Tonight’s benefit dinner for Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, official charity of the 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, is sold out, but you can still support this important charity! A Fanticipate auction is accepting bids through Saturday and Sunday, featuring gear, clothing and more being used by 5* athletes contesting this year’s event:
Since 1983, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has provided more than $27.5 million to fund 366 projects at 44 universities in North America and overseas. Through the years, research funded by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and its predecessor (the Grayson Foundation) has uncovered solutions to critical problems affecting horse health as well as clues to numerous other solutions of equine health issues.
“Fanticipate is excited to partner with the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation to provide fans unique opportunities to be a part of the action and to get closer to their favorite competitors throughout the LRK3DE. We are equally excited that the proceeds will support veterinarian research for all equine breeds,” said Edward L. Blach, DVM, MS, MBA, Fanticipate CEO and co-founder.
Jamie Haydon, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation President, added, “Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is proud to partner with Fanticipate on a campaign coinciding with the LRK3DE, and everyone who bids should be proud that they are helping to improve the lives of all horses.”
Learn more about the auction and place your bids here.
Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class, winners of the 2019 Kentucky Three-Day Event. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography.
It’s that time of year again, and boy, have we waited a long time for a really jam-packed spring full of five-stars. If you’re not planning on making the trip to either of the next two weeks’ worth of big’uns, though, you don’t have to stress out about missing any of the action. Wherever you’re located, you’ll be able to watch the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event presented by Mars Equestrian™ live – and we’ve got all the info you need on where to stream it, when it’s on, and what you should drink while you’re watching. (No, seriously, you really do want a Boyd Martini in hand.)
To watch the live stream, sign up for a free US Equestrian fan membership — or, to add access to on-demand content and rewatch the day’s action after it’s happened, sign up for a US Equestrian Subscriber membership. You’ll get 50% off this week if you use the promo code LRK3DE22, which will bring the cost of your membership down to just $12.95 for the whole year. You’ll get loads of extra perks, too, including a subscription to US Equestrian magazine, access to the digital learning center, insurance perks, mental health first aid, and much more. Find out more and sign up here.
Kentucky highlights will also be shown on several TV channels and streaming programs in the weeks after the event. Here’s when you’ll be able to quell those post-event blues:
NBC – Saturday, May 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET
CNBC – Sunday, May 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Peacock –Available May 14-June 14
If you’re…anywhere else in the world:
Watching from further afield? You’ll need to sign up for H&C Plus. Membership starts at £5.99 per month, but if you don’t fancy being locked into a subscription package, you can buy an event pass for £9.99 that’ll give you access to the entirety of the week’s broadcasts. (We do highly recommend the monthly membership, though, and not just because it’s cheaper — it’ll also give you access to a plethora of other livestreams, plus loads of archive content, including horsey documentaries, training features, behind-the-scenes programs at major yards, masterclasses, and much, much more!)
Piggy March and Brookfield Inocent. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
In arguably the most significant shift to the entry list so far, reigning Badminton champion Piggy March has withdrawn John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Inocent from contention. The thirteen-year-old Irish Sport horse gelding (Inocent 3 x Shalies Pet, by Kings Servant) won the CCI4*-S Grantham Cup at Thoresby Park in the lead-up to Badminton, and the European reserve champions were widely regarded as among the frontrunners to take this year’s title, particularly after a strong five-star debut at Pau in 2020 saw the horse take an easy second place. They’re replaced by France’s Ugo Provasi and Shadd’OC, who will both make their Badminton debut next week. This will be Ugo’s second-ever appearance at the level and his first in a decade: he finished in the top twenty at Pau in 2012.
We’re now down to number 13 on what has been an uncharacteristically slow-moving waitlist — in previous years, we’ve seen no fewer than 14 horses and riders accepted from the list, which is set in order of FEI points accumulated by the combination over a rolling period. When we last checked in, Sweden’s Sofia Sjöborg and DHI Mighty Dwight had stepped into the gap left by Zara Tindall and Class Affair; since then, a further six horses and riders have made the cut, including Ugo and Shadd’OC. Those combinations are Great Britain’s Nicky Hill and MGH Bingo Boy, Ireland’s Esib Power and Soladoun, the USA’s Emily Hamel and Corvett, Great Britain’s Izzy Taylor and Artful Trinity, and France’s Arthur Duffort and Toronto d’Aurois. The horses and riders who have withdrawn from the entry list since our previous update are Harry Meade and Tenareze, Oliver Townend with two-time Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class and Ridire Dorcha, France’s Luc Chateau and Troubadour Camphoux, who were fourth at Luhmühlen last season, and Ireland’s Joseph Murphy and Calmaro, who instead compete at Kentucky this week. New Zealand’s Samantha Lissington also opted to withdraw Ricker Ridge Rui from the waitlist.
18 horses and riders remain on the waitlist, from which substitutions can be made until 2pm BST this Sunday, May 1. The next horse and rider eligible to get the nod will be France’s Cyrielle Lefevre and Armanjo Serosah, followed by Great Britain’s Tom Rowland and Possible Mission.
And just like that, the first horse inspection at Kentucky was behind us (without even the merest threat of snow this year, so cheers for that, Eventing Overlords!). We’ve done the official debrief, a whopping great big photo gallery, and our gentle haranguing of the riders in our annual Golden Chinch Awards, but if you’re still hungry for more hot jog action, here’s another look through the eyes of riders, grooms, owners, and spectators alike.
Will Coleman gives a thumbs up to his daughter, Charlie, who cheers from the terrace. Photo by Shelby Allen.
My favorite thing to do the week of any big event is go and research the predicted weather for the location. Kentucky, as we know, has a penchant for, shall we say, exciting weather, especially during this specific week at the end of April. The nature of the action on Saturday is very weather dependent, and not every horse loves every season on the cross country course. So, if I see a forecast of rain….I start rubbing my hands together like a cartoon super villain.
University of New Hampshire Spring H.T. (NH): Website
Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring H.T. (VA): Website, Scoring
Horse Park of New Jersey Spring H.T. (NJ): Website
News & Notes:
Want to stay in the know for all things revolving around the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event and Badminton Horse Trials? We’ll be sending out our Daily Digest email now through Tuesday, May 3 for Badminton. It’s the best place to keep up with our coverage and all of the latest news from the big spring 5* events — and, it’s free! We’ll also be giving out prizes (think exclusive EN merch and sponsor goodies!) throughout each event, so you definitely don’t want to miss out. Sign up here.
Yeah, you know you want more jog photos. Who doesn’t love the first jog? It’s where the riders put the most time and effort into their styles, and we get a peak at all the horses and are allowed to drool all over our computers. Good for you, I’ve got one amazing jog album here and yet another jog album here!
U.S.-based Australian eventer Dom Schramm is headed to England to take on Badminton Horse Trials CCI5*-L, along with a healthy contingent of U.S. riders entered in the event, to be held May 4-8. Schramm, who runs Schramm Equestrian with his wife Jimmie Schramm from Cochranville, Pennsylvania, and Ocala, Florida, will be taking Bolytair B, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Team Bolytair B. While it will be the pair’s fifth five-star, it is the first Badminton for both, and Dom is blogging about the experience. [Badminton Bound After 25 Years of Dreaming]
Get some excellent cross country tips from Sharon White before she recreates her epic ditch-and-wall photo from last year. From how to start getting comfortable across terrain to choosing a bit that works for you and your horse, Sharon is the cross country queen and you’d do well to read on. [Create More Cross-Country Control]
Let’s start with the good news: In general, horses are living longer and staying active later in their lives than ever. This means we have more quality time with and rides on our beloved equine partners. The bad news? As horses—particularly sport horses—age, they begin to suffer from related health issues. One of the most common is osteoarthritis, which can make those rides uncomfortable for horses. Learning how to keep them fit and healthy is a skill unto it’s own. [Conditioning Arthritic Horses]
It’s that time again, folks — that special time of year wherein I sit atop my throne of haute couture, casting aspersions about clothes as though I’m not wearing tracksuit bottoms that are two sizes too big and covered with what I think is a bit of liquid joint supplement but might, on second glance, actually be a smear of horse poo. So that’s good and nice. We do really try to ensure that the most qualified people are given the hard jobs here at EN.
Anyway, in a hilarious show of poor judgment, we managed to get a company that’s actually legitimately stylish and sophisticated to back up my spurious sartorial claims. A warm welcome back to Fairfax and Favor, purveyors of fine British footwear and the sole (get it?) reason approximately half the Kentucky field isn’t barefoot right now.
Once again, the kind folks at F&F are offering a seriously good prize to the rider who wins the Ultimate Golden Chinch in this week’s jog awards. Have a browse through the candidates and cast your vote below — oh, and there’s a little something in it for you, too, you fashionable little minx. Don’t say we don’t look after you.
And so, without further ado, let’s take a look at the nominees for the 2022 Officially Unofficial Kentucky Jog Awards. WALK, BABY.
The Golden Chinch for Stowing Your Tray Tables in an Upright Position and Preparing for Landing
Yasmin Ingham and Banzai du Loir. Photo by Shelby Allen.
The seatbelt light has gone off, you’ve finally located Bridesmaids on the in-flight viewing system, and now you’re in need of just a couple more things: a packet of faintly cheesy pretzels (are they meant to taste cheesy? I’ve never quite worked out if it’s intentional) and a space gin in a tiny plastic cup that’ll threaten to fling itself off the edge of your tray table if the plane so much as looks at a cloud.
And lo! What light through yonder plane aisle breaks! It is the east, and Yaz Ingham is the sun. Merrily wheeling her cart of snacks and beverages along, she stops at every row for a minute or two too long, because she’s the kind of gal who wants to have a little chit-chat with all her passengers, who she secretly thinks of as her children.
“Ooooh, love, you’re not nervous are you?” she asks a middle-aged woman, who’s sitting rigid and white-knuckled in her aisle seat. “Have one of these; next thing you know, we’ll be landing.” You don’t quite see what she hands the woman, because it’s hidden in a little cocktail napkin, but sure enough, no one hears a peep out of the catatonic customer for the rest of the journey. Yaz is sunshine and rainbows; she warns you away from teas and coffees because “I’m not supposed to tell you this, lovey, but you do not want to know where that water’s come from!”; she quietens screaming babies with a smile and makes even the most pernickety of passengers soften with her charms. At one point, a man in an aisle seat calls her darling and pats her on the bottom, and swift as a flash, she deploys an emergency exit door and hurls him to his death. The door is shut again before the cabin pressure even has a chance to change, and her smile never falters.
“Would you like another gin and tonic?” she asks.
The Golden Chinch for…Hang On, Where Are Our Chinchillas?
Sarah Bullimore and Corouet. Photo by Shelby Allen.
No, seriously, has anyone checked on them?
The Golden Chinches for the Deft Expression of the Duality of Womanhood, as told by Holland Cooper
Hallie Coon and Jennie Brannigan. Photo courtesy of Hallie Coon. By ‘courtesy of’ I mean I simply stole it from her.
Here we have two outfits by British heritage clothing brand Holland Cooper that tell two very different stories. The outfit on the left says its prayers every night; the outfit on the right once graffitied male genitalia in its school restroom. The outfit on the left is “welcome to come to dinner anytime you like, dear, anytime at all” by every prospective suitor’s mother. The outfit on the right has to be paid off to skip family Thanksgiving after upending a dish of yams over Uncle Hank, even though he totally deserved it because he’s actually, let’s be real, a bit of a bigot. The outfit on the left has never missed Sunday school; the outfit on the right smokes spliffs in the cemetery while the service is on. The outfit on the left says “I think that walks as a conservative four, actually”; the outfit on the right hawks a loogie with a little bit of blood in it and says “four? Are you kidding me? I could kick for two in that.” The outfit on the left is “how may I help you today?”; the outfit on the right is “WHADDAYAGONNADOABOUTIT?” The outfit on the left is the angel on your shoulder; the outfit on your right is the devil. Inside of you there are two wolves, and they are Hallie Coon and Jennie Brannigan. Good luck, friend.
The Inaugural “Hot for Teacher” Golden Chinch
Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot. Photo by Abby Powell.
Is it the prim pencil skirt? Is it the staid and sensible loafer situation? Is it the sneak peak of skin through those lacey sleeves? Whatever it is, Hannah Sue Burnett looks like she just finished one of those English lessons in which everyone has to recite a line from the Queen Mab speech in Romeo and Juliet and then beat one another to a pulp for a while with rolled up newspapers masquerading as swords. But somehow, she also kind of looks like she’s having a sordid affair with the principal. Suddenly, we get where Van Halen was coming from. Teacher, do you need to see us after school?
The Golden Chinch for The Most Suspicious Sunglasses
Doug Payne and Quantum Leap. Photo by Abby Powell.
There’s something a little bit uncanny valley about these sunnies, isn’t there? I can’t tell if I think they might be equipped with blink-activated laserbeams, ready to turn a dissenting ground jury to fine powder in a flash, or whether my spidey senses are telling me they’re X-ray specs that can see through all those purple outfits. Actually, the reality of the matter is that they’re probably a very swish looking version of the ill-fated Google Glass, and the reason Doug looks so serious while he’s jogging down the strip is actually because he’s googling “do birds ever just fly for fun?”
The Second Annual Golden Chinch for Looking Like an Attendee at a Redneck Wedding
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. Photo by Shelby Allen.
“Look, once you get to second cousins, it basically don’t even count anymore.”
The Golden Chinch for Adding a Fourth High-Risk Phase of Eventing
Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me. Photo by Abby Powell.
You’ve got to hand it to Canada’s Lisa Marie Fergusson, who evidently took a stroll around Derek di Grazia’s beefy track and thought, “this? This is it? I only have to gallop at full tilt for eleven minutes over 35 or so maxed out solid obstacles, only some of which are equipped with safety devices? Before that, I only have to attempt to ride around a giant sandpit with a half-tonne animal that’s scared of its own farts? On the final day, I only need to fling myself at obstacles that are the size of four Subway sandwiches stacked lengthwise and spray-painted with some business logos? I thought I was here for some extreme sport, but this is simply disappointing.” And so, to upgrade the experience for herself and many, many rapt spectators, she decided to patent the concept of Danger Jogs™ and go for a blindfolded run alongside a creature that has evolved to essentially be a bad decision on legs. She’s got some brass cajones, that one.
The Golden Chinch for Apex Predator Fashion
Jonelle Price and McClaren. Photo by Abby Powell.
While we’re on the subject of how various creatures evolve, let’s talk about this outfit. I’m a big fan: it’s simple, it’s flowy, it looks comfortable to run in, and it’s, well, sweet. Jonelle looks like the kind of lady who’d bring you a casserole and a freshly baked Victoria sponge cake because she heard you’d worked yourself up a bit over a Hallmark movie. She looks like she might be part of the local school’s PTA. She looks so harmless.
You know what else looks harmless, though? A tiger cub. N’awwww, what a cute big fluffy kitty! Look at its big cartoon eyes! Look at its comically oversized toe beans! Don’t you just want to tickle its fluffy belly and listen to its sweet little purr? WRONG! Now you’ve been mauled to death by a murder machine with no natural predators! It lured you in, and you were fooled, and now you’re done-zo, pal. You’re a goner. That’s exactly what sweet little cookie-baking Jonelle is doing here. You might think she’s real cute now, but how are you going to feel when she’s finished on a sub-25 score and you’re left behind, eating her dust and nursing your wounds? Yeah, I thought so.
The Golden Chinch for Crypto-Bro Chic
Bobby Meyerhoff and Fortuna. Photo by Abby Powell.
Every time I need to type ‘Bicton’, which is the name of the West Country venue that hosted a pop-up Burghley replacement last year, my phone loses its little mind for a minute and autocorrects it to ‘Bitcoin.’ In this get-up, Bobby Meyerhoff looks like a man who wants to make sure that’s not a typo.
“Hey, man,” he says, cornering you in the stables in a puff of vape smoke and glancing over his shoulder shiftily before continuing. “I don’t know what your, like, money situation is, but you seem like a cool guy. I like you, ya know? So here’s the thing: I just wanted to make sure you had the 411 on the ol’ crypto thing. Yeah, yeah, you know, Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum – maybe a bit of Shiba Inu? Bongger? It’s the future, man, and you’ve gotta make sure you’re filling your wallet now.”
Sensing that he’s losing his audience, he reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his phone. On the screen is a drawing of a bored ape. It is, perhaps, the most visually unappealing thing you’ve ever seen.
“This could make you rich, my man,” he says, pressing it towards you. “And I can get your name on the blockchain right now. No questions asked. By dressage, you’ll be on your way to your first million.”
You decline and walk away. As you turn the corner, you hear him quietly mutter to himself, “Elon Musk wouldn’t have turned down my apes.”
The “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” Golden Chinch
Pippa Funnell and Maybach. Photo by Abby Powell.
Look, America, we know Pippa’s great, but hands off. She’s our English rose, not your lawless cowgirl hellion, and we don’t know what you’ve done to her over the last few days, but we’re going to need you to stop. If she turns up at Badminton next week and greets the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort with a ‘howdy, y’all’ our country’s entire fragile infrastructure will crumble. The monarchy will end, the red buses will break down, and our little island will be swallowed up by the sea. The only thing that’ll remain is a few tea leaves on the surface. You’ve had that once already; you don’t need it again. She’s our national treasure, damn it, and we don’t like sharing.
The Golden Chinch for Wearing Pink on Wednesday
Allie Knowles and Morswood. Photo by Abby Powell.
“Is your muffin buttered? Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?”
This is me, wounded and weary after very much jog.
Sonow it’s your turn, dear readers. It’s an important vote you’re casting, to determine our winner, so think carefully and vote by Friday, April 30 at 5 p.m. EST. Whichever rider wins the popular vote will get a glorious pair of highly covetable Fairfax and Favor shoes, which is just about enough incentive to stop any of them from seeking me out for a little bout of fisticuffs, I think. (I hope.)
But it’s not just about the riders: we want you to get your hands on some sweet F&F swag, too. If you’re at the Horse Park this week, head to the Hound & Hare booth and snap a selfie. Pop it on social media and tag us, @houndandhare, and @fairfaxandfavor, and you’ll be entered to win a frankly delightful Mini Windsor handbag. Happy snapping!
Whenever we head back to the Kentucky Horse Park, whether we do so as spectators, journalists, riders, grooms, photographers, owners, or vendors, every step we take sees up following well-trodden paths, heavy with the memories of the people and horses who went before us. As we head into another renewal of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, we wanted to take a moment to revisit the not-so-distant past — and today, we’re heading down the rabbit hole with Australian eventer Andrew Hoy.
(We’re also quite partial to the idea of a nettle gin and tonic, mind you.)
Performance horses are susceptible to exercise-induced muscle damage. Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant, limits the damage caused by everyday oxidative stress. It maintains healthy muscle and nerve functions, and supports a strong immune system in horses of all ages.
Elevate was developed to provide a highly bioavailable source of natural vitamin E (d-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) to horses.
Sarah Bullimore and Corouet. Photo by Shelby Allen.
Everyone had their megawatt smiles on display for the first trot up at the 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian.. Spectators dotted the terrance breathing life back into this prestigious event that went without fans in 2021. Even the horses seemed appreciative — there was hardly an antic on the jog strip.
You can find all the nitty gritty details here, but if you’re just here for eye candy, keep scrolling for a gallery from myself and Abby Powell. Stay tuned for Tilly’s infamous Golden Chinch Awards as well!
Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise. Photo by Shelby Allen.
It’s official: WELCOME BACK to Kentucky, everyone! The sun was shining, the crowds were out in full force, the horses were dapper and so were their riders, and we are officially underway in the 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian.
Hallie Coon and Global Ex. Photo by Shelby Allen.
This afternoon was time to get our first official glimpse of the 5* horses and riders for the First Horse Inspection (the 4*-S horses did not trot today as they did in-barn inspections — they will join the trot-up Sunday morning), where the ground jury of president Nick Burton (GBR) and members Christian Steiner (AUT) and Gretchen Butts (USA). Generally we expect to see a few fresh, fit antics from these horses who’ve spent the last few months building up to peak fitness, but we were sadly disappointed everyone managed to (mostly) keep all four feet on the ground.
Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Photo by Abby Powell.
In total, we saw 45 horses present and all pass. Some were asked to be seen twice: Doug Payne’s Quantum Leap was asked to jog twice but not held, while Booli Selmayr (Millfield Lancado) and Alex MacLeod (Newmarket Jack) were both held, but accepted upon re-presentation. There was also some lengthy discussion after Allie Knowles and Morswood jogged, but the horse was accepted afterward.
We’ll update this post with more photos, but the real treat of the day will be the return of our Unofficial Jog Awards, presented by Fairfax & Favor — so stay tuned as Tilly’s already hard at work dishing it out. We hope you brought your thick skin, riders! (Don’t worry, we still love you!)
Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire. Photo by Abby Powell.
Tomorrow we’ll see the start of dressage, with the 4*-S first to see beginning at 8:00 a.m. with Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver. The Ground Jury for the 4*-S consists of Peter Gray and Bea di Grazia. The 4*-S test rider will be Nick Larkin with Cellusana Alex Too, and the 5* will test Jeri Fuller-Matheny and Zarcita ahead of the start of competition.
Then at 1:00 p.m. we’ll get underway with the 5*, where we’ll see Will Coleman and Dondante first. We’ll see roughly half of each field on each day.
Abby, Shelby and I are off for a spin around the course, so stay tuned for much more from Kentucky and as always, thank you for following along! Go Eventing.
The Park Question at 7ABC will present a tough challenge in the first half of this year’s course. Photo courtesy of the Cross Country App.
Ever since the Badminton course was released a little over a week ago, we’ve all been waiting on tenterhooks to see how Derek diGrazia‘s Kentucky course would compare. And now, finally, we’ve got our first tantalising glimpses, courtesy of the fine folks over at the Cross Country App. Click through to go for a virtual walk around the CCI5* track, with additional information on some of the course’s major questions from Derek himself. There’s also a map and fence images for the CCI4*-S, which proved to be a seriously tough course in last year’s inaugural running. This year’s five-star track will run effectively in the opposite direction to last year, and makes use of some parts of the Horse Park that Derek hasn’t previously used, which adds a rather exciting element of the unknown to proceedings. There’s some seriously juicy questions out there, and with the weather forecast looking gloomier by the minute, we’re expecting this phase to exert plenty of influence.
THE FIVE STAR CHALLENGE
The 2022 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* course.
Of course, this isn’t the only insight you’ll get into the course before Saturday’s action commences. We’ll be heading out into the depths of the Horse Park, and chatting to Derek and some of this year’s competitors alike to get a comprehensive insight into what you can expect when the big day rolls around. Plus, there’s still time to sign up for our free coursewalk with Kyle Carter and Buck Davidson, which will take place on Friday afternoon and promises to be a very jolly time indeed.
Stay tuned for lots more from the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event. Go Eventing!
