All 63 CCI5* Horses Pass First Horse Inspection at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

Ema Klugman & Bendigo. Photo by Shelby Allen.

63 up and 63 down, with no interruptions, was the name of the game for the First Horse Inspection at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian. No pairs were held for re-inspection, making it a smooth and drama-free (well, as drama-free as 63 five-star fit event horses can be, really) trot-up to officially kick things off during this very strange Kentucky weekend.

We woke up this morning to a nice, heavy blanket of snow and frigid temperatures that kept us hunkering down inside until the very last possible second. But once 3 p.m. rolled around, it seemed the April weather gods took pity on us and brought up the temperature a bit to make the jog actually more on the pleasant side. It was surely strange, though, not having to elbow through a crowd of people just to get a view of the strip. Jury’s still out on how I feel about that!

A sparse jog strip full of just owners and media! Photo by Sally Spickard.

We’re currently compiling our staff picks for the “Flyest Horse at Kentucky” Groom’s Award, after which we’ll turn over the finalists to you all for voting. The winning groom (and let’s be honest: they ALL deserve lots of prizes for the five-star care they’re giving this weekend) will receive a gallon of EcoVet Fly Spray as well as a copy of World Class Grooming and World Class Braiding from Horse & Rider Books. Not that these guys and gals need any tips, but hey, a groom can never have enough tools.

Fashion was also, as per usual, on display during the trot-up, making us momentarily forget the fact that our toes are all but frozen off starting off the day. Keep scrolling for some of our favorite trot-up looks from the day!

Dressage begins tomorrow bright and early at 7:59 a.m. EST with the CCI4*-S riders in Rolex Stadium. We’ll then switch gears midday to see the first half of the CCI5* field at 12:15 p.m. EST. We’ll post ride times in the widget on our homepage as soon as they’re made available.

Thanks for tuning in with us! Don’t forget to download your copy of EN’s Ultimate Form Guide to the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, available as a digital download for just $5 and the perfect companion to all things Kentucky this week.

#LRK3DE21: Website, EN’s Ultimate Form Guide, 5* Entries, 4* Entries, Schedule, North America Live Stream, Worldwide Live Stream, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Instagram, EN’s Twitter

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