Classic Eventing Nation

All Horses Sail Through Final CCI5* Horse Inspection at MARS Maryland 5 Star

By on Oct 19, 2025 11:10 am -

Artist strikes a pose for the gathered crowd. Photo by SDH Photography.

We’ve been treated to yet another drama-free trot up here at the MARS Maryland 5 Star, and while we did have two eliminations in the CCI3* (Dana Cooke with FE Damaskus and Zach Brandt with Kassiopea Preziosa), the CCI5* was deliciously uneventful. Again, it’s a testament to the care of the horses by their team of grooms and vets overnight (and everyday) to ensure they are feeling their best to jump today. The horses all finished looking like they could go around again, so with any hope that fitness will carry over to the jumping today.

Monica Spencer and Artist. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

So we’ll have 13 starters to see this afternoon starting at 2:30 p.m. ET. It’s truly anyone’s game at this point, though overnight leader Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist do have a rail in hand over Felix Vogg (SUI) and Cartania.

Felix Vogg (SUI) and Cartania. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Mia Farley and Phelps. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

You’ll be able to follow along with the finale live on USEF Network on ClipMyHorse for our U.S. readers. Instructions on how to link your USEF Account are here so you can access the ClipMyHorse stream for free. For local viewers, Maryland Public Television also carries a great live stream that can be accessed here. For anyone needing an easy way to convert time zones for viewing in your local area, this website is a really handy tool.

EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Sunday Links

By on Oct 19, 2025 12:53 am -

We sadly haven’t had much time to talk about the 3*-L at the MARS Maryland 5 Star this weekend, but this moment from yesterday’s cross country truly sums it up as best friends Isabelle Bosley and Olivia Dutton earned clear rounds, Isabelle’s to help her keep her lead in the division. The best thing about eventing (ok, one of the best things) is truly the friendships it helps us build — because who else will truly understand the crazy if not an equally crazy best friend?

U.S. Events This Weekend

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [CrossCountryApp XC Maps] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event (KY): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Willow Draw Charity Show (TX): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Ram Tap National H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

FEI WBFSH Young Horse World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers (France): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Live Stream]

Links & Reading

Conner Answers All the Questions for Bosley at CCI3*-L at MARS Maryland 5 Star

Systems, Policies, and Rules: Rethinking How Governance Shapes Horse Welfare and Competition

Criticism & Coffee: Turning Horse Show Feedback Into Growth

World Championships for young eventing horses in Le Lion D’Angers (FRA): Hanoverian Helios leads after the cross-country

Video Break

What a day it was yesterday to be sat on a Thoroughbred!

Horses for Courses on MARS Maryland 5 Star Cross Country Day

By on Oct 18, 2025 10:00 pm -

Monica Spencer and Artist. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

I’m pretty confident I got more sleep last night than the riders competing at the MARS Maryland 5 Star, but as I stared at my phone as the clock ticked toward 3 a.m. last night, the questions were swirling. I had a good gut feeling about the course (which, like, take with a grain of salt, because I’m not sure my gut feeling accuracy average is anything to brag about), but boy, was it different. The chatter I listened to from the riders added to the questions. Many of them didn’t realize they could jump a table as a corner on their initial walkthroughs. Some called a few of the lines and questions “nearly unjumpable.” Others referred to it as the hardest cross country they’ve ever seen (which, to be fair, I think is probably what they say a lot, because the thing about eventing is you can do this really incredibly difficult thing and wonder why on EARTH you choose to do it because it was just so hard, only to forget that part and turn around to do it again the next weekend).

It was always apparent that the horses that would cope the best today would be the horses who had experience on tough 5* terrain, and horses who were either Thoroughbreds or flush with Thoroughbred breeding influence. This hunch was confirmed when you look at the top four horses at the top of the standings following an influential day of jumping in absolutely perfect conditions: all four of these horses, three of which finished inside the optimum time of 11:00, are Burghley horses. Two of them are Thoroughbreds. Again, as I wrote at the outset of the week, I think this big picture is very much in focus as we continue to learn the identity of Maryland.

Let’s talk about the Thoroughbreds first, because it’s one of the best parts of the day.

 

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The number of pure Thoroughbreds we see at this level isn’t as large as we’d love it to be. Many Thoroughbreds struggle in the dressage and in the show jumping. There is a reason we don’t often see them at the top levels of these two individual sports. Where they tend to really shine, with some anomalies who have become three-phase specialists of sorts, is on Saturdays.

Before cross country at CHIO Aachen this summer, Monica laughed when recalling her Kentucky cross country round earlier this year. “When I watched my video back, I was like, ‘oh my goodness, Monica, this is show hunter! What are you doing?'” she chuckled. “So I need to just tighten up my sit ups a bit, and hopefully I’ll be closer to the time.”

She did that in Aachen that weekend, adding two seconds on time on a twisting course that wouldn’t necessarily be the most suited for galloping. “Just keep kicking,” she said of her pep talk to herself that day. “It’s my nature to get too sympathetic and be like, ‘Oh, he needs to rest,’ but [I need to] just to rely on that fitness that I know he has and trust that he’s got the stamina to gallop the whole way.”

Monica Spencer and Artist. Photo by SDH Photography.

This spring, Monica and her family moved to Pennsylvania from Virginia and have had the ability to take advantage of the famous Nelson’s Hill in Chester County for conditioning. “Max” does his gallops every five days leading up to a three-day, plus he now has had eight other Long format events under his belt at the 4* and 5* level to build a right proper base of fitness on top of his pure Thoroughbred breeding.

All of these things, the little details, led up to today. Monica stopped the clock at 10:36, an astounding 20 seconds inside the time (even better than the 15 she thought she had in hand when she checked her watch) to collect her first clear inside the time at the 5* level and her first at any FEI level since 2022. You could see it, too, in Artist’s gallop. He’s always been a long-striding, efficient horse, but there was almost a noticeable difference in power as he charged around the track today. And coupled with that power is something that’s sometimes rare in such a horse: rideability. So much so that Monica admits this adds another nuance to planning her rides.

“He’s a hard one to decide how to ride the course on, because he can do anything,” she explained. “Some horses, you always know to go on the big stride, and some you know to add one. But he can do anything, so he’s so adjustable and that’s come in handy.”

Monica Spencer and Artist. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Monica stays on her dressage score of 23.7 and will have one rail and some time in hand over second-placed Felix Vogg (SUI) and Cartania (28.3). Statistically, it’s likely she’ll need that rail (though Cartania is not the strongest show jumper herself, nor is third-placed Phelps with Mia Farley (32.2)). Artist has the second-best average of the three in the final phase, lowering an average of 1 rail in his last 6 FEI starts; Cartania has averaged 2.7 jump penalties in her last 6 FEI starts.

“[Thoroughbreds] are bred for running, and we enjoyed that today,” Monica said. “I had one down at Burghley last year, which was a good effort. Let’s put it this way: when I left the start box today, my priority was to keep that rail in hand. We may need two, but I came to this event hoping to get on the podium after swinging and missing for many top tens. He’s been a very consistent boy for me, and I came here wanting a podium, and I’m gonna keep it real and just hope that we can do our best job tomorrow.”

There is something to be said for the extra power and strength Artist showed today. Yes, he could have left it all out on the cross country course, but the other scenario is that the additional hill work and added fitness over time lends itself well to tomorrow, and wouldn’t that be one of the best stories to be able to live?

But we’re lucky this year. Looking at, well, basically the entire field, the stories are incredible, and whoever emerges on top tomorrow will be a unique and historical winner in their own right.

Felix Vogg and Cartania. Photo by SDH Photography.

Felix is one rider who could tamper Monica’s ambitions tomorrow if he can deliver a clear round with Phoenix Eventing S.à.r.l.’s Cartania. It will be a tall task, statistically at least, as she’s never jumped a fault-free round at a 5* in three attempts. Her best round came at Burghley last year, where she had just one down to finish in the top 15.

“Her breeding is jumping, and she can jump high, otherwise she wouldn’t come around these courses,” Felix said. “We weren’t always good, we had one down, two down, but I think it got a little better. We worked quite a lot on that. Tomorrow, anything can happen, but of course, like everyone, I hope she jumps clear.”

Like Artist and Phelps in the top three, Cartania is also a cross country specialist — again, the horses for courses conversation comes up here — but this was also her first clear inside the time at the level. Perfect ground and conditions certainly aided this possibility; a total of four pairs caught the time (three of which were Thoroughbreds, including Sophia Hill (AUS) and Humble Glory, in seventh on a 46.2).

Cartania’s only got about 46% blood on paper, though this Thoroughbred influence originates from the damline, C Tenda, by Clinton, so our in-house lineage expert, Amanda Chance, reckons the Thoroughbred influence is likely higher than listed. Felix, though, says there are other ingredients that make this mare such a specialist.

“It’s about the fitness, and [she’s] a mare,” Felix said. “It makes it easier: they don’t often stop, they keep fighting for you.” Felix is on a new property this year, which similarly to U.S. Olympian Will Coleman has resulted in some new adjustments in terms of fitness training. The fact she had been fit for Burghley in September also helped (Felix’s shoulder injury prevented him from taking her there). “I was bit worried beginning of the year to go to Badminton, and she might be not fit enough. But turned out the opposite — she was way too fit, maybe. Now she was Burghley ready. They have to be fit, and as well now, I think she was perfect. She didn’t get tired, so I think it was part of the fitness.”

Felix Vogg and Cartania. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Felix switched to a Dutch gag type of bit for this week, changing away from a Pelham, which he felt worked. The mare can be strong on cross country, as he referenced about Badminton this year, where they had a surprising fall that seemed to result from a general lack of rideability.

“I was a bit worried about the time at the beginning, because I was always on the minute, not ahead of it, and I knew what is still coming,” Felix said after his ride. “But it changed that minute before the coffin. And then I was always ahead of it quite a lot, sometimes 20 seconds. So I had to slow her down, calm her down a bit uphill, which was actually really good, so she doesn’t use herself up.”

So while he felt he lost a few marks despite scoring a 5* personal best on the horse in the dressage, Felix said his intention to not do “too much dressage” in the lead-up and instead focusing on fitness has paid off. “The dressage, I don’t think, is the big problem about her, especially when you build up to these events, mostly you do too much dressage,” he explained. “So for me, it was important that she stays fit, she keeps jumping.”

Mia Farley and Phelps. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Mia Farley earned her third 5* double clear in four starts, building off of her debut here at Maryland in 2023 to bring David O’Connor’s Phelps home inside the time by one second. She stays on a score of 32.2 heading into tomorrow, and while she’s never all that optimistic about show jumping, she knows just how special of a cross country horse she’s sitting on today.

One of the biggest indicators Mia said she felt even before she left the start box? Phelps was grazing in the warm-up. This may seem innocuous, but he’s somewhat gained a reputation for being..er..a bit..unrideable for the first few fences on course. He’s really not a Short format horse, Mia says. He needs the stretches of gallop and the terrain to really take up his efficient stride and allow him to move forward, but sometimes this results in that aforementioned loss of control. But today, he grazed, and Mia says that’s his tell that he’s particularly relaxed. When she left the start box, she could flow right away, rather than fighting Phelps for control and getting away with a few hairy distances as she’s had to in the past.

“I got kind of the same feeling that I did at Kentucky, where I could just ride on a long rein,” she said. “He just gets everything, so he makes my life easy.” Mia chose to go long at the Pierre’s Puzzle coffin complex, having not had an ideal jump over the first corner in the arena at fence 7, resulting in going long. “I think a lot of people know he does have a little bit of a little bit of a right drift. So I was like, even if I ride that perfect, I can’t guarantee it. So I just wanted to play it safe and go around and I know I’m on a fast horse, so he just covers the ground.”

Mia Farley and Phelps. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott.

Mia had a heartbreaker of a 20 at Burghley, coming to grief at the Joules at the Malting’s Corner but otherwise jumping a strong round. She learned from this experience. “I know not to see a distance from 10 out and leave six strides out,” she laughed. “I came in with no expectations my first year, and he was great. And then Kentucky, I was like, ‘Okay, I know I can do this. I can be competitive.’ And then out here, because of my decision at Burghley, I just wanted to come out and not try to make time, because I’ve tried to make time twice on him, and I’ve had a mistake both times.”

She was also a bit stressed this morning after having two three-star horses and not having much time to walk her 5* course. “I would be crying if I were on any other horse, but I knew Phelps would kind of cover me for what maybe I wasn’t there for him,” she said.

Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Photo by Veronica Green-Gott.

Jennie Brannigan showed her grit today, jumping an all-class clear with Tim and Nina Gardner’s FE Lifestyle, adding 3.6 time to go onto a 36.4 for fourth place overnight. This is another pair that’s jumped around Burghley (they finished 12th in 2023 and won Best First Timer and 23rd in 2024), and that experience came in handy today. “Foxy” recovered well after a lengthy rehab from a gruesome injury in the trailer en route to Badminton earlier this year, and Jennie herself badly sprained her ankle in a fall with another horse at Morven Park last week, so conditions were not exactly ideal for her today. She debated this morning about going out, but after consulting her coaching and medical team, she decided she was ready to give it her best shot.

“You get a lot of feedback from people telling you, you know, you’re a good person, you’re a bad person,” Jennie said. “But I knew that I was okay to ride him, and I also know that I can pull up when things aren’t going well, or I wouldn’t do my horse justice. I just tried to keep breathing and taking it one one step at a time. But it did ride what Phillip [Dutton’s] and Peter [Wylde’s] plan was for me.”

She says both she and Foxy were a bit low on fitness (and this horse is another without a ton of blood in his system, coming in around 37%), but it was her priority to listen to him out there today and allow him to travel if he felt comfortable. “I’m kicking myself for the few times, but I think I took care of him the whole way around, and that’s what I wanted to do,” she said. “It’s my responsibility to look out for him. And I think I read him the whole way around.”

Boyd Martin and Commando 3. Photo by SDH Photography.

Boyd Martin finally got a cross country completion here at Maryland, after having a tough run of luck here since he won the inaugural event in 2021 with the Turner family’s On Cue. This time, it was Yankee Creek Ranch LLC’s Commando 3 that stepped up to the plate after stablemate Luke 140 (owned by the Luke 140 Syndicate) and Boyd had a parting of ways at Pierre’s Puzzle earlier in the day. “Connor” did tire a bit on the back half of the course, but he finished well with eight time penalties added. They’ll head into tomorrow with a two-day score of 38.3 and in fifth place.

“I think I was going a bit too quick, to be honest,” Boyd said. “I was ahead of my minute markers, and then at the top of the hill, he really started to tire, so I got into the water and thought I’d just go the alternate way, which cost me a lot of time. But to be fair, once he turned around and headed back down the hill towards home, he perked right up, so I was very proud of him to just tough it out and get home the last couple of minutes.”

Boyd’s sitting on the best-ranked show jumper in the remaining field by EquiRatings, and Connor did jump a clear on Sunday after finishing his first 5* cross country with a similar amount of time as today.

How It Started vs. How It’s Going on the Maryland Cross Country

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake stormed around as the final pair to go into sixth on a score of 39.4. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

We saw a completely different look this year on cross country, and really the track was quite front-loaded with intense combinations, all of which caused quite a stir amongst the riders (well, amongst everyone, really) ahead of today. What really gave me a lot of confidence about today was listening to Felix Vogg talk about the track (I wrote about this in my cross country preview here). Felix would know Pierre Le Goupil’s designs relatively well, more so than most of his competitors, and he was always fairly optimistic about it. You had to ride well, and you might be a little scared, but it was doable, because details matter to Pierre. And even if something wasn’t obvious, there is a level of trust that’s built between designer and rider, a thought outlined by 2022 winner Austin O’Connor during Friday’s Maryland Masterclass. That trust is built mutually, and it can be hard when riders don’t have much context aside from a handful of courses from a given designer.

I think that trust may have grown some today.

Yes, I believe people will scream about the numbers again this year. This year’s event saw a 59% completion rate, a marked improvement compared to 2024’s 38% completion rate, with eight of 22 starters completing. Again, I’d love to remind you that with a field this small, it’s hard to make proper comparisons or direct comparisons with the other 5* events.

Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times earned their second 5* cross country completion and were quite quick despite picking up one 20. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

But here’s where I take less issue with the numbers this year. When it comes down to it, the course was influential in all the right ways. The intensive questions at the very beginning – the keyholes in the arena at 7 and the Sunken Road at 11 and 12 all rode quite well throughout the day. Yes, some problems were had and some long routes were taken, but nothing was particularly gasp-inducing. Pierre’s Puzzle, this year at fence 16, is always an influential spot here. This fence caused four issues including an elimination in 2024 and elicited four problems including one elimination this year. The Sawmill Slices in 2024 caused a whole heck of a lot of problems, while this year the same complex (a timber drop followed by a bounce of timber rails after the water) caused zero as it had been made more straightforward and, in my opinion, kinder to the horses after the big pull uphill.

The gigantic ditch brush Fox Catcher Flyer is perennially influential and did exert its influence this year, including one horse fall from Caroline Pamukcu and She’s the One (who are happily both uninjured). Other eliminations or problems came in the form of refusals or falls at single fences, incidents that would happen at any proper 5*.

Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

So, when you dig into the numbers, yes we only saw a little over half the field finish, but had there been 40 horses here, I think that percentage would have been much higher. The biggest thing for me is how the horses looked coming home. Similar to Burghley this year, they primarily finished looking fresh, fit and well-prepared for the job. Their ears were pricked, they galloped easily, and cooled out quickly. No one lingered too long in the vet box.

That, to me, is the sign of a good day. I know it wasn’t such for everyone, and that’s ok — that’s 5* sport at its best. Some riders like Boyd commended Pierre but requested he lighten up a bit next year, and I know I’m far from qualified to be truly evaluating courses like this, but I actually feel Pierre achieved a lot this year and set a track that was yes, intense and yes, incredibly scary to look at, but also that was fair and kind and readable by the horses. Less the one misread of the Fox Catcher Flyer, no one seemed to misread a question in any way other than greenness or a loss of focus.

The reality is, there will be courses that see a 70% completion rate, and there will be some that see 40% of the field get home. I return now to the overarching story of this weekend (besides the Thoroughbreds!): there truly are horses for courses, and now we’re beginning to really see the identity of the “type” a rider needs to find success here at Maryland.

Whatever tomorrow brings, it’ll be an incredible story. And like the riders who had success today, we’ll enjoy it today (well, it’s not really today anymore, sorry), and we’ll write the rest of the story tomorrow.

Go Eventing.

You’ll be able to follow along with the finale tomorrow live on USEF Network on ClipMyHorse for our U.S. readers. Instructions on how to link your USEF Account are here so you can access the ClipMyHorse stream for free. For local viewers, Maryland Public Television also carries a great live stream that can be accessed here. For anyone needing an easy way to convert time zones for viewing in your local area, this website is a really handy tool.

The Final Horse Inspection will take place starting at 9:00 a.m. with the 3*-L, followed by the 5*. Show jumping for the 3*-L, which is led by Isabelle Bosley and Conner, will begin at 10:30 a.m., followed by the 5* starting at 2:30 p.m.

EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Follow Along with the Live Cross Country Action from MARS Maryland 5 Star: Live Blog

By on Oct 18, 2025 1:30 pm -

Inspired by spooky season. Photo via CrossCountry App.

Here we go ENers! It’s the penultimate 5* of the season and we’re Stateside for the second US top-level offering. We may not have the massive field that we see at some of the big European events, but the Maryland roster sure is mighty.

As well as a bunch of top US combinations, there’s also an international representation coming in hot with Australia, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Switzerland all in the mix.

Find out all about the combinations coming forward in EN’s classic form guide which you’ll find right here and see when your favorites will be going here.

The dressage scores have been decided as we catch up with the action this afternoon – here’s how things are looking at the top of the leaderboard:

1️⃣ 🇳🇿 Top of the class are Artist and Monica Spencer who produced the goods between the white boards with a PB score of 23.7, 4.5 penalties ahead of the chasing pack – in cross country terms, that’s 11 seconds.

2️⃣ 🇺🇲 Hot on their heels are HSH Blake and Caroline Pamukcu who done good on the gelding’s debut at the level scoring 28.2.

3️⃣ 🇨🇭 Rounding out the rolling podium is Swiss combo Cartania and Felix Vogg, who put down a PB of 28.3 to sit a mere 0.1 penalties behind second spot – that’s not even a second of cross country time.

You’ll find the full scoreboard right here.

If you want to read how all that came about, you’re in need of our dressage reports:

▶️ Dressage Day 1 Report
▶️ Dressage Day 2 Report

But today is all about the bestest bit of eventing, cross country. Cast your eye over what’s in store on the course today here and see EN’s take on the whole shebang right here.

Kicking us off, and bookending today’s sport, is Caroline Pamukcu who has three rides in the 5*. First up is HSH Tolan King. They’re due to leave the startbox at 1:40pm ET / 7:40pm CEST.

While we await the first countdown of the day, feast your eyes on all of EN’s Maryland content here and mosey on along to our IG account for even more @goeventing.

Before get down to the serious business of eventing, a little ‘refresher’ on the no. 1 rule of following EN’s classic live blog: refresh, refresh, refresh – and all will be revealed.

If you’re catching up with this later and are the type to like things in order, scroll ⬇️ and read ⬆️. If going backwards is more your jam, have at it.

The startbox beckons… Let’s go eventing!

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EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

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4pm

And so there we have it. The 5* cross country at MARS Maryland is in the bag and we have a clubhouse leaderboard heading into tomorrow’s finale.

1️⃣ 🇳🇿 Leader of the pack is Monica Spencer and Artist who stormed round the track, clear inside the time stay on their dressage score of 23.7, 4.6 penalties clear of the rest of the field – that’s a fence plus one second in show jumping terms for tomorrow.

2️⃣ 🇨🇭 Felix Vogg and Cartania climb one podium place after a brave round across the country saw them clear inside the time and stay on their dressage score of 28.3.

3️⃣ 🇺🇲 Rounding out the rolling podium, is Mia Farley and the little Thoroughbred who could, fan favorite Phelps who delivered a gutsy clear inside the time to stay on their dressage score of 32.2 heading into the final phase.

You’ll find the full scoreboard right here.

Keep it locked onto EN for a full report of this afternoon’s sport – coming soon.

The show jumping finale is due to start at 2pm ET / 8pm CET tomorrow. Don’t miss it!

Thanks for coming along for the live blog ride ENers. I’ll be back with the final live blog of the season next Saturday when we’ll close things out French style from Pau.

Until next week: Go eventing!

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3:52pm

It’s just Caroline and Blake on course now to finish up the day’s sport.

They take the palisade at 19 in their stride as they gallop along the track. Blake’s got his ears pricked as he comes to the water at 20. Caroline takes her time through the water to set up for the bounce at 21 which comes up nicely for them. They come to Sustainability Bay at 23 and make the massive drop in. They take the straight route and Blake’s really rideable and answers all the questions beautifully. He’s great over the Fox Catcher fence at 25. They’re over the fence as they leave the Roller Coaster at 28 behind them. Two to go. They come through the final combination at 29 and then clear the Finale. 28 seconds over the time and finishing up a great day’s sport.

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3:45pm

🇺🇲 FINAL COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: CAROLINE PAMUKCU AND HSH BLAKE

Dressage Score: 28.2
Place: 2

🐴 5* Form: Making his 5* debut

XC Form: Best 4*-L result came at Tryon last season where they finished on their dressage score to take the win. They had an unexpected 20 at the Olympics in Paris and picked up a flag penalty in the 4*-S at Kentucky this spring, the only blemishes on an otherwise faultless record from 27 international runs.

We’re down to the final combination of the day and it’s the runner-up after the dressage phase. They take their time through the Main Arena, opting for the alternate at 7C. They stand a mile off the Turf Roll at 9 and have a bit of luck on their side there. She takes the longer route at the sunken road at 11.

Buck’s flag question has been taken away. We’re not seeing a lot of him on the livestream. We pick him up at the water at 20 where they don’t look like they’ve been in a hurry. They make their way through there neatly through and navigate the bounce well enough. The horse misreads the Fox Catcher at 25, showing his greenness at the level and it just doesn’t happen. Boyd decides to put his hand up.

The cheers continue to follow Boyd round the course. He crosses the finish line 20 seconds over the time.

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3:41pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: BRUCE DAVIDSON JR. AND COOLEY CANDYMAN

Dressage Score: 33.3
Place: 11

🐴 5* Form: Making his 5* debut

XC Form: Has s 2nd, 7th and 3rd place finish at 4*-L on his record, with clear cross country jumping in each event. Most recent jumping penalties 09/25. From 15 international competitions they’ve picked up penalties on six occasions.

We see them navigate the first combination at 5 neatly before heading towards the Main Arena. We see him pick up a flag question at the corner table at 10 before going straight through the sunken road at 11 and then continue on with their round.

Mia’s flag penalty has been taken away and she’s headed toward home. She woahs Phelps through the drop complex at 27 but then it’s foot on the gas and the finish flags in sight. She finishes CLEAR INSIDE THE TIME!!!

Boyd takes the long route at Pierre’s Puzzle at 16. He’s showing as having picked up a flag question at fence 10. ‘Connor’ looks well as he gallops up to the water at 20 and he’s bold over the log and down the drop. Boyd makes the bounce happen at 21. He makes his way to Sustainability Bay and Boyd’s got his work cut out for him. He has to take time to bring Connor back after the drop in and is forces to pick out a longer route. That won’t have been Plan A.

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3:38pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: BOYD MARTIN AND COMMANDO 3

Dressage Score: 30.3
Place: =4

🐴 5* Form: 2nd Kentucky 25, EL Maryland 24

XC Form: Added just 6.8 time to their dressage score across the competition at Kentucky to finish runners-up on the horse’s first proper go at the level after an early, unlucky, fall saw them bow out of Maryland early last season, the only blip on an otherwise faultless record in 14 FEI competitions with Boyd; alongside that elimination, there’s only one technical elimination and one 20 (back at a 2* in 2020) on the horse’s entire record of 32 international runs.

Boyd comes into the Main Arena looking none the worse for his tumble earlier. He goes the straight route through the combination at 7 and they’re foot perfect through there. He’s crouched low and on a mission. There’s huge cheers for this combo as they go straight through the sunken road at 11.

Mia opts to go long at Pierre’s Question at 16, which looked to be her first plan. We see her drop into the water at 20 and then bounce out through 21 really neatly. She doesn’t look to be in a hurry but she’s up on the clock at this point.

Felix Vogg and Cartania are through the finish CLEAR INSIDE THE TIME!!! That puts them in 2nd.

Update on Sophia Hill and Humble Glory’s score – the flag penalties have been removed and they were CLEAR INSIDE THE TIME!!!

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3:33pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: MIA FARLEY AND PHELPS

Dressage Score: 32.2
Place: 9

🐴 5* Form: 32nd Burghley 24, 13th Kentucky 24, 5th Maryland 23

XC Form: Clear inside the time at Maryland on their 5* debut in 2023, then again at Kentucky the following spring. They picked up an unlucky 20 at Burghley last season as well as the expected time penalties having to represent adds, the only cross country jumping penalties on their record from 18 FEI runs.

Mia’s showing as having picked up a flag penalty at 10, the corner table before the sunken road. Otherwise she’s clear through the water at 13.

Jonelle has crossed the finish line carrying those jumping penalties. She was 45 seconds over the time but plenty of experience gained for her 5* debutant.

Felix is really neat through the water at Sustainability Bay at 23, straight through there. He’s up on the clock at this point and headed for home.

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3:27pm

🇨🇭 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: FELIX VOGG AND CARTANIA

Dressage Score: 28.3
Place: 3

🐴 5* Form: EL Badminton 25, 13th Burghley 24, 11th Badminton 24, 15th Badminton 23

XC Form: Jumped clear in three from four 5* runs with their best result coming at Badminton last season where they finished just outside the top 10 after adding 10.8 time on cross country day; but for an expensive show jumping round they would have finished second.

Cartania makes a bold start to her round. They get a great shot over the brush box at 6 and then head straight through the combination at 7, really neat and rideable through there. That’ll have given Felix confidence for the rest of his round. They go straight through the sunken road at 11, more neat and tidy work from them. Woah! We see a replay of a really lucky moment for them as they make an enormous leap over one of the single fences and the horse pecks on landing. Felix is catapulted into the air but lands in tact and they scramble their way together and continue on. A real save of the day.

Jonelle’s horse is looking strong as he comes down the hill to the sunken road at 11 and he doesn’t quite come back to her. They break the frangible device at the A element then Jonelle opts to take the long route after the ditch at B. Jonelle works hard through the water at 20, powering through the water and then out over the bounce at 21. We pick her up at Sustainability Bay at 23 where they pick up at 20 at the A element. He steps down the drop into the water but misses the brush fence. She circles round and takes a longer alternate route but picks her way through. More greenness from this horse but Jonelle’s helping him along and he’s picking up experience the whole way.

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3:20pm

🇳🇿 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: JONELLE PRICE AND CHILLI’S MIDNIGHT STAR

Dressage Score: 30.3
Place: =4

🐴 5* Form: Making his 5* debut

XC Form: Best 4*-L result came at Millstreet in Ireland last season where they were 3rd after jumping clear and adding 20 time penalties. More recently they were clear with 2.8 time at Scone Palace in Scotland for 6th place. Most recent jumping penalties 05/25. 10 clear jumping rounds from 15 international runs.

Chilli’s Midnight Star is ears pricked as he sets off and they’re good over the first couple. He has a little look at the rails going into the water at 3 but Jonelle encourages him forward. Just a little green there. He settles into his round and they get a good line through the first combination at 5. They come into the Main Arena and get a great shot over the brush box at 6 before coming round to the owl hole at 7A. He’s a little green over the log over the water tray pond at B and Jonelle opts to go around the owl hole at C and come around to the alternate C element, quick thinking there.

Brooke runs into troubles unfortunately at 17. It’s a similar kind of fence to the one she had the 20 at in the Main Arena. It’s got like a circular ditch under it and Cooley Space Grey is having none of it. She puts her hand up.

Meanwhile, MONICA SPENCER AND ARTIST ARE CLEAR INSIDE THE TIME!!! Nothing added to their dressage score of 23.7 and staying in the lead. What a round. What a horse. Superb. She is obviously thrilled and really excited.

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3:15pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: BROOKE BURCHIANTI AND COOLEY SPACE GREY

Dressage Score: 48.1
Place: 21

🐴 5* Form: Kentucky 25

XC Form: Picked up a 20 at Kentucky on the horse’s 5* debut. Best 4*-L result came at TerraNova last season where they added just 1.2 cross country time to their clear jumping round and ended up in third spot.

We go back to Brooke now, who’s going out of order. We don’t get to see much of the start of their round but the scoreboard shows them as having picked up a 20 in the Main Arena at 7B.

Meanwhile, Monica is having a foot perfect round. This partnership are a real pair and they’re showing that off totally today. She’s up on the clock at she gallops along the track to the palisade at 19, which they take in their stride and run on. Artist is eating up the ground as he makes his way up the hill to the water at 20. They pop in there and then bounce neatly through the combination at 21. Really neat and looking great. They go straight through Sustainability Bay at 23, finding the distance in there short but making it happen. They’re headed for home now. They’re superb through the Fair Hill International Drop combination at 27 and Artist looks like he’s absolutely full of running.

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3:07pm

🇳🇿 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: MONICA SPENCER AND ARTIST

Dressage Score: 23.7
Place: 1

🐴 5* Form: 8th Kentucky 25, 11th Burghley 24, 7th Kentucky 24, 7th Maryland 23, EL Adelaide 23

XC Form: Jumped clear cross country in all but one of their five 5* runs, with a hugely unexpected rider tumble on their debut at Adelaide in 2023. They were just 2 seconds over the time at Kentucky in 2024, the quickest they’ve been across the country at the level thus far. They’ve completed 29 from 30 international competitions and bar an 11 penalties for breaking a frangible device in the 4*-S at Carolina at the start of this season, you have to go way, way back to their first ever FEI event in 2018 to find a jumping penalty on their record.

The dressage leaders are out on course. Artist is ears pricked as he sets off down then track. They get a really smooth line through the first combination at 5, so far so good. They’re perfect through the straight route at the combination in the Main Arena at 7. This pair are on a mission. He’s eating up the ground as he heads on down the track. They see a real flier over the Turf Rolls at 9.

Meanwhile Tayla has finished 13 seconds over the time, but there are those three flag penalties under review still.

Mary Bess runs into troubles at 15, the ditch and brush and picks up a 20 although we didn’t see it on screen. There’s another 20 showing on the live scoreboard at fence 16C, the final element of Pierre’s Puzzle, again we didn’t see it. We do see her walking off course a little later though, having retired before fence 20. That’s a shame for them.

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3:02pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: MARY BESS DAVIS AND IMPERIO MAGIC

Dressage Score: 34
Place: 12

🐴 5* Form: 16th Kentucky 25

XC Form: Picked up a 20 on his 5* debut at Kentucky this spring, one of only three jumping penalties in 23 FEI competitions. Most recent 4*-L run was the Nations Cup event at Boekelo last season where they added just 6.8 cross country time to their dressage score across the competition.

There’s a bit of a heart in mouth moment for Mary Bess at the first water at 3, a little sticky at the start of their round. They have a big leap over the brush box at 6 in the Main Arena and then peck on landing. She sits up and then they get another big jump over the middle part of the combination at 7. Mary Bess has no option but to go to the alternative at C. They horse is jumping so big he’s jumping her out of the tack a little. They go direct at the sunken road at 11 and things seem to have settled now and they’re showing their partnership as they really get stuck into their round. They’re really good and smooth through the water at 13, smooth and confident.

The vocal encouragement continues for Tayla. Centennial’s just not really traveling forward always and there’s some sticky moments at some of the fences. They pick up another flag question at 17 and then another at 27b, the brush corner after the Fair Hill Drop. But they’re headed for home and no jumping penalties so far.

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2:56pm

🇳🇿 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: TAYLA MASON AND CENTENNIAL

Dressage Score: 30.4
Place: 6

🐴 5* Form: 19th Badminton 25, 26th Pau 24, 34th Pau 21

XC Form: Picked up a 20 on their debut at the level at Pau in 21, and an 11 for breaking a frangible device on their return to the French event in 2024. This spring they jumped clear round Badminton, adding just 4.4 time penalties and ultimately taking home the trophy for the highest leaderboard climb. They’ve completed at all 21 of their international runs with 18 clear jumping rounds.

We were meant to see Brooke Burchianti next but she’s had a little tumble in the warm up so will come forward a little later.

Things look a little scrappy in places for Tayla at the early part of the course but they’ve settled into their round by the Main Arena and they take the direct route through the keyhole combination at 7 and are really neat through there. They pick up a flag question at 10 and then they take the straight route through the sunken road at 11, smooth and efficient through there. There’s vocal encouragement going into the water at 13, through the cascade keyhole that’s actually got a waterfall coming from the top. It works and they continue on clear.

Sophia Hill and Humble Glory are making their way home now and the clock’s looking good. They cross the finish line but unfortunately we don’t have a timer on them. I’ll update you with their score as soon as I can. They are carrying that flag question also.

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2:46pm

🇦🇺 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: SOPHIA HILL AND HUMBLE GLORY

Dressage Score: 46.2
Place: 20

🐴 5* Form: EL Adelaide 25, 22nd Burghley 24, 3rd Adelaide 23 (FOD)

XC Form: Eliminated for a heartbreaking error of course in the show jumping at Adelaide this spring, particularly as they’d jumped clear inside the time on the cross country and would have won had they stayed on their dressage score. They finished on their dressage at the Australian event on their debut at the level, securing a podium position. Made the trip to Burghley the following season and picked up 11 penalties for breaking a frangible device which dropped them out of the top 15. Aside from a fall on the flat, there’s just one further 11 and one 20 on their record from 35 FEI runs.

We see Sophia take the straight route at the sunken road at 11 and they look really neat. They take the long route at the complex at 16 but are quick through there. There’s a flag question on the live scoreboard for them at 10. We see them jump boldly into the water at 20 and then hunt their way through the bounce at 21. This horse really looks to be enjoying himself out there. They trot into the A element of Sustainability Bay at 23, dropping into the water and then making light work of the rest of that question. They’re headed for home now.

Caroline’s tipped forward dropping into the water 13 but she sits back up quickly. The horse is still looking keen as she gallops to the ditch and brush at 14 and flies that. She goes the quick route at Pierre’s Puzzle at 16. The mare is really careful over the rails at A and they squirrel their way through that tricky combination clear then gallop on along the track. The horse looks great as she travels up the hill to the water at 20. They get a huge jump over the brush into the water and Caroline’s pitched right forward. She rights herself and they manage the bounce combination at 21 really neatly. She opts for the long route at Sustainability Bay at 23. But then things go wrong at 25. They just don’t get their line and the horse can’t pick up. They go into the bottom of the fence the mare and Caroline take a tumble. Caroline’s on her feet, so is She’s The One.

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2:40pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: CAROLINE PAMUKCU AND SHE’S THE ONE

Dressage Score: 31.4
Place: 8

🐴 5* Form: WD before XC Kentucky 25

XC Form: Best 4*-L result came at Morven Park in 2023 where they added 6.8 time penalties to a clear jumping round and finished in 3rd spot. More recently they were 4th at Millstreet in Ireland. Most recent jumping penalties 10/22 at the Young Horse Championships with Gaspard Maksud. With Caroline the mare has an 11-11 clear cross country jumping rate.

Caroline sets out from the box on a mission as she takes to the course for her second round. The mare looks keen for the job and confident over the first few fences. They make the line through the first combination at 5 well and then gallop to the Main Arena. They have a big shot over the brush box at 6 and then opt for the alternative at C through the combination at 7, but don’t waste a lot of seconds in doing so.

They have the course to themselves for the time being. They gallop over the the Grandstand table at 8. She opts for the longer route at the sunken road at 11. She had a 20 there on her first ride and clear rounds are going to be valuable today.

We’re hearing that Boyd Martin has been cleared by the medical team to come forward with his second ride Commando 3.

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2:27pm

🇬🇧 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: ALEXANDER BRAGG AND QUINDIVA

Dressage Score: 39.2
Place: 16

🐴 5* Form: 8th Burghley 24 (FOD), 3rd Badminton 24, 15th Burghley 23, RET Badminton 23

XC Form: Three clear cross country jumping rounds at 5* including coming home inside the time at Burghley last season. Retired on debut at Badminton due to the particularly difficult going that year. Most recent jumping penalties 04/24.

Alex opts for the quick route through the combination in the Main Arena at 7, really careful riding makes that happen and the mare looks to be right on her game at the early stages of their round.

There’s massive cheers for Will as he makes a great job of Pierre’s Puzzle at 16 and then again through Sustainability Bay at 23 as they have a perfect ride through there. They gallop on towards home and then, oh no. Will brings ‘Mason’ back for the oxer at 26 and it’s just a little too much. He doesn’t get the stretch and goes to put down on the fence, the pins break but Will’s pitched off. That’s such a shame. Their round was looking so great, confident and flawless and then they’re out of the competition. So sad for them.

Arden has finished 21 seconds over the time, with that 20 from 16C. She’s grinning and clearly thrilled with how her horse jumped.

Meanwhile Alex is having a peach of a ride. Hopefully he won’t be stopped for the fence at 26 to be rebuilt. The team are working hard to get it up quickly. He’s clear through to the water at 21. We see him through there, making the bounce look easy peasy. The mare is full of confidence and going along like a total pro. She looks great as she comes to Sustainability Bay at 23, she’s obviously really fit and Alex is riding brilliantly. They fly the Fox Catcher at 25 and charge on up the hill. The oxer at 26 is no trouble for them. OMG. Quindiva stops at the drop at 27. This horse has jumped off the Leaf Pit a Burghley, twice. The crowd is silent. The mare’s not going down there. Alex doesn’t put pressure on her, he asks quietly and she says not today. He puts his hand up. That’s such a shock.

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2:21pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: WILL FAUDREE AND MAMA’S MAGIC WAY

Dressage Score: 43.5
Place: 18

🐴 5* Form: WD before XC Kentucky 24, 16th Burghley 23, 13th Kentucky 23, 31st Badminton 22, 24th Maryland 21, 14th Kentucky 21

XC Form: Jumped clear in all but one of his five 5* cross country runs, with an 11 penalties for breaking a frangible device at Maryland in 21, the only jumping penalties from 20 international runs with Will. Time penalties at all levels are generally under 5.

Will’s tipped forward a little down the drop over the rails into the water at 3 but he’s back up and running really quickly. A little reminder to sit up. He goes the straight route through the Main Arena at 7, really bold and confident and looking good.

We see Arden have a problem at Pierre’e Puzzle at 16. They have a good jump over the ditch but they just don’t get to the C element on the right stride and the horse can’t make it happen from there. That’s a 20 for them. Woah! They get a mammoth flyer over the Fox Catcher at 25. Huge! What a feeling that must have been!

Lindsay is through the finish flags. Those troubles at the start mean she’s 1 minute 51 over the time and the scoreboard is showing them as having a 20 at 25, the Fox Catcher Flyer, plus there’s that flag question at 17 still which seems to have been given as 15 penalties.

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2:16pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: ARDEN WILDASIN AND SUNDAY TIMES

Dressage Score: 44.4
Place: 19

🐴 5* Form: 19th Kentucky 25

XC Form: Picked up at 20 on their 5* debut and plenty of time, one of only three runs with jumping penalties from 22 FEI competitions. Most recent jumping penalties 09/25. Finished on their dressage score in the 4*-L at Morven Park in 2024 for 4th place.

This pair are great pals and they set off confidently. We don’t get to see a lot of the early part of their round but we catch up with them at the sunken road at 11 and they take the longer route and do a really good job.

Lindsay and Bacyrouge seem to have put their problems at the start behind them and are now clear through Pierre’s Puzzle at 16. Lindsay really set up for the first element and they rattle the pin, but it stays. She opts for the alternative C element. They take the flag at 17, the brush shoulder with a ditch under it and there’s a question mark there on the scoreboard. The horse is really good through the water at 21, so confident through the bounce. They opt for the long route at Sustainability Bay at 23, and it really is a long route, but they navigate through clear.

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2:11pm

🇨🇦 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: LINDSAY TRAISNEL AND BACYROUGE

Dressage Score: 34.2
Place: 13

🐴 5* Form: RET Maryland 24

XC Form: Retired after picking up two refusals on his 5* debut last season, their only cross country jumping penalties since the 4*-S at Kentucky in 2022. Come to Maryland off the back of two recent 4*-S wins. Best 4*-L result came at Bromont in 2022 where they were runners-up; they were 4th there last year on their most recent long-format run bar Maryland.

There’s troubles at the start for Linday unfortunately, as Bacyrouge doesn’t get going. The clock has started but he’s spinning round. Lindsay’s trying to encourage him forwards but this is really difficult for her. Eventually he gets started. Phew.

Meanwhile, we hear that Allison and Vandyke have retired. It seems they had a refusal at 16C, up at Pierre’s Puzzle and then Allison put her hand up at 17. That’s a shame for them.

Shannon and Eindhoven Garette have cross the finish line. They picked up that 20 penalties and were 1 minute 53 over the time. Shannon had to work really hard all the way round but they’ve completed their second 5* together on a day when this course is proving to be tough.

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2:07pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: ALLISON SPRINGER AND VANDYKE

Dressage Score: 48.2
Place: 22

🐴 5* Form: Making his 5* debut

XC Form: Six FEI runs this season with a 50% clear rate, with those clears coming in their three most recent outings. Most recent jumping penalties 05/25. Best 4*-L result came at Rebecca Farm in July where they were 7th.

We see Allison in the Main Arena and she ducks round after the B element to take the alternative C. They gallop on out of the arena and out onto the course.

Wow! We finally see Shannon and Eindhoven Garette as they make their way through Pierre’s Puzzle at 16. They get a big jump over the ditch at B and then they go to the alternative C element where the horse puts in an enormous jump, like huge. That big jumping catches up with them at 21AB when they don’t get the bounce between the two elements and pick up a 20. They continue on.

We see Jennie finish up her round, which has been beautifully ridden the whole way. She crosses the line 9 seconds over the time and points to Foxy. Austin comments that she should be pointing to herself too. A really great round from both horse and rider and great to watch.

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2:01pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: SHANNON LILLEY AND EINDHOVEN GARETTE

Dressage Score: 37.6
Place: 15

🐴 5* Form: 17th Kentucky 25

XC Form: Jumped clear with 30.8 time on their debut at the level at Kentucky this spring. Most recent jumping penalties 06/24. Come to Maryland off the back of 2nd place in a huge 3*-S class where they finished on their dressage score.

Shannon sets off out of the box and they make a good job of the first couple of fences but the live stream cuts back to Jennie and we don’t get to see much of them just now, sorry.

We rejoin Jennie at the Magnawave jump 15 before she drops down to Pierre’s Puzzle at 16. She rides brilliantly through that really difficult combination and the crowd show their appreciation with a huge cheer. Foxy looks to be relishing the long galloping stretches. He powers up the big climb toward the water complex at 21. They waste not a second through there and then gallop on to MARS Sustainability Bay at 23 which they are super neat through. They drop down and the horse gets to take a breath before they fly the Fox Catcher at 25. Foxy’s careful off the drop at 27A and they’re smooth through the B and C elements. She’s down on the time as she turns for home, but this has really been a super round so far.

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1:52pm

🇨🇦 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: JESSICA PHOENIX AND WABBIT

Dressage Score: 40.2
Place: 17

🐴 5* Form: RET Maryland 24, 30th Badminton 24, 11th Burghley 23, 19th Kentucky 23, 19th Maryland 22, EL Kentucky 22

XC Form: Retired at Maryland last year after picking up a 20 and breaking a frangible device for a further 11 penalties. They also added 11 at Badminton in 2024. Prior to that they jumped clear at Burghley and Kentucky in 2023, adding just 2 time penalties at the latter. They were clear inside the time at Maryland in 2022. Most recently they were 4th in the 4*-L at Bromont in June.

Jessie takes on the straight route through the Main Arena combination at 7 and makes it look easy as pie. It all comes up perfectly for them. Wabbit is looking characteristically enthusiastic. She opts for the long route at the sunken road at 11 but doesn’t waste a bunch of time and they’re very smooth through there.

Oh no! We catch up with Boyd at Pierre’s Puzzle at 16 and sadly things do not go to plan. He rattles the pin on the open rails at A and then it’s a little hairy to and over the ditch at B. He’s going for 3 strides to the brush shoulder at C but he gets there on 2 and a half and Luke runs into the bottom of the fence pitching Boyd up and over. He lands down the mound but is quickly back up on his feet. That’s a real bummer.

Caroline has completed 14 seconds over the time and carrying that 20 penalties.

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1:56pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: JENNIE BRANNIGAN AND FE LIFESTYLE

Dressage Score: 32.8
Place: 10

🐴 5* Form: RET Kentucky 25, 23rd Burghley 24, 10th Kentucky 24, 12th Burghley 23, 12th Kentucky 23, 5th Maryland 22 (FOD), 16th Kentucky 22, 24th Kentucky 21

XC Form: Picked up a 20 at Kentucky in the spring before Jennie put her hand up and decided to walk home. Before that you have to go back to Kentucky in 2022 to find cross country jumping penalties on his record. 24 clear rounds with Jennie from 28 international competitions. They were clear inside the time at Maryland in 2022 and just one second over the time at Kentucky last season.

Jennie and ‘Foxy’ set off into a good rhythm and they look really confident as they come into the Main Arena. Jennie opts for the quick route through the combination at 7, taking on the two owl holes and really making it look easy. They take the straight route at the sunken road at 11 also and those distances come up perfectly. Jennie’s really riding smoothly and Foxy looks to be really enjoying it out there.

Meanwhile there’s troubles for Jessie, sadly. We see her come down the hill towards the open rails at 16A but Wabbit sees the ditch at the B element and puts on the brakes. Interesting after Jessie opted for the long route at the sunken road earlier. She puts her hand up and calls it a day.

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1:46pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: BOYD MARTIN AND LUKE 140

Dressage Score: 31
Place: 7

🐴 5* Form: 7th Kentucky 25, 4th Luhmühlen 23 (FOD)

XC Form: Best 5* result came on the horse’s debut when he finished on his dressage for 4th place at Luhmühlen in 2023. Most recent jumping penalties 06/19, with only one other on his record from 20 FEI runs.

Boyd sets out meaning business and gets into a smooth rhythm right from the off. Boyd takes the long route at the combination in the Main Arena, 7ABC, the same as Caroline, but he does it real quick, cutting inside to the alternative at C and wasting almost no time at all. Luke looks super confident. Boyd makes it happen at the sunken road at 11, squirreling his way through and kicking on.

Meanwhile we see Caroline navigate Pierre’s Puzzle at 16ABC and goes direct. Everything comes up really well for them and they actually make that really difficult fence look easy. Impressive for this horse’s 5* debut. We see her through the water at 21AB, the Tailgate Terrace and they’re smooth through there. Caroline takes a circle after the step out of the Sustainability Bay at 23 before coming to the blue crab at 24, fine because it’s separately numbered. Smart riding there.

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1:40pm

🇺🇲 NEW COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: CAROLINE PAMUKCU AND HSH TOLAN KING

Dressage Score: 35.9
Place: 14

🐴 5* Form: Making his 5* debut

XC Form: Only 4*-L result came at Tryon in 2024 where they jumped clear and added 25.6 time, ending up in 14th place. Most recent jumping penalties 09/24. 4th in the 4*-S at Stable View this fall.

We’re being treated to 2023 winner Austin O’Connor in the commentary box with Sinead Halpin.

And we’re off! Caroline gets a big jump at the Cecil County Flowers to start her round off with Tolan King. They take the right hand side of the Cedar Tables at 2 and then drop into the water to get the horse’s feet wet for the first time at the Water Rails at 3. They look to be in a good rhythm early on as they make their way to the big cedar table at 4, which they fly.

Caroline takes her time to set up for the first combination at 5AB and get a good line through there before heading to the Main Arena. Again, she takes her time to get the line right through the tricky combination at 7ABC, opting for the alternative route at C, which looked to be her plan all along.

They come to the first really serious combination out on course at 11, the Sunken Road. They take the table at 10 across the corner and navigate 11AB, the road, well before jumping the brush arrowhead at C. But then they drive by the second arrowhead at the D element, just a bit of a green mistake. They pick up 20 penalties.

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EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

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‘He Makes You a Bit Frightened, but You Can Ride It if You Ride Well’: Preview Pierre Le Goupil’s Maryland 5 Star Cross Country

By on Oct 18, 2025 12:18 pm -

This shot shows the angle that you can take to jump the front edge as a corner, with the direct Sunken Road line becoming clearer as you peek through.

We arrived at the fifth anniversary MARS Maryland 5 Star eager to get out on course as soon as humanly possible. We knew we’d be looking at something completely different: for nearly the first time in the U.S., we have a European designer bringing his flair and style to this 5* track (and the 3* track, which is running as you read this — yes, I know I’m incredibly late getting this preview to you but let me just tell you it has been a WEEK already), and there was much unknown about what exactly would be up his sleeve this weekend.

A little about Pierre: he’s actually something of a self-taught designer. He was born into an equestrian family, his father an Olympic eventer and his mother was a groom. He himself competed to the top levels of the sport, but when it comes to course design, he kind of found himself thrown into it. The Le Goupil family founded Le Grand Complet in Normandy in 1995, and since this was before the days of course designer certifications and the family needed a course, the job fell to Pierre, who found he enjoyed the nuance and detail of laying out a track. As he built a reputation, he traveled the world to help with designs in countries like Brazil, Bulgaria, Belarus, China, Hungary, India, Japan, and Russia.

His designation as the Paris Olympic designer came after his first major Championship design at the 2023 Pan American Games. Now, he steps up once more in stature to tackle his first 5* design, taking over from the capable hands of Scottish icon Ian Stark.

The result? A course that has absolutely everyone chattering.

“It’s the hardest bloody course I’ve ever walked in my life!” exclaimed Caroline Pamukcu, who to be fair had probably had one look at the time I asked her for her impressions. She’s presumably calmed down a little since then and focused in.

The first water at fence 3 gets the horses jumping confidently into the water.

Why the chatter, exactly?

Well, it IS a very different look and feel out there. The difficulty lies in the details, but I think Pierre’s actually been quite smart about this design. We’ll of course see how it rides, but my thought is that the pairs who can do this track with the added terrain will make it look very doable, and the ones who can’t do it today will know very quickly that it’s not their day. It’s then on the rider to be smart and know — quickly — whether or not it’s meant to be their day.

The first of these separators on course comes early on in the going at fence 7ABC, the second combination which comes in the Main Arena. Riders will enter and exit through the same area (opposite of the entrance used for dressage) and come quickly to the notorious half-keyhole “owl” brush fences. This year, they’re set on a curving, accuracy-demanding line that takes them from the first owl/keyhole/brush corner/thing, to an airy vertical set over a spooky liverpool of sorts, followed by another *creative* turn to the second owl. This is a question that’s raised some eyebrows — one person in the media center brought up how different the green brush keyholes look against the contrast of the arena footing. On grass, they won’t stand out so much, but against the contrast it’ll be interesting to see if that visual element helps or hurts.

A look at the longer route at the Sunken Road if riders choose to jump the table head on and have a friendly tone.

Either way, I think the riders will know at this question what they’ve got. And that theme continues all the way through the coffin complex, Pierre’s Puzzle, at 16ABC before the riders hit the longest and steepest uphill pull to the famous Crab Water. To my eye, the track is very “top-heavy” and front-loaded. I think this is an interesting concept, as I think Pierre’s given the riders every possible chance to get a gauge on the day’s viability before they get to the biggest fitness test.

The Yanmar America Sunken Road at 11 and 12 is a key combination that we’ll be very interested in seeing. Uniquely, Pierre’s made the table at 11 such that it can either be jumped straight on, followed by either a very difficult 90-degree turn to get to the yawning ditch at the sunken road, or they can actually jump the front right corner of the table as a corner to put them pretty much directly on the straight route line. Most riders say they’ll see how it rides, though some are planning to jump the corner option, but again, this is an early scenario for riders to determine how their horses are reading the questions.

The Pierre’s Puzzle question is also very tricky, with a very “jump into space” landing on the back end of the C element, which is an airy brush vertical set on an angle atop a steep mound. The coffin here is always influential with its steep downhill approach, but Pierre’s added a new level of nuance and challenge to it.

The approach to Pierre’s Puzzle at 16.

So by this point, with several very intensely challenges behind them, riders should be feeling good, and if they have enough gas in the tank to push up the hill, get the Crab Water done (where there is a very friendly alternative route that doesn’t look like it’ll take an offensive amount of time), and safely navigate the final few, mostly downhill questions, they should finish well. The top-heavy nature of the course is something I may be slightly exaggerating, but I also think Pierre’s done a good job of weeding out the ones who may be in danger of having bad trouble before the horses are tired. I think this smart designing, but what will be interesting to see is if any horses (or their riders) look truly mindblown by the time they get to the coffin.

The very good thing is that this field is full of strong cross country horses. As I mentioned in our Thursday report, we have eight horses (Artist, Phelps, Cartania, Quindiva, Wabbit, Humble Glory, FE Lifestyle, Mama’s Magic Way) who’ve done Burghley (probably the closest comparison to this track in terms of terrain challenge) and four full Thoroughbreds in the field, along with an average majority of Thoroughbred blood across the field. That’s going to be a good thing this afternoon, as I think the horses who’ve navigated Burghley and have the quickness of mind and foot will be the most successful on this track.

A wide angle of the arena combination, which features two half-keyholes and a watery vertical that will require some slicing.

Felix Vogg, a Swiss Olympian who’s come over with Cartania for a shot at the title, is one of the riders who knows Pierre’s courses the best among this field, basing full-time in Europe and riding several of his tracks over the years. He says this track does carry a definitive Pierre stamp, down to every little detail.

“He’s a good designer,” Felix mused. “He makes you a bit frightened, but at the end, you can ride it if you ride it well. I know he’s really detail oriented, like really, really crazy in Europe — sometimes the courses are not ready when when you allowed to walk the first time! — because he’s so into details. But I think at the end, that’s what makes him [good at it] as well, and that’s why it’s, at the end, riding well.”

We’ll be watching closely. Stay tuned to find out how the day goes, who shines and who goes home with things to work on in our full cross country report coming tonight. In the meantime, you can view a full preview of the course on CrossCountryApp here. It’s an 11:00 optimum time, with a total of 30 numbered fences.

You’ll be able to follow along live on USEF Network on ClipMyHorse for our U.S. readers. Instructions on how to link your USEF Account are here so you can access the ClipMyHorse stream for free. For local viewers, Maryland Public Television also carries a great live stream that can be accessed here. For anyone needing an easy way to convert time zones for viewing in your local area, this website is a really handy tool. We will also have a traditional Cheg Darlington live blog for you for the 5* division, so be sure to stay tuned!

EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Saturday Links from World Equestrian Brands

By on Oct 18, 2025 12:01 am -

As if the adrenaline of CCI5* cross country day weren’t enough, the action continues today with the Real Rider Cup, making its debut at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory. Founded by Anita Motion in 2017, this crowd-favorite charity competition has already raised over $600,000 for Thoroughbred aftercare—and now it’s bringing its signature mix of speed, smiles, and silks to Arena C.

Captained by riders including Monica Spencer, Buck Davidson, and Alex Conrad, teams of equestrians from across the racing and sport horse worlds will swap breeches for jockey silks and pilot off-track Thoroughbreds over a show jumping course, all in the name of giving back. Each rider has pledged to raise at least $1,000 for aftercare organizations, with proceeds benefiting the Retired Racehorse Project, New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program, and Beyond the Wire.

It’s fast, it’s fun, and it’s for a great cause—don’t miss the Real Rider Cup taking place today after the conclusion of the CCI5 cross country in Arena C*. Learn more or donate here.

U.S. Events This Weekend

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [CrossCountryApp XC Maps] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event (KY): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Willow Draw Charity Show (TX): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Ram Tap National H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Major International Events

FEI WBFSH Young Horse World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers (France): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Live Stream]

Links & Reading

Preventing Impaction Colic in Horses

‘I owe it to you guys that we made it here’ – rider who crowd-funded trip makes strong start in Maryland 5 Star dressage

British Eventing appoints five new Independent Members to Fixtures Commitee

Opinion: Fair Hill Features ‘Real-Deal’ Horses—And A New Course Designer

Sponsor Corner

This week, you have a chance to win a BIG prize from World Equestrian Brands via our Taylor Swift Beat the Buzzer Challenge at the MARS Maryland 5 Star! Our final round will take place on Sunday (time TBD), and we’ll be drawing winners for our big prizes from both World Equestrian Brands (an Equilibrium HeatSense Massage Pad) and Ride EquiSafe. Watch this space for more!

Monica Spencer and Artist Fly the Flag for the Thoroughbred on Friday at MARS Maryland 5 Star

By on Oct 17, 2025 11:02 pm -

Monica Spencer and Artist dance into the lead on Friday at the MARS Maryland 5 Star. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

“Hi mama!” three-year-old Gus yells as his mother, Monica Spencer, gallops up Nelson’s Hill (one of the best conditioning hills on the East coast, and probably in the country) and past her husband, Andrew’s, camera. “Hi Gus-man!” she shouts back. Artist‘s ears are pricked, and his light Thoroughbred build carries him effortlessly up the incline. She posts videos like this frequently on her social media; Andrew and Gus accompany her on nearly every gallop.

It’s a normal scene at the home base (the former Schramm Equestrian base in Chester County, PA, just down the road from the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, presented by Brown Advisory) of the family Spencer. Monica, Andrew and Gus relocated to the U.S. full-time following the 2022 World Championships with an eye to building towards the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and moved from Virginia up to Pennsylvania earlier this year.

Monica Spencer and Artist. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Until recently, Monica had no full-time help. With the new farm and a growing string of young horses, Monica recently hired on #supergroom Savannah Kilpatrick. But until that point, it was just the little family of three, enjoying life on the farm together. They keep things simple.

Leading up to this weekend, Monica ran Artist, who is 14 this year, just twice after finishing eighth at Kentucky in April. He’s a horse that knows his job at this point, and the light preps suit him well at this stage.

And so it was a traditionally loose, soft and supple Artist who entered at A Friday afternoon and left with a new FEI personal best score of 23.7 to lead the field heading into cross country. They received a couple of nines for the efforts from judge at C and president of the Ground Jury Sandy Phillips (GBR), one for her flying change out of the counter canter and another for her final halt. Through these high averages, this score puts them comfortably into the lead over Switzerland’s Felix Vogg and his cross country beast of a mare, Cartania.

“I haven’t really done a lot of dressage this week,” Monica said after her test. “I’ve just been making him feel good in his body, so I can go in there and ‘push the button,’ which is pretty cool. He is a very nice guy, and he does his very best all the time, so I’m lucky to have him.”

Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

“It is a bit of added pressure,” she said of being in the overnight lead. She led her first 5* with “Max” at Adelaide after dressage as well. “But you’ve got to take every day as it comes. Today was a nice place to start, but I don’t think it’s going to be a dressage competition. [The course is] different. There’s some stuff I haven’t seen before, but it’ll be interesting to see how the horses read everything and how the day unfolds.”

Monica’s become a familiar face on the East coast and around the country teaching clinics this year in particular, but she insists Max is the one everyone comes to see. “If I meet people, they say, ‘Are you Monica? Do you ride Max?’ So it’s him that’s famous, it’s not me! He definitely feels like he knows he’s flying the flag for all the bay Thoroughbreds out there.”

Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Breaking up the international party in the top three are Caroline Pamukcu with her Paris Olympic horse, HSH Blake (owned by Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin and the Paumukcus), who is stepping up to the 5* level with much anticipation this weekend. Blake scored a 28.2 in this first 5* test, a scenario where some horses might score slightly higher in this more technically demanding test, both physically and mentally. But Caroline describes Blake as a total workman, and the dressage has been supported particularly this season by Grand Prix rider Samantha St. Jacques as well as the core US Equestrian coaching and management team.

“I’m just over the moon with him,” Caroline said. “He felt like he really enjoyed himself. When I came into the ring it’s like he kicked into another gear and just felt very happy. I wasn’t too nervous for dressage because it’s a cross country competition. If you didn’t have a perfect change or you jigged in the walk, it didn’t really matter because tomorrow it’s a tough, tough, tough track out there.”

Caroline now has two horses in the top 10 with She’s the One (Andy and Molly Hoff, Sherrie Martin and Caroline-owned) in eighth overnight, and she’s in 14th with the Tolan King Partnership’s HSH Tolan King.

Felix Vogg and Cartania. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Pushing into third place are Switzerland’s Felix Vogg with Cartania, who also scored a 5* personal best with a 28.3. Despite the score, though, Felix felt he’d left some marks on the table. “She was really, really good this week, but this morning she got a bit tense,” he reflected. “I could have done some stuff better in there, especially in the canter. We messed up a change, and I think we never did that before. It wasn’t bad, but especially the changes, that’s the best part of her — did I not get it done properly? I’m not annoyed with her, but with me I have faults.”

Here, the riders can’t really see the marks they’re getting, and Felix uses that often to help him know where he is in the judging. “Usually like to see the marks, and then when I’m a little bit behind, it gives me another kick to try harder,” he said. “So now I never knew where I am, where I’m at. So then you just have to keep being motivated, and keep trying. It’s always one section, you get one mark, then you get the next mark. If you miss some stuff or don’t get it ride, you can still do the other marks well. So that’s the way you should right it, I think, but usually I like it more when I can see how my scores are and look at little on the screen.”

Felix is luckily completely mended from a scary injury that temporarily paralyzed his right arm after a fall from a young horse. The incident happened two weeks before Burghley, in which Cartania was entered — hence the reroute here to Maryland, which Felix feels suits the 14-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Phoenix Eventing S.à.r.l. better than Les 5 Etoiles de Pau in southern France at the end of this month.

Felix Vogg and Cartania. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

“I thought it’s nothing [at first], so I got again on the horse and the next one, but I couldn’t hold anything anymore,” Felix told us. “I tried to ride another young one with one hand, but it didn’t work. So I got off, and then it went quite quickly that the arm got more and more stiff, and it was completely paralyzed. The fingers I could move, but the whole arm [couldn’t]. We worked a lot with electric simulation and all this stuff quite a lot, like four hours a day. Then it got, quite quickly, good again, I’d say maybe after about three weeks.”

“This course suits her better — the up and down, it’s tougher,” Felix said of his decision to come here to the U.S., where he temporarily based in 2018. “If it’s flat, it’s too much work for me. I hope [the terrain will help her rideability]! I don’t know how it is here, but it’s like this in Burghley, and Burghley suits her better than Badminton because it goes long up the hill.”

Jonelle Price and Chilli’s Midnight Star. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

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

Jonelle Price (NZL) with Nikki Axon’s and Merrill Halstead’s Chilli’s Midnight Star (yes, a Chilli Morning baby!) moved into fourth, tied with Boyd Martin and Yankee Creek Ranch LLC’s Commando 3 on a score of 30.3.

Here’s a look at your full standings going into cross country, which begins at 9:05 a.m. with the CCI3*-L. There’s a lengthy break before the 5*, which will begin at 1:40 p.m. with Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King. Starting orders and live scores can be found here.

This week, you’ll be able to follow along live on USEF Network on ClipMyHorse for our U.S. readers. Instructions on how to link your USEF Account are here so you can access the ClipMyHorse stream for free. For local viewers, Maryland Public Television also carries a great live stream that can be accessed here. For anyone needing an easy way to convert time zones for viewing in your local area, this website is a really handy tool. We will also have a traditional Cheg Darlington live blog for you for the 5* division, so be sure to stay tuned!

EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Friday News & Notes from Stable View

By on Oct 17, 2025 12:01 am -

Lara de Liedekerke is off to another hot start, fresh off the heels of her win at Boekelo, taking the Thursday lead in the 7-year-old division at Mondial du Lion’s Young Horse Breeding World Championships. She coasted to a 28.3 with the Hanoverian gelding Helios, who competed at Le Lion as a 6-year-old with Spanish rider Albert Hermoso Farras before the ride transferred to Lara this year.

Lara’s got company (and a whole group of competitors yet to come today) very close behind in the USA’s Hallie Coon, also on a bit of a hot streak of late, with Boleybawn Oliva, an Irish mare Hallie has produced from the outset of her FEI career.

North America is well-represented in France this week, with riders like Cassie Sanger, Lexi Scovil, Gillian Beale King, Grace Taylor and Cosby Green and for Canada Colleen Loach and Rebecca Howard.

You can follow along using the links below.

FEI WBFSH Young Horse World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d’Angers (France): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Live Stream]

U.S. Events This Weekend

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [CrossCountryApp XC Maps] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day Event (KY): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Willow Draw Charity Show (TX): [Website] [Entries/Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

Ram Tap National H.T. (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scores] [Volunteer]

News & Reading

Happening today! Round 1 of our Swiftie Challenge at MARS Maryland 5 Star takes place at an updated time of 12:30 p.m. at the Ride EquiSafe booth, which is located in the entryway row near the main entrance to the venue. See this post for more information.

Ahead of the christening of his first CCI5* track at the MARS Maryland 5 Star, The Chronicle of the Horse sat down with incoming designer Pierre Le Goupil for a chat on his designing philosophy and what’s in store for this Saturday. Take a dive into his background and thoughts on this new challenge here.

Ontario Equestrian’s new Stable Program supports barn owners and managers with resources in business, safety, and education—strengthening the foundation of the sport from the ground up. Linked with the Ticket to Ride initiative, it helps connect new riders with safe, welcoming barns across Ontario. Learn more about the new Stable Program here.

British 5* rider Georgie Goss (née Spence) has announced the passing of her first 5* partner, Running Brook (“George”), at age 29. Together, they completed seven five-stars, including clear rounds at both Badminton and Burghley, where George’s heart and bravery shone brightest. “He didn’t have the ability of most horses competing at those events,” Georgie said, “but he had more heart than all of them put together.” Read more in tribute to Running Brook here.

Sponsor Corner: Stable View

There’s no better way to trot into the new year than with an evening at one of Aiken’s most beautiful equestrian venues. Stable View invites you to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2025 in style with live music from Lola Grace & the Night, delicious food, drinks, and plenty of dancing at the stunning Stable View Pavilion.

🎉 When: December 31, 2025 — 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM
🏡 Where: Stable View Pavilion, Aiken, SC

After the countdown, you won’t have to go far — guests can stay overnight in Stable View’s professionally designed accommodations, ranging from cozy one-bedroom studios to charming cottages just steps from the celebration.

Accommodations packages are available. For more information click here.

It’s time to start 2026 the Stable View way — surrounded by great company, music, and Aiken charm.

Video Break

Anna Buffini is on-site to bring you all the content from the sidelines of the MARS Maryland 5 Star!

Day One at the MARS Maryland 5 Star: The Open Champion Leads, and the Evolution of a Five-Star

By on Oct 16, 2025 10:30 pm -

Boyd Martin and Luke 140. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

This year at the MARS Maryland 5 Star, we’re looking at a field that is arguably one of the highest-quality lineups we’ve seen in this event’s young history. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, the Maryland 5 Star is really still forming its identity (fun fact: the next youngest 5* of the seven in the world is Luhmühlen, which despite its rich history of World and European Championships hosting, did not run its first now-5* until 2005).

When the event first launched in 2021, we had Ian Stark designing the 5 Star course for the first time (his first even at the 5* level, though of course his 4* tracks were world-renowned). We also knew little about this side of the Fair Hill property; the “old” Fair Hill International was held on the other side of the road on a completely different piece of land. So, we approached this new 5* with much (if not everything) unknown. Now, with Pierre Le Goupil stepping in fresh off his Paris Olympic course design, there’s once again that sense of a new chapter and a new set of questions about what type of horse suits this terrain and this course.

In other words, while this is a dressage report, it’s really all part of the bigger picture. This year, we have a strong contingent of Thoroughbreds and quite a few horses who’ve proven themselves over a course like Burghley. And that’s a trend worth noting, because it tells us a lot about the kind of horse that can handle this event, and what sort of “horses for courses” reputation Maryland is building.

While we’ve seen three of the last four winners of the 5* start off on sub-30 scores (and in at least third place (Austin O’Connor’s 2022 win is the only anomaly, wherein he started with a 33.7 and in 12th after dressage), there’s still an interesting connection that at least I am making. As I mentioned, we’re flush with both Thoroughbreds and Burghley horses this year. Four of the horses in the field are race-bred Thoroughbreds (and a large majority of the field carries a strong percentage of Thoroughbred blood: an average of 62.6%), and eight horses have successfully gone around Burghley, some even twice. All but one of our former winners here have also successfully gone around Burghley (one of them even finished on the podium just this year).

So yes, while that once-rare specimen of a horse who can compete in dressage and still come up with enough in the tank to throttle around a Burghley course (ok, show jumping is another story for some of these types, but that’s alright) is becoming rarer, the fact remains that dressage here will not be the sole deciding factor (it never should be, really).

Now that I’ve really gone full send on the idea of burying a lede, I hope I’ve set the stage a little for you here. Of course, I’m writing with a bit of my own view in mind here, and with a small field of 22 it’s hard to make direct comparisons, but I think it’s interesting in the grand scheme of this competition, somewhat more so than the specifics of any particular score today.

‘Spook’ 140 Hangs In for Early Lead

Boyd Martin and Luke 140. Photo by Atalya Boytner.

While no one dipped into the sub-30s today, a few pairs came close. Notably, our day one leader is none other than Boyd Martin, fresh off his U.S. Equestrian Open of Eventing Final win at Morven Park. Boyd’s brought forward two horses this weekend: Luke 140, owned by the Luke 140 Syndicate, and Commando 3, owned by Yankee Creek Ranch LLC, who will start his competition tomorrow afternoon.

Luke 140, affectionately known as “Spook 140” in Boyd’s barn (and yes, there’s a t-shirt), did show a bit of his signature sharpness in the ring today. Their score of 31.0 was higher than anticipated. They earned a 27.9 at Kentucky and have averaged a 28.2 this season across levels, so while today was not the best they’ve done, reference the intro to this article. Frankly, the ability of Boyd (with the help of his Grand Prix rider of a wife, Silva, at home, as well as Bettina Hoy) to coax sub-30 scores out of a horse he describes as “hot and nervous” in general with this phase is a skill in itself. Boyd noted that the tents flapping in today’s wind gusts and the jumbotron that yawns above A helped put a bit more edge on, and while they trended in the 28-29 range for most of their test, they lost marks particularly in some of the canter work.

“You sort of just control what you can control,” Boyd said. “He’s a hot, spicy horse, which makes him a great cross country horse. I’m attracted to energetic horses and the hardest thing is just trying to work on getting him quite settled so he can perform in there. Our biggest enemy, along with a lot of the the other three-day event horses, is they’ve got to be relaxed and calm for the dressage judges, but on Saturday, they’ve got to be raring to go, so it’s a bit of a balancing act. What I’ve learned with him is just to try and avoid confrontation!”

Caroline Pamukcu exits to a big cheer from her support crew after her test with She’s the One. Photo by Atalya Boytner.

In second place, we have Caroline Pamukcu with She’s the One, who has shaved a good four points off her Kentucky debut score to go onto a 31.4. Caroline’s been working with Samantha St. Jacques on dressage, and it’s really paying off in terms of connection and relaxation. Caroline’s got three horses here, all essentially rookies at this level, and she’s aiming to leverage their Thoroughbred influence to tackle Maryland’s terrain.

“The mare’s ten this year, but she’s had quite a bit of experience,” Caroline said in the press conference. “The team last year sent us over to Millstreet, which was great experience or her. Then this year, they sent us over to Arville, so I’m really thankful So I’m really thankful for the Federation to keep putting a little bit of energy and time into her, and giving me an opportunity so that this sort of atmosphere, she’s getting quite used to it.” There will be more to come in this phase from this still-young mare, who also campaigned with French rider Gaspard Maksud.

Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle. Photo by Atalya Boytner.

Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle are sitting in third after putting in a 32.8. Jennie’s had a tough lead-up with an injury, and “Foxy” is coming back from a serious setback sustained while en route to Badminton this spring. But with the guidance of Bettina Hoy and Peter Wylde, as well as longtime coach Phillip Dutton, Jennie feels like they delivered their best 5* test yet.

“I’m super happy with his work,” Jennie said. “He got a little tense, and did [a] little [flying] change at the half-pass. A couple things I could’ve cleaned up.”

Bettina’s taken a few rides on Foxy building up to this, particularly while Jennie was preparing for and competing at Morven Park last weekend. They brought him to Morven so Bettina could school him in the main warm-up as well. “I had him in training with Silva for a bit a few years ago, but that’s [really] the most I’ve ever had someone else [ride him],” she said. “[Bettina] was like, ‘you focus on Morven, I’ll ride Foxy every day.’ And it’s pretty amazing. The first day I rode him was the day I jumped him [on Monday following Morven Park], I thought he jumped phenomenal. It’s just amazing how adjustable he is, and it took me a second for my eye to adjust to the fact that he was so rideable.”

Jennie opted to be on her own for her pre-rides but decided to have Bettina in her ear for her warm-ups, which she said helped get her and Foxy into that right before the ring mindset. She’s confirmed that contrary to some rumors she did not break her ankle in a fall at the startbox with Kismet at Morven, but she is working daily with a physio to help her be sound on a sprained left ankle sustained in the fall.

What’s On Tap for Friday

Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge slot into fourth place. Photo by Atalya Boytner Photography.

Here’s a look at your initial starting order ahead of Friday:

You can view the order of go for Friday here. The top three horses in the EquiRatings Prediction Center will be among those we’ll see tomorrow: Boyd Martin and Commando 3 (3:19 p.m. ET), Monica Spencer and Artist (2:37), and Caroline Pamucku and HSH Blake (3:35 p.m.).

Caroline Pamukcu also holds fifth place with HSH Tolan King. Photo by Atalya Boytner.

This week, you’ll be able to follow along live on USEF Network on ClipMyHorse for our U.S. readers. Instructions on how to link your USEF Account are here so you can access the ClipMyHorse stream for free. For local viewers, Maryland Public Television also carries a great live stream that can be accessed here. For anyone needing an easy way to convert time zones for viewing in your local area, this website is a really handy tool.

EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

EN’s Guide to the Horses and Riders of the 2025 MARS Maryland 5 Star

By on Oct 16, 2025 12:24 pm -

It’s time to kick off the 2025 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, presented by Brown Advisory! We’ve got a roster full of potential 5* champions on our hands this week, so as is tradition let’s take a dive into each pair.

We’ve been toying around with a few new updates to our Form Guides. For Maryland this year, we’ve got the Form Guide arranged as follows:

Below, you’ll find a quick write-up on each pair in the 5* field’s recent form leading up to this weekend. If you click here, you can also view much more on each and every horse in the field if you really want to dig in. This way, you can still view the Form Guide somewhat in it’s traditional form, but if you’re a real rabbit hole diver, the opportunity is there.

As always, we really appreciate your feedback on our Form Guides as we continue to work to improve them! You can always send us your thoughts [email protected].

Want to see more stats on the field? Be sure to check out the EquiRatings Prediction Center here, and you can also play Eventing Manager this week here.

[Click here to view EN’s Horse & Rider Wiki]

The entries are listed in Draw Order (you can view ALL entries here).

EN is pleased to welcome Deirdre Vaillancourt Real Estate as the sponsor of our coverage of this year’s MARS Maryland 5 Star. If you’ve got Aiken, SC on your list as a place to base or even move to, Deirdre should be your first call! You can find all properties available and contact Deirdre directly by visiting AikenSCProperties.com.

MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (MD): [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries] [Live Stream] [Scores] [EN’s Coverage]

#60: Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King

Caroline brings forward her first of three CCI5* rookie horses with her this weekend in the 10-year-old HSH Tolan King, a horse that’s shot up the levels and now has some pretty extensive 4* experience under his belt. He’s coming into this weekend off a string of top-10 finishes at the 4* level and a fourth-place finish in his first 4*-L at Tryon last spring. The dressage is still a work in progress for this horse, but Caroline’s been working frequently with Grand Prix dressage rider Samantha St. Jacques on the flat in addition to her regular jumping coaches, so while we won’t necessarily see a super competitive test from this pair to kick us off, Tolan King has a very strong cross country record with just one jumping penalty ever recorded. He will have a pole down here and there (and did have a single rail at his sole 4*-L at Tryon last year), but this weekend will very much be a building experience for this young horse that Caroline likely has high hopes for. This pair does have some recent experience here at the Maryland 5 Star, finishing sixth in the 3*-L in 2023.

#61: Boyd Martin and Luke 140

Luke 140 comes into Maryland full of running with just some light preps to keep him sharp after finishing in the top 10 at Kentucky in April. It will be interesting to see how much Boyd goes for the clock here on Saturday, as Luke has proven he can finish on his dressage score at this level (reference his 4th place finish at Luhmühlen in 2023). This piece of ground, however is a different beast, and Boyd will approach both of his rides this weekend with an eye on not only being competitive but ensuring he’s still got plenty of options for World Championships next year. That said, though, coming off a $100,000 payday at the US Open last weekend between his 4*-L and Open Series win, Boyd will definitely be eyeing that $300,000 prize pool this weekend. Luke 140 and stablemate Commando 3 are each genuine competitors on the flat, so if Boyd’s in a strong position (and it’s likely he will be) after dressage, we’ll most likely see him push as hard as he can for that elusive optimum time. On Sunday, Boyd’ll have the tutelage from his not-so-secret weapon, Peter Wylde, with hopes of continuing his consistently hot streak of show jumping clears to finish on or near the podium at the end of competition.

#62: Jessica Phoenix and Wabbit

We are VERY KEEN to see if the hard work Jessie Phoenix and Wabbit have been putting into their show jumping will pay off in a big way this weekend. If you pick horses based on their cross country performance, Wabbit is a strong shout for you. He won’t dazzle you on the flat (but his ears will), and yes, he did have some difficulty on cross country here last year, but he’s jumped some of the biggest tracks in the world, including Badminton in 2024 and Burghley in 2023, so the grit to get ‘er done out there is very much present. He’s coming off some disappointing show jumping rounds, getting a Compulsory Retirement at the 4*-S at Bromont in August, but Jessie says she thinks she may have found a key to unlocking Wabbit’s wings on Sundays — watch this space to learn more if all goes well this weekend.

#63: Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle

After winning the 4*-S at Carolina International this weekend, all sights were set on a spring 5* for Jennie Brannigan and “Foxy”, who’s really come into his own across phases over the last few months. But after pulling up on cross country at Kentucky with the plan of heading to Badminton, Foxy sustained a severe injury while trailering to his destination in the UK. He stayed in the UK for several weeks after to rehab and returned to the U.S. in the summer. Now, Jennie’s aiming high for this weekend. She’s got some real experts in her corner between German Olympian and dressage specialist Bettina Hoy as well as show jumping Olympian Peter Wylde. Jennie had to pick herself back up after taking a tumble in warm-up with Kismet at Morven Park last week, but she’s told us all systems are go for a fighting shot this weekend. FE Lifestyle is no slouch in any phase, and his dressage has gotten stronger and stronger. We saw him getting a ride from Bettina herself at Morven Park, and his flatwork is looking exceptional. It would be great to see some of that hard work in the dressage pay off this weekend. Foxy has been flirting with the 30 mark this year, and if he can start the competition thereabouts, there’s no telling what kind of finish these two would be capable of.

#64: Shannon Lilley and Eindhoven Garette

Shannon Lilley and Eindhoven Garette will be the first to see of our “sophomore” 5* riders making their second start after also running Kentucky in the spring. In the intervening months since, Shannon and “Gare Bear” have made some progress on the flat as they look to build on what they did at Kentucky. This is a serious jumping horse with the all-out ability to deliver a quick clear, and if Pierre Le Goupil’s track this weekend suits them, they will be ones to watch as they march their way up in the standings. They dipped into the 20s at the 3* level in their final prep for this weekend (and finished on that score), which should be a great boost of confidence to tackle this next step in their career.

#65: Allison Springer and Vandyke

Allison Springer’s used patience and tact to produce the quirky (are we seeing at trend here?) Vandyke to this precipice of a 5* debut. He’s not been the most straightforward to produce, despite finding early success and earning the title of USEA Preliminary Horse of the Year as a 6-year-old. This pair are coming off a hot streak of strong 4* runs that saw them cruise to a 7th place finish at Rebecca Farm this summer. While their dressage won’t be a competitive score quite yet, if “Rico’s” recent jumping form can continue, they’ll be able to make their way up in the standings. Allison’s primary goal, though, will be production, not necessarily going for the win. This is a horse she’s had her eye on as a 5* horse since the early days, so it’ll be important to her to ensure that this weekend is just the first of many successful runs at the level.

#66: Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge

Lindsay Traisnel are on fiery hot form as they head in determined to put last year’s Maryland retirement to rest for good. They’re coming off of back-to-back 4*-S wins, one at Bromont in August, followed by the other at Tryon in September. Lindsay’s been working on her and Dreamy’s cross country speed to help them get closer to those elusive double clears, and her practice is paying off as she aims to peak this week.

#67: Arden Wildasin and Sunday Times

2024 USEA Adult Amateur of the Year Arden Wildasin made a long-awaited debut at the CCI5* level at Kentucky this spring. They did pick up one drive-by on cross country, but they finished in the top 20 after having just one rail down on Sunday. Arden’s only run the very experienced 18-year-old Irish gelding a couple of times since, and she’ll likely have been focusing hard on fitness to ensure they’re up for the Maryland terrain challenge.

#69: Will Faudree and Mama’s Magic Way

With successful 5* runs on both sides of the pond, “Mason” has proved that he’s not only a Kentucky and Maryland horse, but a Badminton and Burghley one too. With nary a cross country jumping penalty in their 20 international runs together, bar breaking a frangible device at the inaugural running of Maryland 5* back in 2021, this impressive gelding is an out-and-out cross country pro. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see him gallop and jump on his last 5* start at Kentucky last season, after a disappointing day in the dressage ring and a score of 40.6 resulted in Will opting out of the competition, so we have to go back to Burghley 2023 for the last time we saw this pair at the top level. They scored the first 10s of the competition that year for a drool-inducing halt, earning them a career-best sub-30 score, showing that when he curbs his enthusiasm, “Mason” is more than capable of starting out in a competitive placing going into his favorite phase. Show jumping is a little trickier, with poles falling more often than not, but those clear cross country jumping rounds have seen them finish in the top 16 in in three of the their six 5* starts.

#70: Alex Bragg and Quindiva

It’s very cool that Alex has decided to bring his exciting mare to Maryland for a trip across the pond. With three 5* finishes (and a retirement at the very wet 2023 edition of Badminton due to the going), this gal came out of the top-level starting blocks with a bang and has continued to prove her mettle at the pinnacle of the sport. She finished 15th a Burghley on her debut in 2023, adding just cross country time to her dressage score, then finished on the podium at Badminton last season, again with no jumping penalties to add. They joined the elusive FOD club at Burghley last fall, where they finished on their starting score in 8th place. Typically mid-30s in the first phase, they’re a sure bet for a leaderboard climb from there and Alex will be in it to win it as he goes eventing in the US for the first time.

#71: Caroline Pamukcu and She’s The One

Caroline brings “Jemma” to Maryland after withdrawing from Kentucky in the spring before running cross country, so although not technically the mare’s first 5*, it’ll be the first time we see her really get her hooves stuck into the top level. This young mare has all the goods to deliver a smart test between the white boards, with sub-30 scores already creeping into her form at 4*. She’s scopey and bold out on cross country, with nary a jumping penalty in sight since Caroline took on the ride at the start of the 2023 season. The stadium jumping is still a bit of a work in progress, and although there are clear rounds on her card, they’re by no means guaranteed. It will be really interesting to see this exciting prospect get her 5* career underway proper this week, with no doubt lots to come from her in the future.

#72: Sophia Hill and Humble Glory

Making the trip from down under, Sophia Hill and “Hughie” are headed stateside for the first time. They spent the 2024 season in the UK to take in Burghley following a successful spin round Adelaide 5* which saw them finish on their dressage score for third place on their debut at the level in 2023. Sadly they were unable to replicate their form at the Australian event on their return this season, where they were eliminated for a heartbreaking error of course in the show jumping after a clear inside the time on cross country day had them set to take the win. They made an impressive showing at Burghley last year, albeit with an 11 penalties for breaking a frangible device dropping them out of the top 15, but a quick round nonetheless and nothing added on the final day meant they still managed to finish just outside the top 20. They won’t be leading the pack after the first phase, but if they stay true to form in the jumping (they haven’t had a show jumping pole at any level since 2022), we can certainly expect a leaderboard climb from there and potentially another excellent placing from this exciting pair.

#73: Brooke Burchianti and Cooley Space Grey

Brooke will be the first to tell you she’s really the opposite of “excited” when it comes to thinking about running a 5*, but she did DO THE DAMN THING at Kentucky in her and “Astro’s” debut this spring. There, they picked up one drive-by on cross country but finished the weekend strong. Unfortunately, their result there was negated several weeks later after Brooke was informed her horse had tested positive for a substance present in an approved treatment that was given well ahead of the suggested withdrawal period. Despite this experience, which understandably left a bad taste in Brooke’s mouth, she’s putting that all behind her and focusing on a strong sophomore effort here at Maryland. She and Astro had a frustrating parting of ways at their final prep at Stable View, which didn’t leave Brooke with the best feeling, but she made a plan to have some additional practice and get herself in the right frame of mind for the task ahead, and she’s sat on a horse that’s got a supreme amount of trust in her. If they can stay on the same page this weekend, they’ll have a fabulous time out there on cross country together.

#74: Tayla Mason and Centennial

It was a case of third time lucky for Tayla Mason and her homebred “Chase” when she made it off the Badminton waitlist at the final second and went on to score her first 5* cross country clear this season. She’d had two prior top-level runs at Pau, picking up a 20 on their debut at the level in 2021 and then 11 penalties for breaking a frangible device in 2024. Their quick clear at Badminton rocketed them up the leaderboard and, despite a couple of poles on the final day, they climbed 50 places following the jumping phases earning them the Glentrool Trophy for their efforts. As indicated by such a leaderboard climb, the first phase isn’t always easy for them (they scored 40.2 on that occasion), but they went as low as 30 at Pau last season, where they were the second fastest on cross country day. The final phase is still a work in progress, with two poles at Badminton, three at Pau last year and four the year before, but there’s no doubting that this is an exciting combination and it’ll be cool to see them do their thing stateside as they take on Maryland in the hope of finishing even further up the leaderboard on what will be their fourth 5* start.

#75: Mary Bess Davis and Imperio Magic

Mary Bess and “McCall” have been on fine form as they aim for this second 5* effort. They were the top-placed Rookies at Kentucky this spring with a 16th place finish, and since then they’ve finished on the podium twice at the Advanced/4* level, including a second place outing at Stable View Oktoberfest to set themselves up well for this weekend. Mary Bess told us that weekend that she’s really been focusing on relaxation with her 11-year-old Anglo European gelding, feeling like she’d lost some of it as she came into this season. She’s called on pro dressage riders such as Roel Theunissen to help her fine tune what would be this horse’s least strong phase, and the efforts have paid off as they’ve earned some more competitive scores over the summer. By taking a “less is more” approach, Mary Bess feels she can get the best possible marks come Friday, to put them into a strong position to jump their way up and fight for a competitive finish.

#76: Monica Spencer and Artist

“Max” was discovered by Monica Spencer as a four-year-old when she saw him at his first show and promptly bought him. This smart gelding is racing-trained but didn’t actually race (he proved to be too slow), with Monica bringing him through the international eventing levels in New Zealand before landing a late call-up to the Kiwi team for the World Championships in Pratoni in 2022, where they really stamped their mark as ones to watch, winning team bronze medal and finishing 21st individually. He made the step-up to 5* at Adelaide the following year where he was in the lead and favorite for the win after the dressage only for Monica to have an unlucky and uncharacteristic tumble out on cross country. His next start at the level came at Maryland at the back-end of that season, where he really had the chance to show his mettle and finished in 7th, before he took on Kentucky 5* the following spring and added another top-level 7th place finish to his record. The following season he jetted across the pond to compete at Burghley and finished just outside the top-10. They’ve added yet another excellent finish at Kentucky this season, where they came 8th, and will be hoping to perhaps go even better as they take on Maryland for the second time.

#77: Jonelle Price and Chilli’s Midnight Star

An exciting 5* debutant for Jonelle, “Ollie” sure has eventing in his blood, what with his sire being William Fox-Pitt’s 5* winner Chilli Morning. Jonelle took over the irons from Britain’s Jo Rimmer in 2023 and set about bringing the gelding through the 4* level. They’ve had some educational runs alongside showing they can be competitive on their day, with a 3rd place in the 4*-L at Millstreet last season and 6th at Scone Palace recently proving that the horse is chomping at the bit for his step up to the top level. Dressage scores at 4* have been consistently in the low-30s and although there are a couple of 20s on his cross country record, we can chalk them up to experience at this point in the gelding’s career. He’s been careful in the final phase thus far, with just the odd pole now and then, but his form certainly indicates that he’s capable of finishing up with a clear round in the stadium. It’ll be really interesting to see how things play out for this pair as they take on their first 5* together at Maryland this week.

#78: Felix Vogg and Cartania

Don’t let a disappointing Badminton this season put you off adding this pair to your Eventing Manager team as they make the trip to the U.S. to take on Maryland this week. This mare has had a strong showing across the levels with Felix, most recently winning the 4*-S Nations Cup event in Avenches. She started out her 5* career with 15th place at Badminton in 2023, then proved it wasn’t just luck when she returned a year later and came 11th, adding the title of ‘Burghley horse’ to her record when she finished 13th there last season. These kind of placings have been produced by starting out with a neat sub-30 dressage score and then putting in a quick, clear cross country round. The final phase isn’t the mare’s favorite, with poles falling pretty regularly – and with them placings – but there has been an improvement recently and if she manages to keep them in the cups, Felix will surely be finding himself on the 5* podium before long.

#79: Mia Farley and Phelps

After smashing it around Burghley last fall (and finishing fifth here in their debut in 2023), Phelps picked up an injury that saw him sidelined until the latter part of this season. As a horse who truly knows his job well at this point, he didn’t need a ton of prep runs to get ready for Maryland. He’s run a handful of events over the summer, starting slowly at a Prelim to kick in June and most recently running a 3*-S at Tryon in September, where they finished top-five. Phelps may be a Thoroughbred, but like fellow competitor Artist for Monica Spencer, he can do a really, really nice dressage test. While he can sometimes (ok, almost every time) be a bit, er, *cheeky* at the start of cross country, he’s really an out and out Long format horse who thrives (and can easily go double clear) on a long track. Show jumping remains his weakest point, though — they lowered two rails at Maryland in 2023 and four at Kentucky in 2024, making for some heartbreaking finishes that would’ve otherwise seen Mia on the podium. Mia did spend some time in the jumper ring this year with all of her horses, and if she can coax even a single-rail round from this plucky, David O’Connor-owned horse, they will finish very competitively this weekend.

#80: Boyd Martin and Commando 3

Originally produced up to the 4* level by Sweden’s Louise Romeike, “Connor” landed in Boyd Martin’s barn for the 2023 season and the pair set about delivering some impressive results; in 14 international starts they’ve racked up four wins at 4* plus a bunch of other top placings, all-in-all finishing outside the top-10 just twice. The gelding’s 5* debut at Maryland last season was hotly anticipated, and a sub-30 dressage score had them in a great spot early on, but their competition came to an unscheduled end after an unlucky early fall out on cross country. The duo bounced right back though, and confidently took the runner-up spot at Kentucky at the start of this season. “Connor” is what you could call a triple threat. With just a smattering of first phase scores above the 30-mark and many scores in the 20s, his impeccable cross country jumping record – in 32 FEI competitions he’s had a single jumping penalty (in 2020) – added to the fact that he’s proved himself to be super careful over the colored poles, it’s not hard to get excited about this obviously talented gelding.

#81: Buck Davidson and Cooley Candyman

It was a late decision to bring “Rolo” to his first 5* this weekend. Buck initially had entered the 12-year-old Irish gelding in the US Equestrian Open of Eventing Final at Morven Park last week, but withdrew him after dressage and opted to bring him here to Maryland instead. Rolo has four 4*-L events under his belt dating back to 2021, including a podium finish in his first one at Morven Park that year. That intentional production should lend itself well to a strong debut here. Buck’s down to just one ride after withdrawing Sorocaima due to an ill-timed abscess, so he’ll be able to give Rolo all of his focus. The dressage can be solid — if they can squeak into the low-30s, Buck will be pleased with that effort. If they can grab a clear round on Saturday, Rolo also has a pretty consistent jumping record that should enable him to jump clear on Sunday and move up even more in the standings.

#82: Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake

It’s so strange to think that HSH Blake has not yet done a 5*, since he’s done everything else to this point! Caroline has been fully focused on Championships with this special horse, taking him first to the Pan American Games and contributing to a team silver medal, then traveling to Paris to contest her first Olympic Games. HSH Blake has been a consistent campaigner for Caroline, and this year they’ve been to CHIO Aachen and the Cosequin Lexington 4*-S and now they look ahead to what stands to be a strong debut for this very experienced 10-year-old. The one real test for this pair this weekend will be the terrain: they’ve certainly done some hilly tracks, especially at Kentucky, but these were Short format events, so this will be a different beast. They’ve done two 4*-Ls, including the Olympics which are set on a 4*-L dimension track, but this will be the biggest test of terrain they’ve seen to date. They’ll be well-prepared for the challenge though, and Caroline has the opportunity to take her horse of a lifetime out last with two other rides already under her belt.