Ok gang, heeeeerrrrreeee we go, Dressage Day Two at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, aka The Best Weekend All Year! Pictured looking fly on the trot strip are your current 5* leaders, Yas Ingham and Banzai de Loir, who took the lead late yesterday afternoon with a score of 26. Her compatriot Kirsty Chabert and Classic IV is in 2nd place with a score of 31, while Germany’s Malin Hansen-Hotopp with Carlitos Quidditch K sits in 3rd place, just .1 of a penalty behind Kirsty, on 31.1. If you missed any of yesterday’s action, then head on over to 🌟 EN’s Ultimate Guide🌟 where you will find everything you need to know (and a bit more besides). If you want to get a blow by blow account of yesterday’s dressage action, then I suggest you check out my good pal, Cheg Darlington’s live updates. She’ll be back on it later to day – 5* dressage starts at 12.30 pm (ET) (not the previously advertised 1pm), so make sure you scratch all your afternoon appointments and get settled in for an action packed day.The USA’s Sharon White and Claus 63 will be the first ones up the centre line today, and we’ve still got last year’s runner up, Tom McEwen and JL Dublin to come, so that leaderboard could well see a change at the top…
One last thing before I leave you to go and check out alllll of the coverage we have Eventing Nation: if you do nothing else today, I would highly recommend giving Tilly’s infamous Golden Chinch Awards a read. Sure to make you giggle – or spit out your beverage of choice – it’s good to see our resident fashion critic hasn’t lost her touch.
Now, off you trot to open multiple tabs on your browser:
🌟 A Glance at the 5* Combinations
🌟 The Low-down on the Runners and Riders in the 4*-S
🌟 Our Guide to What’s Happening at the Horse Park
Oh, and remember to check out my gal Cheg’s live updates – not just for today’s dressage session, but all weekend. She’ll be bringing you all the action as it happens for both the 4* and 5* cross country, as well the 5* grand finale on Sunday. I reckon this one will go right to the wire, so make sure you stay with EN all weekend, so you don’t miss a single second.
There will be daily round-ups of every phase, as well as a cross country preview – complete with the riders’ reaction to the course. In case you haven’t got the memo yet, here is that link to all the coverage you will ever need to The Best Weekend All Year.
Don’t forget to check out our socials too – there’s loads of great Instagram content happening courtesy of our team on the ground too @goeventing, not least of all a TREMENDOUS effort from Zach Brandt in Sally’s Swiftie challenge.
Oooh ooh, I almost forgot! Don’t forget to nominate your fave Kentucky #Supergroom – they could win some pretty cool prizes, and let’s face it, they definitely deserve some extra treats!
Enjoy the show, my friends: here’s the link to the livestream – the perfect accompaniment to Cheg’s live updates which is available on ClipMyHorse TV / USEF Network. If you don’t have a ClipMyHorse account or a USEF account, you can sign up for a FREE Fan Membership, which will give you access to the live stream at no cost. Click here to sign up. ClipMyHorse members (including those overseas) can click here to access the live stream.
Now then, let’s GO EVENTING!!!
U.S. Weekend Preview
Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event [Website] [Entries] [Schedule] [Tickets] [Scoring] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage]
Horse Park of New Jersey Spring H.T. (Allentown, NJ) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
Loudoun Hunt Pony Club Spring H.T. (Leesburg, VA) [Website] [Entries][Ride Times] [Volunteer][Scoring]
The Event at Archer Spring Fling YEH and NEH (Cheyenne, WY) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
University of New Hampshire Spring H.T. (Durham, NH)[Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
International Events
Ballindenisk International (Ireland) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Timetable] [Eventing Ireland Facebook Page]
Friday News and Reading
So we all know I love a theme, and with that in mind, I am going to *try* to keep this Kentucky heavy. I mean, given the amount of content out there, it really shouldn’t be too hard. SO with that in mind, it seems sensible to kick off with a Kentucky Preview. Yes, yes I am aware we are already well in the midst of the dressage, but still! Tis always fun to have a general overview of an event, and my pals over at the EquiRatings eventing podcast have, of course, just done that. A fun listen, with lots of predictions – some of them wilder than others – it’s the perfect accompaniment to this weekend’s action!
Lucky enough to be going to Kentucky Horse Park in person?! Oh how I envy you! One day, I WILL make it there, but for now, I shall have to be content with watching from home. As for those of you making your first trip to the Best Weekend All Year, here is a handy guide to the event. Tips on where to get the best bourbon chicken (what even is that, asks the Brit in the room), what to bring (a poncho seems to be top of the list), and how to make the most of the event – as in get there as soon as you can, leave as late as you can. Even Boyd Martin has a suggestion for you. Be sure to bookmark this page and make sure that you really do have the Best Weekend All Year!
Ok, so this isn’t actually Kentucky related, but it is 5* related, so technically that still counts?! If anything, I am already thinking of the post-Kentucky hangover we will no doubt all be suffering from come Monday. Here I have the perfect antidote: a glimpse of the next big 5*, coming hot off the heels of Kentucky….Badminton, baby! (sorry not sorry). What better way to whet your appetite than a look at the actual cross country course that riders will face there in May?! It will be available on the cross country app and the Badminton Horse Trials website as of tomorrow – complete with insights from the course designer himself, Eric Winter and some guy called Mark Todd? IDK, never heard of him…
Another tenuous link to Kentucky, but a link nonetheless. 3 time winner of the 5* at Kentucky, and a regular feature on the podium over the years, William Fox Pitt is looking for a rider to join his team. What an opportunity! Run, don’t walk, if you fancy this. I reckon they’ll be an insane amount of applicants for this one.
Ok. Bear with me on this one, in terms of the ‘Kentucky theme’ that I promised. Jessica Phoenix WAS on the start list at one point, with the wonderful Wabbit. I know this, because she was on my list for the form guide at one point. However, she was cross entered at the afore mentioned Badminton, too, and ultimately went with them instead. BUT, she needs our help! She and Meghan O’Donoghue have started a fundraiser to help with the cost of actually getting their horses to the event. To compete at a 5* -especially one as iconic as Badminton – are what dreams are made of, but they’re also a bloody expensive endeavour, so any financial help you could afford to help these two ladies along the way would be very much appreciated. Plus, it’s always fun to see high profile US/Canadian riders flying their flags over here in the UK. Wishing you and your horses the safest of travels ladies, and the best of luck when you get here!
Sponsor Corner
Big news from Stable View! Show Jumping at the May Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships will be sponsored and streamed by Horse and Country!
Weekend Watching
Seems a bit pointless to post anything here, other than the link to the Kentucky livestream. But if you do get bored with all of that action (I mean, what is actually wrong with you if that is the case?!) then here is another option for you: an interview with Kirsty Chabert, who is out there in Lexington this weekend with Classic IV, aka Betty. Another (slightly flimsy) link to the Best Weekend All Year – told you I’d keep it Kentucky themed didn’t I?!
