The Owl Hole, (un)officially renamed as The Duck! Hole 🦆
Of course, true diehard eventing fans relish every moment of a three-day, but let’s be totally honest, it’s cross country day that we live for. And that day, my friends, is today.
Yes, the best day of the #BestWeekendAllYear is upon us and I’m here to bring you every scrap of the action from the CCI5* at Defender Kentucky. The field is awesome, the track looks super fun, and my fingertips are primed and ready to gallop across my keyboard so you won’t miss a single beat.
Before we switch gears from dressage to cross country, a quick look at the top of the leaderboard as things stand following the competitors’ efforts in the sandbox, where we saw a veritable smorgasbord of scores, from the very low-20s for the leaders of the pack through to mid-40s for those hoping to climb this afternoon:
1️⃣ 🇳🇿 Top of the class between the white boards were Monica Spencer and Artist who laid it all down and then some in the dressage ring to sit on a PB score of 22.3, just 0.3 penalties ahead of the fellow Kiwis snapping at their heels.
2️⃣ 🇳🇿 Chasing the top spot are Tim Price and Vitali who made light work of the test for a score of 22.6.
3️⃣ 🇬🇧 Rounding out the podium placings after the first phase are Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality who made their mark on the competition with a score of 25.1.
4️⃣ 🇺🇲 Best of the US is Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake who sit in 4th place on a score of 26.6.
You’ll find the full scoreboard right here.
But we all know that eventing’s not a dressage competition, so no one will be resting on their laurels as they leave the start box this afternoon. With everything to play for, it’s going to be a big one!
Derek di Grazia’s set a real test for both horse and rider for this year’s 5* with lots to do from beginning to end, and it promises to be an exciting day of sport for eventing fans. Sinead Maynard Halpin, who was in the commentary box for the dressage, reckons it’s really big so you’re going to need a scopey horse who’s very, very fit because there’s jumping right ‘til the end. If you just can’t wait to see what’s in store, you’ll find a run down of every fence here, EN’s take on some of the major combinations out on course here, and a quick trip round the track right here.
The field is so hot it’s hard to pick out ones to watch, as it’s basically all of them, but here’s a little taster:
🇬🇧 Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality were favorites for the win coming into the competition, according to EquiRatings, and didn’t lose their edge after their first phase performance put them in 3rd place. They go at 3:25pm ET / 9:25pm CEST.
🇺🇲 Boyd Martin’s got two decent chances of taking the Kentucky crown. He’s up first with Cooley Nutcracker at 2:25pm ET / 8:25pm CEST and then will be back on track with last year’s runner-up Commando 3 at 3:40pm ET / 9:40pm CEST.
🇳🇿 Tim Price has oodles of 5* wins to his name and there are whispers that this might be Vitali’s time to finally take the podium he’s so nearly bagged on numerous occasions before, but not quite. He’s in 2nd, not a single second of cross country time behind the lead. They go at 3:35pm ET / 9:35pm CEST.
🇺🇲 We wouldn’t usually be touting a 5* debutant horse for the win, but not all horses are Will Coleman’s Diabolo. They won the 4*-S last year, the perfect prep for a step up to the big time. Eyes on this one. He got off on the right hoof with a sub-30 dressage score. They go at 2pm ET / 8pm CEST.
🇬🇧 Never discount David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed. They’ve been knocking on the door of a 5* win since like, forever, and are a safe bet for a clear inside the time today. They go at 1:55pm ET / 7:55pm CEST.
🇬🇧 The Brits are out in force and fellow 5* door knocker Harry Meade fancies his chances in the Bluegrass with two of his herd. He’s a man who’s been making a habit of beating the cross country clock recently. Superstition goes at 2:30pm ET / 8:30pm CEST and Grafennacht will be the penultimate horse on course at 3:45pm ET / 9:45pm CEST.
🇳🇿 Monica Spencer and Artist put the three phases together at Maryland and ended up in 2nd spot. They’re in the lead going into today and this Thoroughbred is really fun to watch go across the country. They go at 2:55pm ET / 8:55pm CEST.
🇺🇲 Caroline Pamukcu’s got three rides and will bookend the competition for us today. Her best chance has got to be with HSS Blake, who was 4th at Maryland on his debut at the level. They’re last to go at 3:50pm ET / 9:50pm CEST.
You’ll find ride times for the full field here.
The live blog will begin when the first horse and rider combo leave the start box – that’s Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Tolan King at 1:30pm ET / 7:30pm CEST – so whilst we await that first countdown of the day, here’s some links for your perusal:
▶️ Follow along with all the form and find out the background deets of every horse and rider in the field in EN’s epic Form Guide. You’re very welcome.
▶️ Short on time but still crave the stats? We’ve got just the ticket. Here’s everything you need to know ‘At-A-Glance’.
▶️ For absolutely everything Kentucky, including schedules, reports, how to keep up with what’s going on and allsorts more, be sure to bookmark our ‘Ultimate Guide’.
As you know, here at EN we are never happier than when we’re facing the real risk of repetitive strain injury in order to deliver the goods to you, fellow eventing nerds, leaving no turf unturned in our quest to keep you up-to-date with every scrap of weird, wild and wonderful that the #BestWeekendAllYear so kindly gifts to us. You’ll find the fruits of our labor right here.
And that’s not all because we’re nothing if not generous in sharing our crazy. There’s also super fun shenanigans going on over on our Instagram channel @goeventing – follow along here.
And if you’re still searching for more, here’s some fun and games from the Horse Park – a round up of the riders creating a total mood with their IG reel music choices. Sound on:
😎 Harry Meade’s been sharing some cheerful Kentucky vibes.
🕺 Watch Imperio Magic daaance.
💞 Will Coleman’s feeling good to Diabolo and Diabolo’s feeling good to him.
🙌 Phillip Dutton wants to take us there – total clubbing mood incoming. Who’d have thought?
💖 Gallileo Nieuwmoed’s feeling good.
💫 Tom Jackson’s not disheartened by his score – he’s only getting started.
🐰 A tongue in cheek offering from Alex Conrad – Malibu Preacher’s a Bad Bunny.
💭 Emily Hamel thinks she’s dreamin’.
🌞 Padraig McCarthy found sunshine when he found Pomp N Circumstance.
🥹 I’m not crying, you’re crying – Boyd Martin and Liz Halliday give us all the feelings.
Before get down to business, 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.
With all that said, stay tuned – and go eventing!
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.
Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]
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1:30pm
🇺🇸 FIRST COMBINATION OUT ON COURSE: Caroline Pamukcu – HSH Tolan King
Dressage Score: 33.5
Place: 15
And we’re off! Trailblazers Caroline and HSH Tolan King are out on course!
This guy made his debut at the level last year and Caroline will be looking to build on that experience here today. She’s got a busy afternoon ahead of her with three rides and will wrap things up for us later on when she takes to the course as the last to go.
They get off to a great start really getting up to scope and power over the big first fences before they come to the first combination at 4abc at MARS Sustainability Bay. The crowd is massive there but Tolan King doesn’t notice, he’s locked onto the fences. They make easy work of the tricky combination at 7, the Credit Care Question, popping through that rail ditch brush complex with no trouble.
Caroline gives the horse a positive ride through the enormous corners at 9ab. Tolan King gets right up in the air and Caroline has to push on. The horse answers though. They’re very smooth through the sunken road at 11 and then come through the big water at 12abc, the Spring Water. Caroline sees a good one, she really trusted the horse there. Then she’s crouched low and kicking on up the long gallop to the top of the course.
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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.
Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event: [Website] [Tickets] [Schedule] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map] [Venue Map] [Live Stream] [EN’s Coverage] [Support Our Sponsor: Kentucky Performance Products]
