (TX): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Eventing Volunteers]
Horse Park of New Jersey Fall H.T. (NJ): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Schedule] [Volunteer]
In the News
An overview of Pierre le Goupil’s cross country course, which uses part of the property formerly used by the 5 Star (you can see the 5 Star main grounds and the turf track on the top left). Screen grab via CrossCountry App.
It’s a different-looking Fair Hill this weekend, on what had been the Maryland 5 Star weekend for the last five years, but the future of the 5 Star remains unclear at this stage. Meanwhile, though, Fair Hill in many ways resembles it’s pre-Maryland self, with dressage and show jumping moved back over to the original side of the property. Cross country will take place on part of the Maryland 5 Star site across the road, as you can see in the course view above provided by CrossCountry App.
The cross country will have the French flair it did in 2025 still as Olympic course designer Pierre le Goupil has still been retained for this CCI3*-L course. A glance through the fence-by-fence preview on CrossCountry App will give you a hint at what he’s got up his sleeve. It uses some areas of the course that weren’t previously used for the 5 or 3 Star, and the terrain on this part of the property means that the horses and riders will more or less be on a camber for the majority of the 8 minute, 34 second track. We wish there was a live stream!
The epic Fair Hill Drop will return on this year’s Maryland 3 Star track, designed by Pierre le Goupil (FRA). Photo by CrossCountry App.
All course maps, including a special guided preview of the 4-year-old Young Event Horse course with Marilyn Payne and Chris Ryan, can be viewed on CrossCountry App here.
If you’re in the area, there’s a free learning opportunity on offer for you tomorrow (October 17) all day during the 5-year-old Jumping phase. FEI judge Peter Gray will be on hand to offer insights, answer questions and help you learn all about producing an event horse from the start. This event is free to attend, but donations to the USEA’s Young Event Horse program are appreciated.
Learn some Fast Facts about the 4- and 5-year-old Young Event Horses vying for the East coast Championships at Fair Hill this weekend.
Maryland 3 Star at Fair Hill & USEA East Coast Young Event Horse Championships (MD): [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [CrossCountry App XC Maps] [Scores] [Volunteer]
Suggested Reading
- Why ‘pay attention’ may be the best advice in riding
- Does bedding depth have an effect on how much horses lay down or how they use their stall? New research is in.
Sponsor Corner: Stable View
Entries open in less than a week for the penultimate Stable View Eventing Academy competition of the year, and the final one of the 2026 competition season! And this one’s the big one: the Championships, where $20,000 in prizes will be handed out to the deserving winners. If you’re unsure of your qualification status, you can view it here – and if you didn’t qualify, never fear! Non-championship divisions will be offered as well.
The November Eventing Academy kicks off with two days of schooling and practice November 20-21 and the actual schooling Horse Trials on November 22. There will be one more Eventing Academy this year, December 11-13, but that one will count toward 2027 Championship qualification and leaderboard.
More information on Stable View’s Eventing Academy here.
Coaching Corner
- Medication tips & tricks from the hosts of Heels Down Happy Hour
- Stop turning your horse like a wheelbarrow<
Go Eventing
Boyd Martin got a chance to try out some parts of the horsemanship experience he’d doubted in the past with the help of Tik Maynard and Michael Alway:
