Ballaghmor Class and Oliver Townend. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We knew we’d be looking at a true 5* test after hearing the riders react to Ian Stark’s final cross country design here at the MARS Maryland 5 Star, presented by Brown Advisory. As we waited in the viewing tent at the finish, we watched Harry Meade and Away Cruising going out of the box as the first on course (original trailblazer Jessica Phoenix withdrew Fluorescent Adolescent ahead of cross country this morning), figuring we’d be watching a deceptively easy first trip around. But then Harry reached the top of the hill to the MARS Sustainability Bay, jumped the long route bounce, and then pulled up. His horse was lame, and quickly the tone of the day changed.

First, a quick update as I know we’re all concerned about Away Cruising, and I’m happy report that while he did lose a shoe and seems to have some bruising on his foot, radiographs came back clean and he will be ok to fight another day.

We then welcomed Lillian Heard Wood and the ageless LCC Barnaby home after delivering a solid round with one missed flag penalty and time, and the ship began to feel somewhat righted for the rest of the field yet to come. It was riding tough, but was still early, and our first rider to interview predicted the time would be achievable.

We were certainly wrong.

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

A few horses later, we waited with trepidation as overnight leaders Tamie Smith and Mai Baum headed out of the startbox. After jumping the first half of the course in classic Mai Baum style, the German gelding began to tire up the huge pull to the highest point of the course, and just before the most intense parts of the track. Tamie made the decision to pull him up before the influential Sawmill Slices, therefore ending her bid for a second 5* win in the 18-year-old gelding’s final event at the level.

In the end, we would see just eight finishers out of the original 22 starters, which would later drop by one when Boyd Martin withdrew Tsetserleg after falling with Commando 3 at fence 3. This makes for a 38% completion rate, just over 50% less than the 64% completion rate we saw in 2023 over a very similar course.

So this leaves Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class atop the podium and poised for a fourth 5* victory after delivering a clear round with 12 seconds of time, sitting on a two-day score of 31.3.

Before we get too deep into the leaderboard, let’s talk about, well, what everyone’s talking about: the course and the numbers.

First, it’s easy to look at this completion rate and think “wow, that was carnage” — and certainly in many ways, it was. It’s also easy to look at the numbers and wonder if the course was unfair or dangerous.

Putting my opinion hat on for a moment, I don’t believe it was a course issue. Now, does this mean I also unequivocally believe this course is perfect? I’m not sure I’m really qualified to make that judgement, but from my view as an observer I do know there are multiple opinions on it since this event began. In fairness, the same can generally be said about most of the other 5* events as they — and the sport – have evolved.

To back this up, I went into the numbers from 2023, which saw nearly the exact same track built by Ian. He changed a few fences this year, moved some things around, made some adjustments to lines based on what he saw last year, but in many ways it was very similarly routed.

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

If you look closely, the leaderboard from 2023 also bears some similarities to its 2024 counterpart. After cross country last year, the top three placings were held by British horses (Cooley Rosalent, Graffenacht, Brookfield Cavalier Cruise). Two strong American horses who also competed here this year, Sorocaima and LCC Barnaby, jumped around clear. Hannah Sue Hollberg and Mia Farley also finished strong, with Mia being the only one to catch the optimum time. Nine pairs were eliminated or retired. The remaining four horses who completed cross country last year all collected jumping penalties.

Cool as a cucumber, Jennie Brannigan navigates the MARS Sustainability Bay with Twilightslastgleam. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

So, yes, the optics of this year’s result look worse, on paper. But the story is still the same: this course is tough, and the strong cross country horses emerge on top. It’s no secret the British are strong on these types of courses; more than once, the Maryland track has been compared to Burghley in terms of terrain and its stamina element. So it should really not be a surprise to see two very seasoned, proven English horses in possession of the top two spots (and another in fourth), and an equally strong New Zealand pair (Tim Price and Falco) holding third. It should also not be a surprise, after looking at last year’s results, that Sorocaima with Buck Davidson now holds fourth place, and save a 15 penalty mark for missing a flag, Lillian Heard Wood and LCC Barnaby also delivered a strong performance. Another strong horse on cross country for the U.S. is Jennie Brannigan‘s Twilightslastgleam, who delivered a clear aside from a 15 penalty mark for missing a flag at 17 (the Sawmill Slices).

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Oliver Townend and Tim Price both spoke to this after their rides.

“Brilliant, Ian,” Oliver, who has competed at this event since its inception in 2021, said. “I know it’s been a tough day, but this event is going to be as important as Badminton, Burghley, and Kentucky. Nothing comes near these four events. I thought last year was plenty tough enough. And I think, you know, it’s Ian’s last year. Why shouldn’t he let his imagination go a little wild? He wanted to build a five-star, and that’s what he’s done. And it’s a fair course. It’s just, you know, we haven’t got 80 runners, so when 23 set off and only 10 or 12 come home, it doesn’t look great. But that’s nothing to do with being an unfair track. It’s just the the field and and the way it’s panned out.”

Tim, who sits third on Sue Benson’s Falco (the horse he competed with in Paris this summer and with whom he won Pau in 2021), echoed this. “[Equiratings] needs to look at the world ranking of riders and use that as a part of the benchmark that they’re measuring against when building things to do with ratio of riders to clear rounds,” he said. “I think if you had more riders of mine and Ollie’s ilk and there’s others — I’m gonna apologize for leaving people out, this is an abbreviation of the top riders — if you had a few more of those, I think you’d see more clear rounds and good rounds. You know, they’re good on good horses, and they’ve mastered these courses after they’ve walked them a few times, and they will come out with a plan and and nail it, but look, it’s just a decent track. I think you would still see good combinations struggling, whether it was with the time or whether it was with a combination here or there, or a jump here and there. It’s five-star.”

Bubby Upton, who jumped a beautiful, gritty mostly-clear with Cola save a frangible pin at the coffin, also summed up the ask that Ian Stark puts on his courses quite well:

“The thing is, with Ian, why he’s so clever, and why the course rode so tough, is because if you commit to the straight route, basically you’re in and there’s no room for error,” she said. “So that’s kind of where we then pay quite a high price if it goes wrong.”

So, where does this leave us?

David Doel and Gaileo Nieuwmoed. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We’ve got Oliver Townend with the seemingly ageless Ballaghmor Class in first, followed by David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed, who took Mia’s place this year and were the sole pair to catch the time (doing so grandly, coming home nearly 24 seconds fast), and Tim Price in third with Falco. Buck Davidson leapt his way up to third place despite a broken martingale on course with Sorocaima, and Bubby Upton would’ve been placed higher but broke the pin at the A element of the Irish Horse Board Coffin Question and now sits in fourth with Cola on a score of 50.5. Jennie Brannigan and Twilightslastgleam, sitting fifth overnight with time and the flag penalty added today for a two-phase score of 52.3.

Equiratings now gives Oliver a 51% chance to pick up another 5* win with Ballaghmor Class, who adds a legend-status 12th cross country completion at the level to his resume.

“He’s been phenomenal,” Oliver, who was visibly emotional about this horse of a lifetime in the mixed zone, said. “I worked him this morning and he spooked at a bin, wouldn’t go past the generator, and I thought, ‘yeah, it’s hopefully gonna be a good day.’ It’s his sharpness and his strength, and that’s why I’m lucky enough to have kept the ride on him. Only a couple of people ever tried him, but they got off fairly rapidly. One fell off and one got off! So yeah, I’m just very privileged. He is a special horse.”

David Doel has been knocking on the door of a 5* win for what feels like ages. His closest call came with a second place finish at Burghley last year, and now he finds himself in similar stead with the speedy round he delivered aboard the 13-year-old KWPN gelding today.

“We didn’t actually have the best of preparations,” David said. “We were originally aiming for Burghley and Galileo actually had a bit of an infection in his hock following Luhmühlen. So it was either go back to Pau or come out here, and I know we’ve got a good galloping and jumping horse underneath me there.”

“He was ten seconds up at about the seven minute mark,” he continued. “And I just sort of felt like he kept on cruising, really. I just had him gallop underneath me, and he’s just so smooth to ride — I don’t really need to do too much on top. He was phenomenal in his assessing of the flags today, and really tried to make sure you jump between the flags. It was almost a little bit embarrassing going that quick. But it just was within his stride. I never really felt like I was pushing him. I never felt like it was actually going to go into his limit.”

Tim Price and Falco. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

I would certainly not say there was a question mark around Falco‘s suitability for a bigger, beefier track than what he would have seen at Pau or Paris, but Tim acknowledges that for a horse that’s got just 28% Thoroughbred blood, it would on paper be a challenging ask. I found his approach to the course today fascinating, though, so I’ll let him speak for himself:

“He’s always had a bit of a system where we start out quiet, we build up through the middle, and we push at the end,” he described. “And [there’s hardly] been one occasion where we’ve had him racing from the start. When you’re asking a horse that, it might not be this most natural thing to push and to dig and to find a second wind and to stay balanced, not just blindly running. You do it in a way that you’re asking something that they’ve got to give. I was quiet at the start. [Giving] him clean jumping is the other thing. I’m giving him good distances. He’s not up against anything. [The jumps are] just passing underneath. So that’s good for energy conserving. And then let’s ask a little more as he goes, and it’s a bit of a rinse and repeat. I’ve done it lots of times now, so he knows that he can do it, and he has belief in himself.”

Tim picked up 7.2 time penalties, but the result is good enough to put him within a rail of Oliver and Ballaghmor Class, .1 penalties behind David’s 34.5.

Buck Davidson and Sorocaima. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Buck Davidson is the top-placed American, sitting fourth with Sorocaima on a score of 39.2. “Look, he’s a great cross country horse,” Buck said, noting that he’d had to change his bridle due to FEI rules and decided to put on the ill-fated martingale as a result. The breakage of the martingale did cause some rideability difficulty, but Buck got the job done. “Last year, the Sunken Road was a bit funny, and this year it was like he’d done it before. I’m pretty happy with him. When you go up past eight minutes [on a Thoroughbred], you think, ‘whew, I’m still going!’. His steering wasn’t amazing today, but maybe I shouldn’t have put the martingale on. He’s amazing. He tries to get through the flags even if there’s no chance, so I couldn’t be happier.”

Buck has been vocal in the past about his thoughts on this Maryland track, and in contrast to some of his fellow riders, he actually has had some gripes about the difficulty — as in, he thinks in some ways it’s not quite up to 5* standard.

“I mean, it’s a different kind of five-star,” he said today. “I’m not sure it’s really five-star, to be honest with you, but it’s hard enough work. The way he’s tightened the ropes up, it’s not as flowing and the horses do have to work to get around here. I think Morven Park is harder, if I’m being honest. I think the hills, yeah it feels pretty hard at that top water if you’re not on a Thoroughbred, but I think usually the let-up fences at a five-star are really big, and they’re not big here. They’re almost, in a way, too small. The worst jump we had was at that little log before the [Foxcatcher Flyer at 24]. If there was a big jump there, that might maybe help a little bit. But it’s unique and different and it still has to be jumped. It doesn’t appear that many people have finished, because I don’t see a lot of people here [in the vet box], so maybe I just have a really good horse.”

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Looking to the rest of the field, as I mentioned earlier we saw Tamie pull Mai Baum up after running out at the Sawmill Slices at 17. It had always been her plan that if she had any trouble, she’d pull up, and for her, it was an easy decision.

“I think that that long pull on that hill, I just got to the top and he ran out of steam,” Tamie told me, out grazing Lexus. “He felt great all over through the whole thing and then just that whole climb he just ran out of steam. Nothing technical, he looks great now. He thinks he finished. “I already said if I had a problem I would stop. Honestly, Maryland’s terrain…I don’t know whether Lexus could have ever been able to withstand that. He did everything really easy and he’s good and he’s happy. Just the prep coming in, he could’ve maybe had another run or another gallop — or maybe not, I’m not sure. But the most important thing is he’s happy.”

Boyd Martin had a weekend he’d like to forget, first falling from Mo Chroi in the 3* earlier in the day and subsequently withdrawing Barney Rubble so he could regroup for his two 5* riders. He then fell with his first 5* horse, the debutant Commando 3, at the A element of fence 3, the Select Event Group’s Locust Log Pond, when the horse got his back legs tangled up over the fence and sent both of them tumbling into the water. Thankfully, both horse and rider are ok. Boyd opted to withdraw Tsetserleg and will now focus on the two horses he’s got running at Pau next weekend.

Bubby Upton and Cola are fifth after cross country. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Cosby Green also had a down day, logging three refusals (two at the coffin and the last at the Sawmill Slices) after a really strong start with Highly Suspicious and therefore ended her weekend prematurely.

In terms of his final course, Ian shared some thoughts with us at the end of the day.

“The ones that got around looked phenomenal, and there were others that I thought looked amazing but had a hiccup that could have happened anywhere, anytime, and it stopped them completing,” he reflected. “But I thought there was some great riding and some fabulous horses, and there were some green combinations that they had the odd hiccup that they’ll learn from. The main thing, from my point of view, is the horses and riders are all at home in one piece and ready for another day.”

We are happy to report that no injuries to horse or rider have been reported from the 5* today. In the 3*, one rider, Kiersten Miller, did have screens put up after her horse landed on her at the Timber Rails early on in the course. We did receive reports that Kiersten was back on her feet, but have not received any further reports on her or her horse at this time. We will work on getting an update from Kiersten.

We now move on to show jumping tomorrow, and the final trot-up has been pushed to 9:30 a.m. Show jumping will then begin with the 3* at 11:35 a.m. EST, followed by the 5* at around 3:00 p.m.

MARS Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Our coverage of the MARS Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by our incredible supporters, Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for science-backed nutritional products to keep your horse feeling their best at all times. They’ll even get on the phone with you to help you formulate a solid supplementation plan for your horse’s individual needs! We’d really appreciate your support of KPP, as they’re champions for our sport and beyond and are wonderful people to boot. Check them out here.

Fence 25, the Fair Hill International Rollercoaster and Drop.

“I’m not sure I’ll be sleeping very well tonight,” joked Ema Klugman after we asked her how she was feeling about the MARS Maryland 5 Star cross country yesterday.

It’s a hallmark saying when riders take a walk around an Ian Stark-designed course, and it’s one he’s always gleefully acknowledged he doesn’t mind. Lucky (and sadly, really) for these riders, this morning marks the last one they’ll wake up from a fitful rest filled with nightmares of yawning ditches and jumping through waterfalls, as it also marks the opening of Ian Stark’s final cross country course here at the MARS Maryland 5 Star — and the final cross country course design of his legendary career.

While Ian didn’t toss every idea that’s ever floated into his brain out there as a last-ditch effort to tick some boxes, this year’s CCI5* track still stands on its own as a true test of mettle, stamina, and preparation. And of course, he’s perennially hesitant to definitively say if he’s happy with his designs or not, preferring to wait until the final horse crosses the finish safely to make that judgement. After all, while he’s quick to tell you he doesn’t mind if a rider loses an hour or two of sleep, it has remained paramount to him throughout his career that the horses must be able to read and understand the questions he sets, full stop.

As I sat down to write this preview, I started gathering quotes from Ian Stark, collected when he graciously came to the media center and sat down to give us a fence by fence preview. I asked my colleagues what stood out to them about his explainer, and quickly a theme emerged.

If you haven’t met Ian before (and I truly hope you get a chance to if you haven’t), he’s a really fascinating person. He oozes enthusiasm when he talks about his courses (or anything, honestly), and his dry sense of humor makes everything he says just a little funnier. He also Just. Really. Cares. about the horses on his courses. Yes, he believes in old-fashioned, bold cross country riding. Yes, he builds dimensionally enormous fences that demand absolute bravery and, failing that, a sturdy pair of Depends. But the amount of thought, of changing and tweaking and modifying — both on his part and on the part of his team of course builders, including Tyson Rementer, Jon Wells, and Mike Smallwood — is immeasurable. It’s difficult to put this into words, the effort made by so many to put on exciting, safe, fair cross country.

An example of one such question on this year’s course that Ian put some extra thought into after seeing it ride last year comes at the Sawmill Slices (18AB), the third water complex of four (though they’ll not enter the water here, at least not on purpose). Last year, Phillip Dutton had a fall on Azure at this question after missing his line and trying to get back to it. This year, Ian’s strategically placed small trees to help keep the riders on a good line here.

“There’s trees in the back of each element on the left to stop horses drifting left and landing in the water. I’m expecting them, these two, to jump [well]; they’re kind of imposing, but they’re understanding them to jump rather well. And there’s a tree on the approach to this, and that’s thanks to Philip last year. He missed the turn, he came back and he tried to get there. So I put the tree in to stop that line, and the tree in the back to try and keep horses straight.”

There are also long routes positioned at the combinations with more difficult lines, presenting an option should a rider not feel confident approaching a direct route.

The course for this year is set at an optimum time of 11 minutes, 15 seconds. In comparison to the three preceding years of this young 5*, it’s the second-longest optimum time. 2022’s optimum of 11 minutes, 30 seconds, is the lengthiest track this venue has seen, and that course saw a 58% completion rate.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Official CrossCountry App (@crosscountryapp)

The course hasn’t changed a lot from 2023, running in the same direction and using a majority of the same combinations, though the look and feel of some of the above has been modified.

The B element of the Brown Advisory Canoe and Cascade.

One of the buzzy “new year, new me” changes on course comes at the second water, the Brown Advisory Canoe and Cascade (9). This jump features running or falling water on both the A and B elements, including water falling like rain from the framing above the jump at the B element. It’s been called “gimmicky” by more than one rider, though historically speaking if we look at past fences with running water, they haven’t generally caused any significant trouble. Jumping through falling water certainly could; the fact that by the time the 5* starts the sun will be fairly directly overhead and will therefore not be as likely to be casting weird lighting may help soften the visual challenge here.

Ian’s fairly nonplussed about the question.

“There’s been some talk about the B element,” he said. “People wondering how the horses are going to react. And way back, way back — remembering I’m 70 — when I was very young, we had two or three one-day events [that had] this, and they actually rode fine. So I just thought it was a bit of fun. If it had been raining, nobody would see the water. If it’s sunny, they can see it, but we’ve turned the water down. It’s dribbling more than running. One rider said to me that they were very unhappy about it, and then I said there is an alternative. You don’t have to jump in. And they said to me that, ‘yeah, but I can’t be competitive.’ And I went, ‘Okay, you can’t have it both ways.'”

The Irish Horse Board Coffin Question (12ABCD) is another key complex that will challenge riders accuracy and their horses’ rideability. Set on a downhill approach, the coffin features a frangible upright rail in, then a steep uphill to a log on the hill, followed by the rider’s choice of a left or right turn to a narrow brush.

“I brought the coffin back in this year, but I’ve given various choices,” Ian explained. “When we put the fence there, for me, the right hand line was there. It was obvious. But a lot of the riders have asked my opinion, and if you have a great ride, the right hand way is by far quicker, and it’ll take less out of your horse, and it should give you a really good feel. But if the horse leaves a leg on the rail, there’s no room for error. So you’ve kind of got to weigh up the risk factor.”

Here’s a look at Ian and Tyson Rementer at the coffin complex:

After the aforementioned Sawmill Slices at 17 and 18, riders will crest the big climb to the highest and furthest point on the course at the MARS Sustainability Bay (20ABC) and the MARS Sustainability Step and Angles (21ABCD and 22). There are plenty of options here if you can manage to remember them, but the direct route here is similar to last year, though some riders remarked that they feel the step up out of the water and the fences after have been slightly softened (which is not what I thought when I walked it, but this is reason #487 why I am a 5* writer, not rider).

Here is another example of small things that can be done to ensure a friendlier course to horses. “It is a two meter drop, so it’s maximum drop. We ramp the landing. The water is about an inch and a half deep, and the ground runs away, and I like doing that, just to soften [it]…I hate landing on flat ground because they land jarred and the you can feel it all the way up the horse’s legs, up the shoulders, and up through you. So if it’s a tiny bit of a ramp, it let’s them unfold on the landing better.”

The penultimate combination comes at the Fair Hill International Roller Coaster and Drop (25ABCD), which Ian made slightly bigger this year having felt it’s been somewhat of a “gimme” in previous iterations.

Fence 27AB, the Belgian Owls.

From there, the pairs will gallop down toward the finish, which features one final combination in the dueling Belgian Owls (27AB), which have jumped well in the past, though they came earlier on the course last year. They have been used at the end of the course, in the first year of this event, and they did not cause any major problems, and Ian feels they should ride similarly.

The final jump is a tribute to Ian in the Scotty’s Farewell (28), and a mannequin decked out in ski gear awaits riders at the finish as a final wave good-bye from Ian.

You can view the whole course, including photos of each fence and video walkthroughs of key combinations, on CrossCountryApp here.

We’ll be eager to see how this year’s track rides, and we know time has gotten harder to get each year. This year stands to be no different, and with perfect weather and a hardworking grounds crew working on watering the ground, it should be a thrilling day of eventing sport.

You can tune in live for the 5* cross country beginning at 1:30 p.m. Cheg Darlington will be bringing you a live blog from the 5* division, and stay tuned for our full report on both the 3* and 5* to come this evening. See the link list below for live stream information.

MARS Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Our coverage of the MARS Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by our incredible supporters, Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for science-backed nutritional products to keep your horse feeling their best at all times. They’ll even get on the phone with you to help you formulate a solid supplementation plan for your horse’s individual needs! We’d really appreciate your support of KPP, as they’re champions for our sport and beyond and are wonderful people to boot. Check them out here.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We knew we’d be looking at some new faces at the top of the MARS Maryland 5 Star leaderboard on Friday, with major heavy-hitters coming forward for their dressage tests this afternoon. What we weren’t quite sure about was exactly what order said heavy-hitters would fall in once the dust in the main stadium settled.

A showdown between Mai Baum and Ballaghmor Class has been the hotly-touted story of the week, though it would be unwise to discount any of the other horses in today’s top five as threats to the leaderboard, as they’ve all gotten sub-25 scores on the books in the past. Yet as we watched Tamie Smith and Oliver Townend together in the final warm-up, it was difficult not to think of two heavyweights in the boxing ring nodding to each other, touching gloves before heading to their respective corners to prepare for battle.

But it would be Tamie Smith who emerged as our day two leader, earning a 25.3 with the Ahearn and Markell families’ Mai Baum (Loredano – Ramira, by Rike). It’s a higher score than the 21.8 they scored at Kentucky last year, but in fact Tamie described this test as her best 5* test with the 18-year-old German gelding.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

While most associate Ian Stark’s name with cross country riding, Tamie shared that he’d been helping her also with her dressage (he’s a man of many talents, that Scotty).

“I haven’t actually been focusing much on flat work,” she elaborated. “I’ve been riding a lot with Ian Stark on the flat, actually, which most people would find to be odd, but he’s quite good on the flat, and he just helped me get the horse really in front of the leg. I mean, I’ve never had an extended trot until today! I mean, once they know their job, they know their job, and it’s mostly just been keeping him strong and healthy.”

“It’s actually really great to be here,” Tamie continued. “He started his four-star Long career here at Fair Hill, so to be back here for the five-star — his final five star — is actually very special.”

It is to be Mai Baum’s final 5* event this weekend, and with that in mind one would perhaps assume Tamie would be quite emotional. She’s taken a different approach though, and says she’s just enjoying the ride.

“My whirlwind of a year has been more like a whirlwind of a decade!” she said. “So he’s always keeping it exciting and right when I think I can plan something, I can’t, so I don’t know what I’m going to do, and he’s not giving me gray hair! I seriously think I have like, five more places of gray hair now, because of Lexus. You know, it’s hard, because at one point we were like, ‘maybe he needs to retire.’ He got hurt and we’re thinking it was bad, and then it wasn’t so he actually doesn’t need to retire…Just for us, I think, and his owners, we want him to go out of the sport feeling the way he feels today, and not just running him ragged, if you will.”

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“Five-star is hard,” Tamie continued. “The amount of work and pressure and all the stuff to put on a horse at that level, you know, you always want them to be feeling at their prime. And I don’t know that at 19 any horse is going to be really feeling at their prime. So we’ve just chosen that this would be his last five-star, and he’s done [nearly] everything but Burghley, and I wouldn’t take him to Burghley. So it’s kind of like, why not just have him enjoy his career and I’ll do fun stuff on him. But I’m trying not to focus on the fact that this would be his last five-star. I thought that maybe I would be emotional, but I feel really happy because I’m just taking in every moment, because I am never going to sit on a horse like this again.”

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

We also knew Ballaghmor Class (Courage II – Kilderry Place), another seasoned veteran with multiple 5* wins under his belt, was capable of delivering a test to beat; in fact, his personal best at 5* is a tick lower than Mai Baum’s with a 20.8 scored at Badminton in 2018. Today, however, “Thomas” and British Olympian Oliver Townend couldn’t quite catch Tamie and Mai Baum, scoring a 26.5 to give Tamie a 1.2 point advantage heading into the second phase.

How did the two tests compare on the scoring sheets? I’ll drop the two sheets below so you can take a look for yourself.

Interestingly, Ballaghmor Class was scored more consistently across the three judges, with a 2.5% spread between the three. For Mai Baum, the judges were a little less consistent, with a 4.8% differential among the three for his score. Tamie earned a 10 from Christina Klingspor (SWE) at C for her final halt, and also secured 9s on her extended canter, her final flying change, and her collective Harmony mark. I always find this fascinating to dig into, especially when you go and watch the test back. And in a game of tenths of penalty points, every single mark matters.

Oliver acknowledged his dressage mark wasn’t where he can be in this phase (this mark of 26.5 hits the board marginally over their career 5* average score of 24.6), but, he says, he’s not putting any worry to the matter ahead of tomorrow. “He’s done another very good clear round at the level,” he said. “It’s just great to have him back here. I don’t think we’ve quite got him dressage-wise where he can be, but at the same time, he’s fit and extremely well, and looking at the course, I don’t think we’ll be worrying about the dressage by the end of tomorrow.”

“He’s pretty much naturally a fit horse,” Oliver said in terms of “Thomas'” longevity at this level, with 11 5* runs currently under his belt. “And he enjoys his job immensely, and sometimes it’s keeping the excitement working for you rather than against you. But he’s an incredibly tough, incredibly sound horse, and has been throughout his whole career. And you know, his enthusiasm for his job [plays a role]. I don’t quite know what we’re going to do with him once his job as an event horse has finished, because I can’t see him doing too many other jobs with ease.”

Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Oliver notes that Ian Stark’s course has increased in difficulty by a small amount each year, and predicted that the optimum time of 11:15 will not be gettable. “It’s big,” he said. “TV isn’t going to do it justice because you just cannot [communicate to] people how many big jumps after big jumps with such accuracy as well. One trip, one slip, and you’re over. So you need a lot of luck at a five-star, but you also need a willing partner.”

Bubby Upton and Cola. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Third on the day and first in the ring this afternoon were another British pair, Bubby Upton and Rachel Upton’s Cola (Catoki – Vanessa XII, by Contender). Bubby’s on her first trip to the U.S. and has brought over her whole crew of family and friends with her to enjoy the experience, and a 5* personal best score of 26.7 was enough to secure them a podium position ahead of cross country.

“He delivers every time,” Bubby said in the mixed zone today. Today’s score bests her previous 5* low by .6 penalty points. “It’s kind of my job to do him justice with everything.” But getting to the point where she can pull out scores like this has been the result of trial and error when it comes to warming up and preparation.

“With him, it’s kind of a bit of a risk it all strategy,” she chuckled. “I’ve got it wrong in the past, like in my first year at Badminton. I thought that the atmosphere would really get to him, so I worked him too hard and he was really flat and tired, so it made that test quite hard to navigate. So now it’s very much the minimum is best. I literally was in [warm-up] for 15 minutes before the test, and [in arena familiarization], I just walked around like once, and that was it. I kind of used the atmosphere to lift him, and I went in and I was like, ‘Oh God, I may have left this a bit too on the edge!’ because he was a little bit spooky when we went in, but [the atmosphere] kind of just lifted him.”

Bubby and Cola lost some ground in their flying changes, which she said she’d be keen to review on her rewatch later today. They clawed back some marks in the final movement of the test and also, earlier, earned 9s across the board on their halt before reining back.

“It’s just a pleasure, honestly, to ride him every time,” she said. “And I’ve gained a huge amount of perspective in the last year. So it feels beyond special. It’s pretty impossible to put into words what it means to be here with my very, very special best friend.”

Tim Price and Falco. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Tim Price (NZL) and Falco (Cardenio 2 – Witta, by Weinberg) are yet another pair who could have gone into the lead by a healthy margin today had they scored close to their previous best at 5*. For Falco, that personal best came 22.1, earned in his Pau victory in 2021. Today, Tim’s Paris horse scored a 27.4 for fourth, losing some ground in the walk and canter work after starting off on lower marks on the trot work.

Truthfully, Tim says, Falco has “never been God’s gift in dressage,” but his trainability has made the difference in producing competitive marks from his tests. “He’s such a dude of a horse to do in all ways, and we know each other really well, so I was hoping to be able to just put those things into the dressage performance,” he said. “He’s incredibly clever and trainable — all the things that are most more important than just being really good at one thing; he’s super at all things. So I think for him, that was a ten out of ten for effort.”

It’s fair to say that Falco has been targeted at championships with Tim, competing at Pratoni World Championships in 2022 and Paris, and this fall Tim and Falco’s owner, Sue Benson, decided to have a bit of fun and travel over for Maryland. “He did one five-star before this one, and then he’s been making those kind of commitments to represent New Zealand and go to those championships,” he explained. “And also, I’ve wanted to look after him a little bit as well. I’m fortunate enough to not need to run and run the horses, so I’ve protected him a little bit in the spring, sometimes in order for a team commitment in the autumn. So that’s reduced his opportunities, really, to do things like five-star. And now we’ve just got the Olympics out of the way, he’s a bit older, he feels amazing, so Sue Benson and I decided, let’s have some fun with him for the next couple of years. And so that’s what we’re doing.”

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Fifth after dressage as one of the final horses to see today was the Turner family’s Tsetserleg (Windfall – Thabana, by Buddenbrock), the Tokyo and Pratoni partner of Boyd Martin, who returns for a 10th 5* start this weekend. Boyd and “Thomas” scored a 27.7 today, earning very consistent marks from all three judges with just a .4% spread and two identical percentages given from Christina Klingspor (SWE) at C and Xavier le Sauce (FRA) at B.

Boyd’s done less and less “drilling” on the flat with Tsetserleg, who certainly knows the job well at this point in his lengthy career. “He’s just an old legend,” Boyd commented. “You know, he knows that test very, very well. And honestly, the last year I’ve ridden him less and less. He’s so trained and schooled, it’s more of a matter of keeping him sweet and happy and keeping him fit.”

This approach, however, has been a bit of out of Boyd’s typical comfort zone. “It’s been hard for me because, you know, I’ve been trained for so long the harder your work, the better you go,” he admits. “And it’s the opposite with Tom — you’ve got to keep him fresh. [Steph Simpson’s] actually hacked him around the fields more than I’ve actually ridden him, keeping him feeling fresh and happy and sweet. It’s the way to go. He’s a hero.”

And so with that, our refreshed top five and beyond look ahead to what will be Ian Stark’s final cross country course tomorrow. Cross country begins with the 3*-L at 9:00 a.m., followed by the 5* at 1:30 p.m. You can view the courses on CrossCountryApp here, and we’ll also have our course preview coming your way first thing in the morning. In the meantime, you can get a quick glimpse around in our preview video here.

Ariel Grald Best of Day Two in USEF National CCI3*-L Championship

Our top three in the USEF National CCI3*-L Championship have remained unchanged at the end of day two of dressage. Kiersten Miller and her own Mama Mia (Indoctro x Lysienne II, by Landfriese) still hold the lead on a 28.4, followed by Sara Schulman and her own Cooley Chromatic (Thorgal x Castrade) with a 28.6, and Allison Springer and Fran Robinson’s Castle Howard Romeo (Womanizer x Creagh Diamond Cavalier, by Cavalier Royale) are currently in third with a 28.7.

Ariel Grald has claimed the fourth place spot with the top score in the 3* today, a 28.9, after a great performance with Adagio’s Nobility (Adagio de Talma x Noble Lady I, by Heraldik). Only in the second year of his FEI career, Ariel has brought the eight-year-old Holsteiner up the levels. This weekend will be his second go at a 3*-L, his first attempt being at Bromont in the spring, and Ariel will look to build on this exciting young horse’s experience with tomorrow’s hearty cross country test.

MARS Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Our coverage of the MARS Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by our incredible supporters, Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for science-backed nutritional products to keep your horse feeling their best at all times. They’ll even get on the phone with you to help you formulate a solid supplementation plan for your horse’s individual needs! We’d really appreciate your support of KPP, as they’re champions for our sport and beyond and are wonderful people to boot. Check them out here.

As we look to the start of competition at the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star, presented by Brown Advisory, we’ve gathered all the information you need to follow the action from start to finish. We’ll also update this post with links to the articles we publish during the week, so you can keep this page bookmarked to stay on top of all things Maryland here on EN.

MARS Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Our coverage of the MARS Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by our incredible supporters, Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for science-backed nutritional products to keep your horse feeling their best at all times. They’ll even get on the phone with you to help you formulate a solid supplementation plan for your horse’s individual needs! We’d really appreciate your support of KPP, as they’re champions for our sport and beyond and are wonderful people to boot. Check them out here.

The Digital Program

EN is pleased to produce the Digital Program for the MARS Maryland 5 Star, and you won’t want to miss this year’s edition, which includes a feature on Ian Stark, a “Letter to Fair Hill” from Jennie Brannigan, a history piece on Fair Hill and its first winner, Trish Gilbert, and much more information on the event itself. Check it out here.

The Schedule

We have several divisions to see this weekend in addition to the CCI5*, making for a jam-packed schedule of both competition as well as many on-site activities for spectators. We’ll see Young Event Horse competition across Thursday and Friday, which are also dressage days for the 3* and 5*, which will happen in the morning session (3*) and afternoon session (5*) in the main arena.

You can find the entire schedule of both competition and fan-friendly activities here.

How to Watch

USEF Network and ClipMyHorse.TV will carry the livestream globally this weekend (ClipMyHorse is your go-to if you’re outside of the U.S.). You can find the live stream for all phases of competition in both the 3* and the 5* here. For local viewers, Maryland Public Television will also carry some of the broadcast, and you can view the schedule for that here.

The Officials

For the 5* this week, Sweden’s Christina Klingspor will preside over the Ground Jury, joined by the USA’s Valerie Pride (who is doing her first 5* not as a rider but as an official!) and France’s Xavier le Sauce. Both Christina and Xavier were members of the Ground Jury at the Paris Olympics this summer.

In the 3*, Peter Gray (CAN) is the president of the Ground Jury, assisted by Great Britain’s Richard Baldwin and the USA’s Amanda Miller.

Ian Stark returns for his final year of designing here at Maryland, joined by incoming designer Pierre le Goupil, who also designed the Paris cross country. Show jumping will be designed by Michel Vaillancourt.

The Entries

You can take a full look at the 5* entries in our Form Guide published today here. A total of 24 entries will take on the 5*, while another 55 are entered in the USEF National CCI3*-L Championship. You can view the full entry list for all divisions, including the YEH, in order of draw here.

EN’s Coverage

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20

Jaguars Duende Crowned Queen of CCI3*-L at MARS Maryland 5 Star

Another CCI5* Title for Ballaghmor Class and Oliver Townend at MARS Maryland 5 Star

Quiet Final Horse Inspection at MARS Maryland 5 Star Sees All Presented Move Forward

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

Shooting for Three Stars: Jaguars Duende Takes the Lead in CCI3* at Maryland 5 Star

All Class: Ballaghmor Class Notches Another 5* Clear with Oliver Townend

A Fierce Field and Everything to Play For: Live Blog from the Cross Country at Maryland 5 Star

Riders React to Ian’s Last Hurrah: ‘It’s Cute.’

One More Time for the Flying Scot: Preview Ian Stark’s Final MARS Maryland 5 Star Cross Country

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

A Showdown Between the Boards: Tamie Smith and Mai Baum Out in Front at MARS Maryland 5 Star

EN Makes Their Picks for the MARS Maryland 5 Star

THURDAY, OCTOBER 17

No Suspicion Here: Cosby Green and Highly Suspicious Claim Top Spot on Day One of MARS Maryland 5 Star

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16

All Horses Pass CCI3* and CCI5* Horse Inspection at MARS Maryland 5 Star; One Contender Withdraws Ahead of Jog

PRE-EVENT COVERAGE

View the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star Digital Program

Maryland Megastars: EN’s Form Guide to the MARS Maryland 5 Star CCI5* Field

Pick the MARS Maryland 5 Star Winner and Win Big from World Equestrian Brands!

Nominate a Maryland 5 Star Groom for EN’s Achieve Equine #Supergroom Superlatives

MARS Maryland 5 Star Drawn Order: Inaugural Winners to Trailblaze

Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill Partners with Maryland-Focused Sportsbook for Sports Betting

Maryland 5 Star Entry Preview: Mai Baum Returns, Strong International Contenders Feature on Roster

Pierre Le Goupil Named New Maryland 5 Star Cross Country Course Designer for 2025 Event

Jennie Brannigan and Twilightslastgleam. Photo by Sally Spickard.

We enjoyed a rather uneventful First Horse Inspection this afternoon at the MARS Maryland 5 Star, presented by Brown Advisory, though we did see a hold in each division, as well as a key withdrawal from the 5* ahead of the jog.

First up, Boyd Martin announced on social media before the jog that the Turner family’s On Cue, the inaugural winner at Maryland in 2021, will not go forward to competition and is in fact going to step down from competing at the upper levels at the age of 18.

“I have decided to withdraw On Cue from this year’s Maryland 5 Star,” Boyd wrote on social. “While she feels happy and healthy, I felt she was starting to struggle in her final gallops and jump schools. I am incredibly proud of everything On Cue and I have accomplished together, and after discussing it with the Turner family, we have decided to step her down from the top of the sport.

On Cue has been a true champion, finishing in the top 10 at Burghley, Kentucky, and Maryland. She gave me my second ever 5* win at the inaugural #MD5Star and she has also taken National Titles in the USEF 5* Championship at Kentucky and the AEC Advanced Final. Not to mention, being named Mare and Horse of the Year in 2021.

One of a few special horses that changed my career. I am especially proud that her last competition was a win at Tryon. It would not do her justice if I tried to take advantage of her good nature by asking her to do something I was not sure her body was capable of.

I am deeply grateful to the Turner family for their unwavering support of On Cue over the years. What we have achieved together has been remarkable. I look forward to continuing to bring her offspring up through the levels in the near future!”

Grace Taylor and Game Changer. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Moving to the jog itself, one pair — Olivia Miller and Cooley Starstruck — was asked to jog twice and then held. After re-inspection, Olivia and “Aiden” were accepted on to competition. In the 5*, British-based U.S. rider Grace Taylor was sent to the hold box with Game Changer, but was also accepted when she came back to re-present.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. Photo by Sally Spickard.

We don’t have official ride times just yet, but they will be coming soon to the timing and scoring platform here, so keep this link marked for easy reference.

We’ll see you tomorrow for the commencement of competition!

MARS Maryland 5 Star: [Website] [Entries] [Tickets] [Timing & Scoring] [Live Stream] [Volunteer] [EN’s Coverage]

Our coverage of the MARS Maryland 5 Star is brought to you by our incredible supporters, Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for science-backed nutritional products to keep your horse feeling their best at all times. They’ll even get on the phone with you to help you formulate a solid supplementation plan for your horse’s individual needs! We’d really appreciate your support of KPP, as they’re champions for our sport and beyond and are wonderful people to boot. Check them out here.