One Big Thing: What’s New at Kentucky in 2026?
Dressage Day gets started at the 2025 Kentucky Three-Day Event. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
Flights are being boarded, horses are being lunged, tents are being set up, and it smells like Kentucky bluegrass — it must mean it’s Kentucky week! So what’s new at the Horse Park this year?
Beer Garden
If this isn’t the ticket to getting your non-horsey partner to join you at Kentucky, nothing will be. Adults 21 and older can stop by the event’s new Beer Garden to enjoy locally crafted beers, ciders, bourbons, and cocktails right next to the Lake in Sponsor Village. The Beer Garden is located right near the master scoreboard, so you can keep an eye on all the action while giving your feet a rest!
The Hound Stage
From 12:00 to 6:30 pm on Friday-Saturday, April 24-25, the Kentucky Three-Day Event will host live music at The Hound Stage sponsored by LM Communications, created in partnership with Lexington-based radio station The Hound 96.1. Find the stage near John Deere in the Sponsor Village and listen in! You can find the Hound Stage’s live music schedule here.
Safety & Wellness Arena
Another new feature this year, the Safety & Wellness Arena sponsored by Horsepal is a premier, purpose-driven destination designed to spotlight sponsors that are committed to safety, wellness, and welfare in equestrian sport. Positioned as a high-traffic, high-visibility hub on the grounds, the Safety & Wellness Arena will deliver meaningful, values-based engagement through educational programming, expert-led conversations and interactive experiences — reinforcing EEI’s role as a leader in safe sport, athlete development and responsible horsemanship. You can find the arena’s programming schedule here.
Kentucky International CSI5*
Formerly known as the Kentucky Invitational, the Kentucky International CSI5* presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute made its debut at the 2018 Kentucky Three-Day Event as a CSI3* and was held as a CSI4* for the first time in 2024. After becoming a CSI5* in 2025, the international show jumping event makes EEI the only event organizer in the world to host both a CCI5*-L and CSI5* in the same week. This year, each evening Thursday through Saturday will feature an epic CSI5* show jumping event: a $62,500 1.55m Qualifier on Thursday; both a $62,500 1.50m Speed class and the $200,000 1.50m Major League Show Jumping Team Competition on Friday; and the $340,000 1.60m Grand Prix Final on Saturday evening. You can find all the entries for this year’s CSI5*s here.
And lastly, for anyone finding themselves at the Best Weekend All Year for the first time this week — have no fear! EN is here with our latest episode of the Go Eventing Podcast, featuring nothing but the best and most exclusive insider tips and tricks to navigating this iconic weekend, all brought to you by two people who may as well have “Professional KY3DE-goer” on their business cards. Listen in below or on your favorite podcast platform and join the hype of Kentucky week!
EN’s coverage of Defender Kentucky is supported by Kentucky Performance Products, your one-stop shop for all the science-backed nutritional support your horse needs. Learn more about KPP here.
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A note for you: All week, we’ll be leading off all our News & Notes columns with the latest from Defender Kentucky, including what’s on tap for each day and a quick look at our coverage, activities happening on site and more. We can’t wait to be with you for the #BestWeekendAllYear!
US Events Opening Entries Today
Windermere Run HT (MO); Apple Knoll Farm HT (MA); Middleburg HT (VA); Revel Run HT I (MI)
US Events Closing Entries Today
Tryon International Three Day Event (NC); Riga Meadow at Coole Park Combined Test (NY); The Vista Spring YEH/NEH Qualifier (SC); Galway Downs Spring HT and Preliminary Challenge (CA); Hitching Post Farm HT (VT); Unionville May HT (PA); Queeny Park HT (MO)
Other Links and Reading
- Former five-star eventer Emily Baldwin claims her first dressage title at the Winter Championships
- USEA Podcast #411: Who to Watch at Kentucky
- American Horse Council Marketing Alliance announces new Team Challenge, offering grants of up to $15,000 for students throughout the country
- Badminton Director’s Blog, April 2026 — only a few short weeks away!
Sponsor Corner: Kentucky Performance Products
If you’re headed to Kentucky this week, you won’t want to miss out on this gorgeous giveaway! Stop by to see Kentucky Performance Products at Trade Fair Booth 127 at the Kentucky Three-Day Event and enter to win a beautiful, handmade grooming box filled with premium brushes and a bottle of Woodford Reserve.
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Training Tip of the Day
How to score better in a dressage test, Part 1, courtesy of our Go Eventing Podcast Season 2, Episode 4 cohost Lara de Liedekerke-Meier:
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Go Eventing
Not sure how the selections work for the FEI Eventing World Championships this summer in Aachen? Here’s a quick breakdown — mark your calendars!
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