When the dust settled after the second day of dressage at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™, a British rider sat atop the leaderboard, though it was a different one than had led the competition on Thursday. Tom McEwen and JL Dublin scored a 24.6 to move ahead of countryman and overnight leader Yasmin Ingham on Banzai Du Loir (26). Tied for third with a score of 30.6 are two Americans, Elisabeth Halliday on Cooley Nutcracker and Lauren Nicholson on Vermiculus. (Canadian Lisa Marie Fergusson and Honor Me are in last place of 34 entries heading into cross-country day.)
Organized by Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian (K3DE) features one of only seven annual Five Star three-day events in the world. Known as “The Best Weekend All Year,” the event annually attracts nearly 90,000 spectators who also enjoy extensive shopping, a variety of hospitality experiences and a wide array of demonstrations. In addition to the traditional CCI5*-L, the event also features the Cosequin® Lexington 4* and Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.
JL Dublin, the 13-year-old bay Warmblood gelding owned by James and Jo Lambert & Deirdre Johnston, known affectionately as “Dubs,” came out with purpose and laid down an error-free test to take the lead.
“We feel super lucky to be here and it’s all thanks to the owners,” McEwen said. “‘Dubs’ been on amazing form all year, and today’s test really showed that. We have produced a little better [scores in the past], but if you can perform on not-so-great days and still come out like that, you’re good.”
Dubs is famously the previous mount of British team rider Nicola Wilson, who suffered a career-ending injury in 2022 and passed the ride on to McEwen, who is quick to give all credit for their top performances to Wilson.
“For sure it’s all down to Nicola; she’s done all the work for me,” he said. “I’m really lucky and fortunate to have a 5* horse after all the hard work and training has been put in, and I get to play and tinker around with the movements to get the scores. But it takes hours of work no one ever sees so you can perform on a stage like this.”
Ingham and the 13-year-old chestnut Selle Français gelding owned by The Sue Davis Fund and Janette Chinn had held off challengers all day but was caught at the end by McEwen who was the fourth-last pair to compete.
The two Americans tied for third (and also tied for the lead in the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian) are in very different places of their mounts’ careers, but they are equally pleased with their horse’s performance today. Cooley Nutcracker is only 10, and the handsome black Irish Sporthorse gelding owned by The Nutcracker Syndicate is at the beginning of his 5* career. Meanwhile Vermiculus, who is competing at his seventh 5*, is closer to the end of his, though the 17-year-old bay Anglo-Arabian gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars certainly looked as fit and ready to run as any horse in the field.
“I was really thrilled with him,” Halliday said of Cooley Nutcracker. “He’s young horse very much in the making still, so for him to be in the top three with what I wouldn’t consider the ‘finished product’ sort of test, I’m really thrilled.
“He definitely noticed the cameras,” she continued. “And I was glad I went after the break because he definitely noticed the crowd cheering earlier in warmup. He’s a horse I believe so much in and I’m absolutely thrilled with him today.”
Vermiculus sat out much of last year, and Nicholson said he was excited to be back at the Kentucky Horse Park. “He’s let us know how pleased he is to be here. He’s actually been the wildest he has ever been. I’m thankful for Sally, my groom, because he’s not the type where you can ride him until he’s obedient; he’s got quite the personality and only tolerates so much drilling and training. So, it’s a collaborative effort getting the right amount of schooling and keeping him happy. It’s taking him out all the time for grass and a lot of groundwork with him, which keeps him interested and busy without drilling him on the flat.
“He’s an Arab cross so you’re never going to wear him out. I was pleased it came together well because he felt extremely fresh in ring, and it’s a fine line between impressive and airs above the ground,” she finished with a laugh.
The standings heading into Saturday’s cross-country are incredibly close, with only five points separating the top ten and ten points separating the top 15. Fifth-placed Sharon White (USA) and Claus 64 stand only 0.1 behind Nicholson and Halliday. Course designer Derek di Grazia is known for building tracks that are tough but fair, and the tight scores after the first phase guarantee that the competition is far from over.
“The first time I walked it, I was worried because I wasn’t worried, and Derek is rarely that simple,” Nicholson said. “He rewards good riding and doesn’t punish horses — if you make a mistake, they don’t leave with their egos busted. It’s a different sort of Derek track than we typically see, but it’s on the same theme of ride well, and it will ride well.”
Standings shaken up in Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S
The standings swapped around quite a bit at the top of the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S with the USA’s Halliday aboard Miks Master C and Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo riding Dryi tying for the lead on a penalty score of 26. Breathing down their necks in third is Pan American gold medalist Caroline Pamucku (USA) and HSH Blake (27.3). (Top Canadian in this division is still Colleen Loach and FE Golden Eye, now holding down 16th place.)
Halliday also stands fifth with Cooley Quicksilver, while overnight leaders Boyd Martin (USA) with Commando 3 and Will Coleman (USA) with Diabolo and Off The Record dropped to fourth, sixth and seventh respectively. Coleman suffered a blow to his Olympic plans when he withdrew his third horse in the class, Chin Tonic HS, who had been a strong favorite for a top placing.
(Left) The USA’s Elisabeth Halliday and Miks Master C are tied for first after the dressage in the CCI4*-S with Lucienne Bellissimo (GBR) and Dyri (right). (Allison Pezzack Photos)
Halliday was happy with her ride on “Mickey,” even though their test didn’t go completely as planned with a significant error in the flying changes toward the end of the test. The 12-year-old bay Swedish Warmblood gelding owned by Deborah Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties got keener as the test went on.
“I was pleased with Mickey, but he knows where he is this week,” Halliday said. “He remembers the 5*, and he is keen and ready to go, but he’s so professional now and a horse with so much power. He was a bit excitable today, so I just tried to keep him calm in warmup. That last [flying] change was definitely a little expensive. I think he was thinking about cross-country tomorrow for a brief moment, but for the rest of it, I was really pleased with him.”
Bellissimo rides under the British flag but is married to an American and lives here in the U.S. Dyri, a 12-year-old brown Holsteiner gelding owned by Horse Scout Eventing LLC, has been in her barn for about four years.
“I was absolutely thrilled with Dyri,” she said. “He’s a little bit introverted, and at home I feel like he’d score an 8 or 9, but when I go up the centerline [at shows] I feel like I lose a bit of confidence with him. Today was the first time he let me really ride him in all his work and changes. He finished in a confident fashion, which is what I wanted.”
Pamukcu and “Blake” are a well-known pair after their gold medal performance at the Pan American Games in 2023, so it can be difficult to remember that the horse is relatively young at nine years old. The bay Irish Sporthorse owned by Caroline and her husband Deniz Pamukco, Mollie Hoff and Sherrie Martin continued to show maturity and focus in the ring.
“I’ll be honest, I tried not to cry because I’m so proud of my horse,” she said. “He’s only 9, and he’s still weak, and we are growing together. I’m over the moon with him.”
Everyone’s focus now turns to the cross-country portion, which all the riders are calling a “4-and-a-half star.”
“I absolutely love the course and the ground feels amazing,” Bellissimo said of di Grazia’s track. “There’s a tough bit with fence 4, the water, and 6, the coffin. It’s unforgiving but well built. You’re going to get in and ride well, or you’ll be riding a circle. I’m interested to see how he reads it.”
Cross-country starts on Saturday with the CCI4*-S at 9 a.m. ET and the CCI5*-L at 1 p.m. ET. (Jessica Phoenix and Fluorescent Adolescent are first out of the start box at 9:00 am.) The competition then culminates on Sunday with the show jumping phase to determine the winners.
Results here.
Livestream here.
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