Classic Eventing Nation

Tamie Smith and the Dancing Danito Take Day One Lead in Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S at Defender Kentucky

By on Apr 23, 2026 1:19 pm -

Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

It’s been two years since we last saw Ruth Bley’s Danito with Tamie Smith here at Defender Kentucky. The 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Dancier – Wie Musik) has a long tenure in the sport, earning accolades like a second-place finish at the Maryland 5 Star in 2022 and a top 10 individual finish in the FEI Eventing Nations Cup at Military Boekelo CCI4*-L in 2021. The 2023 and 2024 seasons were quieter for “Cheeto” (he has a lot of barn names, to be honest, but this one’s my favorite) due to some injuries, but now Tamie’s brought him along on her East coast tour which includes nearly 20+ other horses between herself and her students.

Now, he’s shown back up at Kentucky, competing in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S (also a US Equestrian Open qualifier) where he’s taken the early lead with a score of 27.0 from judges Christina Klingspor (SWE) and Robyn Fisher (USA).

Tamie Smith and Danito. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“It’s been rewarding to have the horses all be firing on the right thing, and I’m feeling really confident with how they’re all going,” Tamie said of her big trip East, with hopes to potentially take some horses to Europe this summer. “[Danito] was super today. He is an old showman, and it’s fun to have him because he’s kind of my little flashy dressage horse that kind of stepped in right behind Mai Baum. Danito actually had a bit of a hot shoe nail this week, which meant Tamie wasn’t able to ride him in ring familiarization or schooling prior to today while he recovered from that. Today, she got on for her pre-ride and felt as if he hadn’t missed a single beat.

“I pre-rode him this morning and I’m like, ‘He’s trained. He knows.’ And so you hope that you have that in the horses that you produce, and it’s the work that just keeps going all the way to the ring, and it’s just all the basics that are really strong, and then he has such a good mind. He loves to show off, and you kind of want that in a horse that is competing, so he was so proud of himself coming out of the ring.”

Tommy Greengard and That’s Me Z. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

California is well-represented in the standings after day one, with Bay Area-based Tommy Greengard slotting into second with his own and Andrea Pfeiffer’s That’s Me Z. That’s Me Z (Take a Chance On Me Z – Veneita) is a horse that’s truly been produced through the U.S development pipeline, starting in the USEA Young Event Horse program — he was the overall 2022 USEA Young Event Horse champion — and earning the Turner/Holekamp YEH Le Lion d’Angers Grant to compete at the FEI Eventing Young Horse Breeding World Championships in 2024, where he finished in the top 20 as a 7-year-old. Now 9, the Zangersheide gelding continues to shine, winning last year’s Adequan Advanced Championship at the 2025 USEA American Eventing Championships at Galway Downs.

This trip for Tommy, for which he brought along two horses for the CCI4*-S, including Galway Downs spring FEI winner Balladeer Kilbrickens Lad, is all about building for the future. He spent a year abroad riding with Tim and Jonelle Price, an experience he still says he’s learning from and applying to his own system.

“I think the biggest thing is that there are no tricks at the top and [it’s more about] just making sure no stone is left unturned, and that the basics are really established,” Tommy told me earlier this year about what he learned with the Prices. “I think that was one of the big things about that program — you can train and school in a way for success at the upper levels, and as the horses go up the grade, it’s very straightforward to them. And they have such a system and such a way of doing it — that was my biggest thing I tried to take away from it, is just how to look at things systematically and how to implement that.”

That paid off well for Tommy today, as he noted that the foundational work That’s Me Z has done in his short but successful career thus far really matters when the moment gets bigger.

“He is Mr. Consistency,” Tommy said. “He has very little sense of occasion in the best way possible, so he kind of was happy to go in the ring and perform and do the work. He’s very reliable in getting comfortable at the level now, and is getting a little stronger, which is exciting. He has a little more capability to move around the ring with a little more fluency and a little more step, which is new this year. But he is so dependable, and that’s a really nice thing as the rider. Because the training at home looks very similar to the training before the show, which looks similar in the ring. And that gives you confidence as the rider.”

Dan Kreitl and Carmango. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

Third on day one in the CCI4*-S are Indiana natives Dan Kreitl and Kay Dixon’s Carmango (Chirivell – Taramanga), navigating to a score of 32.0. The 13-year-old Westphalian gelding had a quiet year in 2025 after an injury was picked up at Boekelo in October of 2024, but now it’s all systems go for another season of eventing for Dan, who rides as an amateur and runs a real estate company as his primary career.

“After Carmango was injured, the vets kind of thought he wouldn’t event again,” Dan said. When the gelding came sound again, he competed in pure dressage up to the Intermediare level — but Dan’s (and “Fritz’s) heart lives in eventing, and I think they were both eager to get back at it. In the wake of the injury and subsequent rehab, Dan’s backed off the training intensity slightly, using a treadmill instead of more gallops for fitness and focusing a lot on the flatwork instead of the constant cross country schooling (the horse’s strongest phase).

“So our program is very different,” Dan said. “I’m not going to do as many gallop sets that I used to do when he was a younger horse, and I’m always worried about his fitness, but he’s always been quite fit. So I was probably overdoing maybe some of it on the fitness work.”

Balancing a family, a full-time job as an entrepreneur and competing at the upper levels is no mean feat. “Yeah, it is always a juggling act,” Dan said. “We have a college student housing business, that’s my full-time job. Then I have a friend that helps groom, and we have our routine in the morning, so I get through the horses, and then get straight on to work. My wife’s not a horse person, but she’s been really supportive — for the most part! — and with this sport, it takes a lot of time, so, it is hard balancing it, but I mean lots of people lots of people have lots of things to balance, so we just figure it out once step at a time.”

We also saw the first of the British Young Rider contingent today, with 22-year-old Finn Healy doing his dressage with Greannanstown Monbeg Joe (K.E.C. Maximum Joe – OBOS Jennifer), scoring a 35.8 for 12th place early on. Finn, along with Elizabeth Barrett and Isabelle Cook, are a part of a new initiative called GB Rising Lions, which provides funding and opportunities for young and developing riders to compete internationally. We don’t usually see any international entries in the CCI4*-S here — there is such a bevy of equal caliber competitions overseas, that the cost is undoubtedly not typically worthwhile to come over to the U.S. — which makes this weekend that much more exciting. Also of note is that Ride for Thais Chaman Dumontceau, a horse ridden by French rider Stephane Landois to a team silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024, is now with Elizabeth Barrett so we’ll get to see this special horse tomorrow.

We’re likely to see a slightly updated leaderboard tomorrow as we still have plenty of big swingers left to come. We’ll see rides from some serious contenders like Alyssa Phillips (inaugural CCI4*-S winner back in 2021) with the rising star Rockett 19, Sharon White with Claus 63, Will Coleman with Very Dignified, Mia Farley with Invictus and Carolina International winners Tamie Smith and Lillet 3 — all capable of threatening this current top 3, and of course, you never know who will have a banner day and surprise us all! We’ll have to stay tuned to find out more.

CCI5* dressage begins today at 1:30 p.m. EST, and we’ll have our traditional live blog running with Cheg Darlington here on EN. You can also find links to follow along below. I’ll be back later with some updates from the first day of CCI5* competition.

EN’s coverage of Defender Kentucky is supported by Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for all the science-backed nutritional support your horse needs. Learn more about KPP here.

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]

Alex Conrad: A CCI5* Rookie Rooted in Family Connections

By on Apr 23, 2026 1:15 pm -

Alex Conrad and Malibu Preacher. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“When I was a little kid, I was very close with my grandfather; he was a World War Two veteran,” Defender Kentucky CCI5* rookie Alex Conrad shared. “He gave me his dog tags when he passed away. At every major show, I wear his dog tags under my cross country vest, because I always think ‘they kept him safe when he was at war.’ And I [thought], ‘I bet they’ll keep me safe around this cross country course.’ He was the one that gave me the money to buy MP when we [got] him a long time ago, so it’s special.”

What better way to gallop around the Kentucky bluegrass than on a Thoroughbred, while wearing your grandfather’s treasured dog tags? Alex Conrad and Malibu Preacher might be 5* rookies, but they are no stranger to each other. With 60 events together, including a top 25 placing at the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S in 2025, their long-time partnership is giving Alex confidence as they head into the best weekend all year.

“I’m excited, it’s been a long time coming,” Alex said. “I’ve had him since he was a young horse, so I feel really good about our partnership. I know him so well, and he knows me so well, that I feel really good going on a horse that I have such a good rapport with and have known for many years. It’s pretty special.”

Malibu Preacher (Malibu Moon x Preach It), a 14-year-old Thoroughbred also called “MP”, had trained for steeplechasing before he and Alex crossed paths in 2017 thanks to a connection from Anne Hambleton. They clicked instantly.

“MP raced a pretty significant amount, and it was a big part of his life as a young horse,” Alex reminisced. The gelding still remembers his racing days and tends to get a bit amped up when he hears the loudspeaker and is sensitive to the atmosphere of a big event. Alex spends a lot of time with him, hand grazing and hand walking around the venue, and does several short, light rides throughout the day.

Alex finds MP’s Thoroughbred blood to be key for the gelding’s fitness. “I know that at the end of the day, he can dig deep and fight,” he shared. “He naturally has years and years of fitness built into him. I can rest assured that even toward the end of the course, I’m still gonna have some gas left in the tank.”

Alex Conrad and #supergroom Antonio Rodriguez. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

After a busy 2025 season, Alex gave MP a long vacation at the end of the year, putting him back into flatwork in mid-January to early-February. Based in Cochranville, PA at Windurra USA, home to Boyd and Silva Martin, Alex rides with the dynamic duo on a regular basis. He’s also taken to riding with Peter Wylde for show jumping for the past several years.

“It’s been very helpful having Boyd [there],” Alex shared. “He advises me on everything, from fitness to management, and it’s been great leading up to my first five-star to have such an experienced person guiding me and showing me the way. I definitely feel better about it after being able to talk with him and see how he gets ready. It’s been invaluable.”

MP and Alex competed at five events earlier this season as preparation for this debut, including Stable View Spring International and HT and Grand Prix Eventing at Bruce’s Field. Since MP is an excitable horse, Alex’s goal for the early season was to get him more relaxed, especially in dressage.

“I would withdraw after dressage or after show jumping,” he shared. “We didn’t really need the cross country runs, and I wanted to feel like I kept his body feeling as good as possible leading up to this. It was very important for him to have the exposure in the dressage ring.”

When Alex started riding at the age of eleven, he drew inspiration from his subscriptions to the US Eventing and Chronicle of the Horse magazines, and knew eventing at the top of the sport was what he wanted to do.

Alexander Conrad and Malibu Preacher. Photo by Joan Davis/Flatlandsfoto.

“Every year, I would watch the cross country day at Kentucky with Ann Getchell, who owns Groton House Farm in Hamilton, MA,” he fondly shared. “She would invite me up, and we’d have cheese and crackers in her kitchen and watch Kentucky cross country. I always wanted to do it, but it seemed like such a distant goal for a very long time. It’s really special to have it be on the radar this year and something that we’re really, really close to now.”

When I asked Alex what he’s most looking forward to about Kentucky, it wasn’t the cross country course or the famous bourbon chicken. “It’s the people that are doing this with me,” he said. “I have a really fantastic team in the barn of Antonio Rodriguez, Emma Jacobs, and Miguel Cruz who have been working so hard for me to get here.” He shared that his whole family is coming, as well as a few childhood friends; everybody who has watched and supported Alex over the past 15 years.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.

“I’m really thankful to have this experience with all of them, and [I’ll] get to see them all in one place. It’s a cool celebration of many years of hard work, and I think that’s what I’m most excited for, to have this experience with everybody. It feels pretty special to me.”

Ahead of cross country day, Alex walks the course on his own several times, with headphones in, making his plan and thinking through the questions. He has a tradition of walking the last time with his dad.

“My dad’s not a horse person,” Alex said. “He’s been coming to shows for a long time now, and we’ll quietly walk the course together. He gets to see the course, and the moral support of having somebody next to you as you walk along, even if it’s just quiet, is really helpful.”

While he’ll have quite the ground support this weekend, Alex shared one last thought about his grandfather.

“I think he’d be pretty happy that we were doing this. I’ll have the [dog tags] on for the jogs, and I might just leave them on for the whole week.”

EN’s coverage of Defender Kentucky is supported by Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for all the science-backed nutritional support your horse needs. Learn more about KPP here.

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]

World #1 Harry Meade to Pathfind at MARS Badminton CCI5*

By on Apr 23, 2026 9:00 am -

Harry Meade and Cavalier Crystal. Photo by Cealy Tetley.

The drawn order for our next CCI5* is live, and once more it’ll be World #1 Harry Meade who will lead the way for dressage and cross country at the 2026 MARS Badminton CCI5* in England. Harry’s got three horses entered and has yet to determine which will be first, second and third to go. The three he’s got entered are Cavalier Crystal (4th at Badminton in 2025 and 3rd at Burghley last September), Et Hop du Matz (3rd at Kentucky and 9th at Burghley in 2025), and Graffenacht (4th at Kentucky in 2025) — all sound shots for the podium or even the win.

Cosby Green and Jos UFO de Quidam. Photo by Tilly Berendt.

For the U.S., Cosby Green will be the second rider in the order with Jos UFO de Quidam; she’s also #70 with her second ride, Highly Suspicious. Cassie Sanger, also based in England currently with Badminton champion Ros Canter, will be 18th to see with Redfield Fyre. Tiana Coudray with Cancaras Girl have drawn #30, and rounding out the U.S. contingent are Grace Taylor with Game Changer. Unfortunately, Boyd Martin, despite his plans to become the first Badminton winner with a mullet — though we’d need to fact-check that one — has withdrawn Miks Master C due to a slight setback after his final prep run at Fair Hill last weekend.

You can view the full Badminton drawn order here. Badminton runs May 6-10 and tickets can be found on the website here.

MARS Badminton: [Website] [Tickets] [Entries/Draw Order]

Thursday News & Notes

By on Apr 23, 2026 12:01 am -

One Big Thing: A Look Back for Dressage Day 1 at Kentucky!

 

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Go back in time with 5* master William Fox-Pitt as he reminisces on his many highlights at the Kentucky Three-Day Event over the years. As a three-time winner and fourteen-time finisher, we think it’s safe to bet that William may just know more about Kentucky than any other rider out there! We have no doubt he’ll be watching this weekend as Harry Meade pilots Fox-Pitt’s former ride — and 2025 fourth-place finisher — Grafennacht around the bluegrass once again.

And for another fun Dressage Day history lesson: how much do you know about the history of Kentucky? [Take Practical Horseman’s quiz to find out!]

Today at Defender Kentucky

Following yesterday’s jog, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day has officially begun! Here’s everything you need to know for today:

📆 Activities We’re Following Today

🎥 Follow Live

  • CCI4*-S dressage will kick off at 8:30 a.m. ET this morning
  • CCI5* dressage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET
  • Stream on USEF Network (free with USEF or fan membership)
  • Daily schedule
  • Entries & ride times — CCI5*  |  CCI4*-S
  • Live scoring — CCI5*  |  CCI4*-S

📍 On Course

  • Cross country is open to riders for walking following yesterday’s horse inspection
  • Guided course preview + CCI5* and CCI4*-S maps also available on the CrossCountryApp

📲 Behind the Scenes

  • Stay locked on Eventing Nation for the #BestWeekendAllYear at @goeventing for real-time stories and updates!
  • BTS photos, polls, prompts, and links dropping all week on our Instagram broadcast channel — sign up to stay in the loop
  • If you’re on site, download the GooseChase app to take part in the Kentucky Scavenger Hunt

📖 Know Your Competitors

  • Full Kentucky coverage here
  • Meet all the 5* horses and riders in our 2026 KY3DE Form Guide
  • Find all pre-event coverage, updates, rookie profiles, & all other essential info in our Ultimate Guide
  • Join EN’s Eventing Manager league here with code PCTD

Go Eventing!

Major International Events This Weekend

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* (USA): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [EN’s Ultimate Guide] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]

Ballindenisk International CCI4*-L (IRL): [Website] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Map]

Strzegom Spring Open II CCI4*-L (POL): [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]

US Events This Weekend

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring HT (VA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]

Horse Park of New Jersey Spring HT (NJ): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Other Links and Reading

Training Tip of the Day

If you’re tired of your horse slamming on the brakes at the base of a jump, this video is for you:

Go Eventing

Head out on course with the man himself — here’s the KY3DE Cross-Country Course Preview with Derek di Grazia!

Next Generation of Talent Announced for 2026 MARS Bromont Rising Program

By on Apr 22, 2026 3:43 pm -

2026 MARS Bromont Rising grant recipient Léa Pelletier (Green Valley, ON), competing at the 2025 Little/Petit Bromont Horse Trials with her horse Golden Nugget. © Cealy Tetley photo.

The MARS Bromont Rising U25 scholarship program, administered by the USEA Foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s grant funding for riders aiming to compete in the MARS Bromont CCI (Quebec, Canada) taking place June 4–7, 2026.

“The level of applications we received this year was exceptional,” said program director Peter Gray. “The depth of talent made the selection process incredibly challenging, and ultimately the committee felt it was important to extend support beyond the original ten grants. We are thrilled to be able to provide additional travel funding to three more athletes and help them take part in what will be an outstanding week of sport and education.”

“What makes this program so special is the opportunity to combine competition with real learning,” said Bettina Hoy. “These athletes are not only talented riders, but they are eager to improve, and that is what makes working with them so rewarding.”

Entries are now open for the 2026 MARS Bromont CCI, which will offer a total of $50,000 in prize money across all FEI (international) divisions, representing a significant increase for this year’s event.

In addition to world-class sport, members and horses of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will be on site for special appearances, media, public meet & greets, and photo opportunities throughout the week, including at Thursday evening’s Red & White Eventing Team Canada fundraiser taking place at the Chalet du Sommet de Bromont.

2026 MARS Bromont Rising grant recipient Paige Bradford (Mono, ON), competing at the Eventing at The Parks at Ottawa’s Wesley Clover Parks in 2025 with her horse Caminando. © Cealy Tetley Photo.

The 2026 primary grant recipients are:

  • Jordan Riske, Manchester, MI
  • Laurel Curry, The Plains, VA
  • Léa Pelletier, Green Valley, ON
  • Paige Bradford, Mono, ON
  • Payton Myers, Berryville, VA
  • Carlin Keefe, Lexington, KY
  • Rebecca Roth, Ocala, FL
  • Sammie Thomas, Canton, MA
  • Lulu Malinoski, West Grove, PA
  • Sarah Newman, Groton, MA

Additional recipients of supplemental travel grants are:

  • Harrison Chang, Rome, GA
  • Elizabeth Meyers, Reiglesville, PA
  • Janelle Fleming, Berryville, VA

Previous MARS Bromont Rising grant recipients Emma McHugh (Beaconsfield, QC) and Mégane Sauvé (Saint Paul, QC) both participated in 2025 and were quick to highlight their appreciation not only of the financial component, but the importance of the education and community aspect of such an intensive program.

“My MARS Bromont Rising week was truly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” said McHugh, “And it made my first CCI2*-L feel so positive and supported. I learned so much in such a short time, and it’s something every young rider should get the chance to experience.

“The atmosphere, the people, and the level of learning at this amazing venue in Canada made it unforgettable. I made lifelong connections and friendships. The highlight was my lesson with the legendary Bettina Hoy! This program is something very special and I am so excited to watch this year’s group of participants learn and grow.”

2025 MARS Bromont Rising grant recipient Emma McHugh competing in the 2025 MARS Bromont CCI at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park. © Cealy Tetley Photo

Said Sauvé: “The MARS Bromont Rising program is a great way to support young riders without only giving them funds to attend the horse show. It also gives guidance and advice we can use for this competition and all the next ones.”

The $2,500 grants assist with travel and entry expenses, but the program also includes classroom sessions with respected industry leaders who give their time generously in support of the next generation of young riders. Returning presenters for 2026 include Bromont and CCI5* Burghley cross-country course designer Derek DiGrazia (USA); FEI 5* judge and FEI World Championships 2026 eventing Ground Jury member Peter Gray (CAN); and multiple Olympic, World Equestrian Games and European Championships competitor and medalist, Bettina Hoy (GER). 


New education features for 2026 include stable management with former US Eventing Association president and Olympic groom Max Corcoran (USA), talks on sponsor & owner relations as well as social license to operate, and a welcome BBQ for all Bromont Rising participants on Tuesday evening courtesy of the Wildasin family / Fox Nation.

Members and horses of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) will be on site for special appearances, meet & greets, and photo opportunities throughout the week, including at Thursday evening’s Red & White Eventing Team Canada fundraiser taking place at the Chalet du Sommet de Bromont. © Michelle Dunn

Often described as an equestrian triathlon, eventing features three separate phases of competition with the same horse and rider pair completing each phase together. The opening phase, dressage, will be held over Thursday/Friday, the exciting and spectator-friendly cross-country will take place Saturday and the event will conclude Sunday with the show jumping phase, to determine the overall winners. All days of competition are open to the public and completely free to attend/park.

Thursday night the event will host a Red & White fundraiser at the Chalet atop the Bromont Ski Hill in support of Equestrian Canada’s high performance eventing team, to raise money toward sending Team Canada to this year’s FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany. The World Championships are first “major games” in the new quadrennial cycle followed by next year’s Pan American Games in Lima, Peru; and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA. The event called “Red, White & Gold! Celebrating 50 Years of Bromont’s Olympic Legacy in Support of the Canadian Eventing Team” will be held at the Chalet du sommet de Bromont.

To donate or become involved as a sponsor of the evening, contact Sue Bundy at Equestrian Canada at [email protected].

All 29 CCI5* Horses Set Sail for Defender Kentucky after First Horse Inspection

By on Apr 22, 2026 3:25 pm -

Harry Meade and Superstition. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

It was all smooth sailing at this afternoon’s first horse inspection at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and all 29 horses in the CCI5* field have passed with flying colors. This weekend’s CCI5* Ground Jury is presided over by New Zealand’s Andrew Bennie, joined by Seppo Laine (FIN) and Valerie Pride (USA).

Monica Spencer and Artist. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Not much in the way of drama today (Malibu Preacher provided some for us, but hey, that’s his MO at this point and we accept him for who he is), so we now move ahead to the start of dressage on Thursday. We’ll see the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S first in the morning sessions on Friday and Saturday, starting at 8:30 a.m. EST on Thursday and 8:00 a.m. EST on Friday. The CCI4* will begin at 1:30 p.m. EST on Thursday and 1:00 p.m. EST on Friday.

Braden Speck gets his first ESPN interview! Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

If you want to follow along live, check out our Ultimate Guide here for all of the information on linking your USEF account to watch live for free, or how to use your ClipMyHorse.TV account for both live and on-demand viewing. You can also find all of our coverage to date, including our Form Guide to the CCI5*, inside our Ultimate Guide. Ride times will also be available here.

We’ll see you tomorrow and we’re off and running for the #BestWeekendAllYear!

EN’s coverage of Defender Kentucky is supported by Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for all the science-backed nutritional support your horse needs. Learn more about KPP here.

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]

Karen O’Neal Aims for the Fifth Star in Debut at Defender Kentucky

By on Apr 22, 2026 10:00 am -

Karen O’Neal and Clooney 14. Photo by Emma Gray for Atalya Boytner Photography.

Washington-based Karen O’Neal has been waiting a long time for this Defender Kentucky week.

When Karen heads down the centerline at Kentucky for her first CCI5* with Annika Asling’s Clooney 14, it will mark the arrival of a dream that’s been with her since she was a kid — even if the road there has taken a little longer, and a few more twists, than she might have imagined at 10 or 11 years old.

“I was pretty hooked,” Karen said of discovering eventing as a kid in Arizona. “I was pretty sucked in and wanted to go to the top of the sport.”

That goal never really went away, but like it does for so many riders, life filled in around it. Karen built her career the long way: producing horses, teaching, building a business, and raising three children, all while keeping one eye on the upper levels. There were good horses along the way, and there were also hard breaks — horses lost, horses sold, and opportunities that slipped out of reach. Still, she kept plugging along.

Now, with Clooney, the timing has finally come right. The 12-year-old Westphalian gelding, owned by Annika, has been part of Karen’s life since he arrived from Germany as a three-year-old. Annika had initially purchased him for herself, and Karen was there from the beginning.

“She bought him. We shipped him over. He was three,” Karen said. “She did all the groundwork, and I rode him.”

Karen O’Neal and Clooney 14 win at Aspen Farms in 2023. Photo by Cortney Drake Photography.

At first, the plan was never necessarily this upcoming CCI5*. Karen started Clooney with the idea that Annika would eventually have the ride, but as life evolved, so did the arrangement. Annika started a family, Karen rode the horse more and more, and eventually, as Karen put it, Annika said, “Why don’t you just see where you can take him?” Famous last words, Karen joked.

What followed has been the kind of partnership that feels especially satisfying because it was built, not bought ready-made. Karen has said Clooney was never the obvious, push-button type. In fact, part of what makes this week meaningful is that she did not always know he would turn into a horse for this level.

“I never thought he was brave enough to do what he does,” she said. “But he just kept getting better and better. He’s taught me a lot too — not to force it with him, just to train him and teach him the things that he needs to do.”

For Karen, who has produced mostly Thoroughbreds through the levels, Clooney also represented a different kind of ride. The adjustment was not just technical, but philosophical. “He’s really taught me to go a little slower, to figure things out and get him to understand things,” Karen said. “And once he does, he’s pretty solid.”

Karen comes into Kentucky off a confidence-building prep run at Twin Rivers, where her focus was less on fireworks and more on feel. After a tack malfunction at Galway earlier this spring shook both horse and rider, she wanted one thing above all else: a safe, solid run that put them both back on sure footing.

Karen O’Neal and Clooney 14. Photo by Tina Fitch Photography.

“It shook both of us, I think, a little bit,” Karen said of the malfunction, which involved a broken breastplate. “I just wanted to get around, be safe. My plan was to have a competent, very safe run, and just get both of us back in top shape for the trip to Kentucky.”

That practical mindset feels very Karen. There is no sense of rushing the moment or pretending the significance of it all somehow erases the work. If anything, the work is the story.

Karen has spent years balancing riding with the rest of her life. She has a busy teaching program, a family, and “an amazing husband,” Jeff, who travels to shows with her and helps make the whole machine run. Back home, there’s even an Airbnb business in the mix. For a long time, her own biggest riding ambitions shared space with everything and everyone else who needed her.

“I think for a while, I raised three kids and put myself on the back burner,” Karen said. Now, with her three kids all of adult age (and even her daughter, Patience, is an active rider who frequently pitches in to help teach and ride), “I think I got to focus more on myself and my riding. I think I were fortunate to always have clients and a lot of people in my program, but when [my kids] kind of had their own lives, I was able to focus more on my own riding.”

That is part of what makes this Kentucky debut resonate beyond just another rookie stat line. Karen is coming here as a rider who stayed with it, who kept building, kept teaching, kept riding, kept believing.

And now, she says, she’s living out something her younger self absolutely would have recognized.

“I think I am,” she mused, when asked if this is the life she once pictured for herself. “It’s pretty much everything I wanted to do.”

There is something especially fitting, too, about the horse carrying her there. Clooney was not an overnight made horse, nor is he a quick-fix answer. He was a young horse Karen helped shape from the beginning, one who has taken time to mature and time to understand the job. “I just feel like he’s starting to understand it all,” she described.

Now the pair will take that understanding to Kentucky, where the atmosphere is bigger, the questions are tougher, and the margin for error is slimmer than ever. Karen is well aware of what the week represents, but she also has a refreshingly simple answer for what she’s looking forward to most.

“The thing I’m most looking forward to is the show jumping,” she chuckled. “Then I know I made it there.”

For Karen, this week is about ambition, certainly. But it is also about longevity, timing, and the satisfaction of arriving at a moment after earning every inch of the road to it. With Annika’s trust, Clooney’s steady rise, and a lifetime’s worth of work behind her, Karen will finally get her shot at the level she has been chasing since she was a little girl who got hooked and never really let go.

EN’s coverage of Defender Kentucky is supported by Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for all the science-backed nutritional support your horse needs. Learn more about KPP here.

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]

Kentucky At A Glance: Meet the Competitors of the Defender Kentucky CCI5*

By on Apr 22, 2026 9:00 am -

Want to get to know all our sparkling Kentucky guys and gals, but don’t quite have the time to dive into our full form guide? We’ve got you covered – here’s the rundown of key info to get you started!

EN’s coverage of Defender Kentucky is supported by Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for all the science-backed nutritional support your horse needs. Learn more about KPP here.

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]

Wednesday News & Notes

By on Apr 22, 2026 12:01 am -

One Big Thing: A Record Year for the Kentucky Three-Day Event

Photo by Tilly Berendt.

Our friends at EquiRatings always have the best and brightest statistical analyses for us before every 5*, but this year’s Kentucky has a high chance of being one for the record books. You may not have realized — to be fair, neither did we — but aside from Tamie Smith’s historic win in 2023, Michael Jung and Oliver Townend have been the only winners of the Kentucky Three-Day for the last 10 years. And because Phillip Dutton is the only previous Kentucky winner entered in this year’s competition, there is a 96% chance that this 2026 event will crown a first-time Kentucky winner.

The chances of a first-ever 5* winner standing atop the podium this weekend are also higher than normal, given that Phillip, Boyd Martin, Tom McEwen, and Tim Price are the only contesting riders with a previous 5* win under their belt. Regardless of the outcome, none of the current horses in the field are 5* champions, so we are guaranteed an emotional victory gallop come Sunday afternoon.

EquiRatings Eventing Manager 2.0

For more in-depth stats and rankings, check out EquiRating’s Prediction Centre for both the CCI5*-L and CCI4*-S. Once you’ve studied up on both, don’t forget to stop over and enter in your Eventing Manager team (the deadline is tomorrow morning) — and be sure to join the EN Eventing Manager league by using code PCTD or clicking here!

Major International Events This Weekend

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* (USA): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]

Ballindenisk International CCI4*-L (IRL): [Website] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [CrossCountry App XC Map]

Strzegom Spring Open II CCI4*-L (POL): [Website] [Schedule] [Entries] [Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]

US Events This Weekend

Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring HT (VA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]

Horse Park of New Jersey Spring HT (NJ): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]

Other Links and Reading

Training Tip of the Day

The best XC training tips we can get are from the technical delegates themselves — listen in for their insights on course flow, safety, strategy, and what Kentucky riders can expect this year:

Go Eventing

What do the riders have to say about the difference between Kentucky’s 4*-S and 5*-L? Watch here to find out:

The Future of the Maryland 5 Star Moves Ahead: Select Event Group Working to Obtain License for 2027

By on Apr 21, 2026 10:57 am -

Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

In March, EN announced that the Maryland 5 Star would not go forward for its sixth year in October of 2026. The CCI3*-L and USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships were confirmed to be viable to still happen, and we can now fully confirm that Select Event Group has submitted its application to lead organization of the CCI3*-L this year and for the return of a CCI5* to Maryland in 2027.

“Select Event Group announced today that it has assumed the role of lead organizer, bringing together the operational leadership, partners, and community alignment required to guide the event confidently into its next chapter,” a press release from Select Event Group reads. “Select Event Group has submitted its application to run the CCI3-L in October 2026, as well as the Young Event Horse competition. In addition, Select Event Group is actively preparing its application to organize and put on the 2027 Maryland 5 Star Event. Together, these steps are evidence of a deliberate approach: ensuring a strong, well-executed Three-Star this fall while building the operational, financial, and community foundation necessary for the Five-Star’s return next year.”

With visions to reimagine the cross country course that had been designed by Ian Stark for the first four years and Pierre le Goupil in 2025, Select Event Group and their partners have brought in Pierre (the designer, also, of the 2024 Paris Olympic course), to consult on the ongoing evolution of the track.

Felix Vogg and Cartania. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

“As part of its long-term vision, Select is embracing the opportunity to reimagine the Maryland Five Star course—honoring its reputation as one of the sport’s most demanding tests while ensuring it remains a destination that inspires confidence to compete at the highest level,” the release continued. “Working with legendary course designer Pierre Le Goupil, Select aims to deliver a course that is uncompromising in quality, compelling in design, and capable of drawing world-class participation from across the globe.

“‘Select is eager to build on the momentum created over the past several years and to thoughtfully broaden what this event can be,’ said Alex Corgan, President of Select Event Group. ‘Our goal is to expand the aperture of supporters and participants — from longtime equestrian fans to new community partners — creating more opportunities for people to engage, contribute, and feel invested in the event’s success. By bringing together a strong Team and welcoming all those willing to help make this a success, we believe that we can deliver at Fair Hill an experience that is both world-class in sport and deeply rooted in community.”

Select Event Group had been involved with the Maryland 5 Star from the outset and has worked closely with multiple major sporting venues and other outlets to host world-class caliber events all over the country. Cecil County will also be involved in the process, bringing more familiar entities to the table in the wake of the disruption of the original organizing body earlier this year.

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

“Cecil County is pleased to see the Three-Star event continue this year, ensuring the tradition of world-class eventing at Fair Hill remains strong,” said County Executive Adam Streight in the press release. “We look forward to working with Select Event Group, who understand the importance of including Cecil Countians and local businesses, along with our partners, to deliver a successful 2026 competition and welcome the return of the Maryland 5 Star in 2027.”

The full press release with additional information and details can be found here. Licenses do yet need to be approved for both this year’s CCI3*-L and next year’s event (CCI5* and CCI3*-L), but we’ll keep you posted on any additional updates along the way as they are made available to us.