Today marked Townend’s ninth five-star victory and fourth with Ballaghmor Class (Burghley 2017 and 2023, Kentucky 2021). Ballaghmor Class now finds himself among the best five-star horses in the history of the sport.

Three-time Olympian Tim Price (NZL), who was the 2022 Maryland 5 Star winner and sat in third following yesterday’s cross country, and Falco clinched second, also with a clean round and finishing with a score of 34.6. David Doel (GBR) came in third on Galileo Nieuwmoed with a score of 38.5, and Buck Davidson (USA) took fourth on Sorocaima with a score of 47.6.

Townend and Ballaghmor Class’ Last Five-Star Dance?

Whether the 2024 Maryland 5 Star ends up being the 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse’s final five-star competition or not, the longtime partners couldn’t have left the weekend on a higher note. In addition to four five-star victories with “Thomas,” the pair also represented Great Britain at the 2021 Olympic Games (team gold) and the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship. This year’s Maryland 5 Star marked the gelding’s 10th CCI5*-L start and his first appearance at Maryland.

“It’s unbelievable. I’m relieved more than anything. A lot of pressure comes with riding Ballaghmor Class, I think because I expect to do well on him. And when you’re against these guys, you know, it takes some winning. It’s a five-star for a reason, and five-stars are very, very tough to win,” Townend said. “I was very conscious that the last two times I came into the show jumping in the lead and didn’t come out being the winner. So I thought, if it went wrong this time, I’m going to have to get a jumping coach or something like that! So I’m relieved. I’ll stick to the system.”

He noted that European eventers don’t necessarily come to U.S. five-star competitions to educate their horses, but he finds that every event presents a learning opportunity.

“If we probably did it exactly the same way to exactly the same minute, it might not work for the next event. So it’s easy to say, yeah, we were brilliant because we weren’t. But in the end horses are horses. I think it’s about riding as much as learning,” he said. “It’s about all the little things you do in the warm-ups and the management with each different horse. And the more five stars you do, the more you learn what you need to be doing on each specific horse.”

Townend was visibly emotional several times over the weekend about the possibility of this being Ballaghmor Class’ last five star. When asked if he might reconsider retiring Thomas from five-star competition during the press conference following show jumping today, Townend responded, “Would you?” After cheers from an enthusiastic audience, he followed up with, “I think that’s the most ridiculous question that’s been asked all week.”

Tim Price and Falco Finish in Second

Price and powerhouse Falco also had a massive success, especially considering this was only the second five-star competition the 15-year-old Hanoverian bay gelding had competed in. The pair came out in second following today’s show-jumping competition, moving up one spot after sitting in third following yesterday’s cross country.

“I was a little bit nervous bringing him. Here was the first time he’s seen a hill. The other five-star was Pau, and so I said we’d have a little bit of a go and see how he copes with the whole job,” Price said. “He came through really well. It’s about learning a bit more about your horse, and every competition at this top level allows the horse to be more established at that level, so they know themselves and that stamina requirement at the end of the course a little bit better. They know how to come out the next day and try for you again.”

Price noted that Falco makes his job as a rider very easy. “From all the things we’ve learned after doing this for a number of years at the top level with different horses who have the ability to jump around is that you still have to be quite clever,” he said. “But Falco gives me more confidence than you can imagine. And today was no different.”

David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed Earn Third

Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed completed their eighth five star at Maryland this weekend, finishing in third place on a final score of 38.5 and marking their sixth top-10 finish at the five-star level.

“I just sort of felt that, actually, I let him down today and didn’t quite do him justice. I started in the distance going down to the treble and was a little bit quiet. And it just made him work a little bit too hard,” Doel noted. “Like Tim says, he definitely wouldn’t be an out-and-out Falco double-clear machine, but he is a pretty phenomenal horse, and normally a very, very good jumping horse. So that was definitely sort of a my mistake today. I kick myself a bit as I always like to try and put a little bit more pressure on Oliver!”

More Photos of the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star

Read all of Practical Horseman’s coverage of the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill:

First Horse Inspection report

Dressage Day 1 report

Dressage Day 2 report

Cross-Country report

Cross-Country photo gallery

Second Horse Inspection report

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail for our coverage of the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory.

Below is a gallery of the MD5* CCI5* Second Horse Inspection.

For a start order for Sunday’s CCI5* show-jumping phase, click here.

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail Equine for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

Townend’s fellow Brit David Doel (GBR) and Galileo Nieuwmoed came in second on the leaderboard following cross country and were the only pair to jump within the time allowed. Tim Price (NZL) and powerhouse gelding Falco took third.

Less than a rail separate the top three riders going into Sunday’s show-jumping course. Townend sits on a score of 31.3, Doel is at 34.5 and Price follows closely at 34.6.

Longtime, renowned course designer Ian Stark’s swan-song CCI5* cross-country course proved to be a tough track for more than half of today’s combinations. The course included several tricky water jumps, ditches, combinations and, of course, Maryland’s famously formidable crab water jump.

While Stark is known for courses that demand bravery and accuracy and constantly presenting horse-and-rider pairs with challenging questions, he also cares about how the horses fare on his courses. He and his team of course builders put an incredible amount of thought into this course to make it exciting while also being safe and fair.

Townend and “Thomas” Do It Again

“You know he is who he is, but he’s gone and done it again,” said Townend of his ever indefatigable 17-year-old Ballaghmor Class. The pair jumped clear with 4.8 time penalties. “I was told that if I was ahead of schedule on my minutes to take the longer route after the skinny brush over the corner of the water [Fence 17], because horses weren’t seeing that all day. I think he’d have jumped it easily. But I’m also just trying to look after him because, you know, that’s the secret.”

Townend actually received this advice from Stark. “He was in the warm-up with a lot of us, so it wasn’t just me getting English or Scottish advice. He was there helping everyone around. But it’s been a tough day,” he noted. “I thought last year’s Maryland was plenty tough enough. But it’s Ian’s last year, so why shouldn’t he let his imagination go a little? He built a true, fair five-star course. But we haven’t got 80 runners here, so when 21 set off and only 10 or so come home, it’s just the field and the way it panned out. It has nothing to do with it being an unfair track.”

Townend jokingly acknowledged that after his first few rides on “Thomas,” he didn’t anticipate the gray gelding would become a personal horse of a lifetime.

“I’ve never had an event horse who is possibly only an event horse. He’s a pain in the ass at home. He’s just not that straightforward and you have to know him,” he said. “Right now, we’re just trying to get through tomorrow. Then, we shall see. It’s not been a smooth ride, but he’s come across the finish line feeling better than he’s ever felt.”

Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed Cruise Into Second After Cross Country

Finishing well under the optimal time of 11:15 at 10:51, Doel said Galileo Nieuwmoed is a consistently phenomenal galloper and that at the seven-minute mark today, he was 10 seconds up and still cruising. The pair jumped clean with no time penalties.

“We’re always pushing the limits and boundaries a little bit, and I think the hills here at Maryland may have taken a little bit out of him, and it probably wasn’t the prettiest at the end,” he laughed. “But there were such narrow fences, and I’ve got big old feet on a big old horse, so those are always a bit tricky for us.”

He noted there were a few surprises including the formidable crab water jump toward the end of the course.

“He didn’t take any notice of the waterfall jump [Fence 9AB] everyone was worried about, but he got up to the crab at the top and jumped the first part in [Fence 20ABC] and then he went a little ‘Oh my God,’ and suddenly his head and shoulders sort of disappeared in front of me,” Doel said. “I did have a split second where I thought I might be getting a bit of a dunking.”

While Doel noted that Maryland doesn’t yet have fields as big as other CCI5* competitions, he felt like Stark’s last course before retirement was one requiring tremendous effort. “He certainly didn’t dumb it down,” he said. “That course was one hell of an effort.”

Price and the Mighty Falco Sit in Third

Making it around the cross-country course without any jumping penalties and 7.2 time penalties, Price and 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding Falco landed in third place going into Sunday’s show jumping. “It was quite a lot for him to achieve today and a big ask of a 15-year-old, who’s only done one five star before,” he said. “But we thought Maryland would be a really good step in his progression in another five star.”

Even more impressive after such an intense course over hilly terrain, Falco’s heart rate registered at 96 [best per minute] in the vet box. “Look at him,” Price laughed. “He’s one fit animal. And what’s even crazier is that he’s only around 20-percent blood, so he’s just a freak one-off. I’m incredibly proud of him, especially because of how small he is compared to some of the others. He does things out of pure will and desire and enjoyment.”

To achieve such a high level of fitness in a horse with little blood, Price and his team implement a comprehensive fitness program to keep Falco in peak condition. In addition to utilizing a water treadmill at home, Falco also gallops at least once a week.

“We always make sure that he shows up for his fitness work. And with Falco, we’ve always had a bit of a system where we start out quiet, build speed through the middle and then push at the end,” he explained. “I also try to give him good distances so he can jump clean, and then I ask a little more as he goes. It’s a bit of a rinse and repeat. So, he knows he can do it. He believes in himself and has the fitness to do it.”

Price also conceded that Stark’s final course was a tough, true five-star track. “Ian’s a brave man,” he laughed when asked about the course-designer’s final track. “This course was a bit meatier than I was expecting, but I was glad that the ground was quick. It was real decent track and not terribly surprising that good combinations struggled—whether it was with the time or a combination here and there.”

Today’s MD5* Cross-Country Efforts

Of the eight pairs that completed the cross-country course, in addition to Doel’s fast round and Townend’s round with only time penalties, only two other riders—Price and Buck Davidson (USA) on Sorocaima—made it around the course with only time penalties. Price had 7.2 time penalties and Davidson had 5.2. Bubby Upton (GBR) and Cola had a breakable device penalty at Fence 12A. Jennie Brannigan (USA) and Twighlightslastgleam and Lillian Heard Wood (USA) and LCC Barnaby incurred missed flag penalties. These were at Fences 17 and 18A (the corners over the ditch), respectively. Emily Hamel (USA) and Corvett had a refusal at Fence 25D, a narrow chevron following the Fair Hill drop.

Seven riders retired on course. This included 2023 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event winners Tamie Smith and Mai Baum, who had a runout at Fence 17. And six horse-and-rider pairs were eliminated. The eliminations included two rider falls. They were Harry Meade (GBR) from Et Hop du Matz and Grace Taylor (USA) from Game Changer. It also included one horse fall—Boyd Martin’s Commando 3. Martin said in an Instagram post that “Conner” caught his legs on the backside of Fence 3A, a water jump. But he said Conner is horse is “a-okay.”

The original field following dressage included 23 horses and riders. Two horses were withdrawn before cross country—Jessica Phoenix’s Fluorescent Adolescent (CAN) and Boyd Martin’s Tsetserleg TSF (USA).

Stark’s Swan-Song Cross-Country Course

While Stark was disappointed that more combinations didn’t complete his final course today, he was confident that he’d designed a quality, five-star track following cross-country competition. “There was some really good quality riding and maybe there were some greener riders and horses who were maybe barely ready for it. And it was a difficult one,” Stark said following Saturday’s unusually short list of cross-country finishers.

Another factor, he noted, was rider confidence. “When the first horse doesn’t get around it sort of makes other riders begin to question things, so maybe some greener ones weren’t quite confident enough. But, in truth, very little actually changed from last year. It’s unfortunate, but it happens,” Stark said. “But both the riders who got around and ones that didn’t said they thought it was great and really enjoyed it and would come back. Some even told me it wasn’t as tough as they expected. Beforehand, I only got complaints about the picture frame and the waterfall and maybe the keyholes, and none those caused an issue the entire day.”

For More:

For complete results, click here. To look at photos of the eight riders who completed the CCI5* course, click here.

The Second Horse Inspection will begin at 9:30 a.m. EST Sunday. The show-jumping phase will begin at 3 p.m. EST (tentatively).

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill. It includes rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

In the lead is Oliver Townend (GBR) and Ballaghmor Class. David Doel (GBR) and Galileo Nieuwmoed, the only pair to complete the course fault free, jumped 14 spots to second place. And Tim Price (NZL) and Falco sit in third.

Below are photos of the eight horses and riders who will move on to the Second Horse Inspection, which begins at 9:30 a.m. EST Sunday. The show-jumping phase for the CCI5* begins at 3 p.m. EST.

The Top Eight

For full results of the MARS Maryland 5 Star cross-country day and overall leaderboard, click here.

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail Equine for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

“He feels like a million bucks—like he’s 10 again. He’s so strong, and I felt like we had our best test,” she said. “I was really thrilled with pretty much every aspect of it.”

Smith said one of the most important components of the 18-year-old German Sport Horse gelding’s longevity is simply listening and paying attention to the cues he gives her.

“It’s hard, of course, because horses can’t talk in words, but they do speak to us. You just have to listen,” she said. “If you want to continue to be competitive with horses at this age, you have to listen and do what’s right by them. My mom taught me a tremendous amount about listening to my horses. You just can’t push them to get something because it will catch up with you in the long run.”

Going into this year’s Maryland 5 Star, Smith decided this would be Mai Baum’s final five-star competition, but full retirement isn’t in the current plans for her “black stallion.” She anticipates he’ll continue to compete at the four-star level and maybe even dabble in the hunter-derby arena.

“Five stars are hard, and it’s a lot of work and pressure to put on a horse at that level, so you always want them to be feeling at their prime,” Smith said. “And at 19, I’m not sure there are many horses who really feel at their prime. I think it’s very few. So we decided that this would be his last five star. We want him to leave the sport feeling the way he does today.”

Smith anticipated being emotional about the fact that this is her long-time partner’s last five star, but she is trying not to focus on that fact while keeping her eye on the game for cross country tomorrow.

“I actually just feel really happy and am taking in every moment because I may never sit on a horse like this again,” she noted. “He’s definitely given me a lot of gray hairs over the years, but he’s just phenomenal.”

Townend and 17-year-old Ballaghmor Class Emerge in Second

Oliver Townend (GBR) and his seasoned mount, Irish Sport Horse gelding Ballaghmor Class, also produced a solid test during the second day of dressage competition at this year’s Maryland 5 Star with a score of 26.5.

Ballaghmor Class has found success on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean at the CCI5*-L level. With Townend in the irons, Ballaghmor Class won Burghley twice (2017, 2023) and Kentucky once (2021). The pair also represented Great Britain at the 2021 Olympic Games (team gold) and 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship. Ballaghmor Class is making his 10th CCI5*-L start and his first appearance at Maryland. He and Townend won the Little Downham CCI4*-S in the lead-up to this week’s event.

“He has so much enthusiasm for his job; I don’t quite know what we’re going to do with him after his career as an event horse is finished,” he said. “He’s also a naturally very fit horse, who’s been incredibly sound throughout his whole career. He’s obviously older, but at the same time, he’s on the top of his game. And he’s become very relaxed in his older age, so we couldn’t be happier with where we’re at with him.”

Bubby Upton Comes Back After Injury to Take Third with Cola

Bubby Upton (GBR) made an incredible comeback today during the second day of dressage competition at the 2024 Maryland 5 Star, which also marked her first trip to the U.S. She and 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding Cola emerged in third place following the second day of dressage competition with a score of 26.7. This was no small feat, considering the severity of the injury the intrepid Upton miraculously recovered from.

The young eventer suffered a pair of spinal fractures after a fluke fall in August 2023. At first, doctors didn’t know if she would walk again. But after a six-hour surgery to stabilize her spine and weeks of intensive rehab, she miraculously returned to ride Cola at Badminton this past spring, where they landed in 10th.

“I feel so lucky to still be doing what I love, let alone at the top of the sport. I now know just how quickly things can change. The line is so thin, and I was lucky to be on the right side of the line,” Upton said. “My perspective on life has definitely changed since my injury. We just enjoy every minute, particularly with this horse who’s done so much for me. We did the young rider teams together, and I never thought in a million years that we’d get to the five-star level, let alone be fighting at the top with the likes of Tamie and Ollie.”

Read More:

For more of our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star, click here.

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail Equine for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

“Overall, I thought today was some of his best work in the ring so far. It’s something I’ve been striving for but wasn’t expecting to happen. It’s hard to not be frustrated with the walk. But we know that’s his weakness,” Green said of a walk-transition bobble during her test today. “He went in there and did a great demonstration of all the work we’ve been putting in. And that doesn’t always happen in such a big atmosphere. I’m really thrilled with him.”

Green noted that “Puff” is one of the most difficult horses she’s ever ridden and has a tendency to be overly anxious, especially at big competition venues.

“He can be quite insecure in his abilities, even though he has limitless ability. So, I always try to make him feel confident,” she said. “We created our own communication to get past his insecurities because he doesn’t like pressure. He’s very specific, so I always have to find the best way to communicate with him.”

Crosby, who grew up riding at an eventing barn in Lexington, Kentucky, moved to the U.K. in March of 2023 to work with Tim and Jonelle Price. She first partnered with Puff about seven years ago—and despite being a difficult ride, the pair started scoring consistently in competitions. In the U.K., the Prices helped her get the gelding’s body and mind in peak condition to be able to perform their best—and be consistent at it.

“When I first got Puff, I couldn’t ride one side of him. But everyone kept telling me to stick with it because he’s so phenomenal,” she said. “We’ve really found a program that works for both of us, and the progression is clear. It’s hasn’t always been a smooth road, but a day like today makes it worth it.”

Green said the Prices, especially Jonelle, helped change her perspective on the sport by encouraging her to re-evaluate the way she looks at success and learning opportunities. They also helped the young eventer learn that less is often more in eventing.

“We focus a lot on the day-to-day care and emphasize keeping Puff healthy and happy. And to just let him be a horse,” she said. “He loves to go out in the fields. So we provide him with plenty of turnout time and hacks outside the ring. We make sure to keep his stomach happy and give him rest when he needs it. I think we’ve flourished by changing up our program.”

Boyd Martin and Commando 3 in Second after Dressage Day 1

Four-time Olympian Boyd Martin (USA) and Holsteiner gelding Commando 3—who was Martin’s direct reserve mount at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games—came in second on the leaderboard after day one of dressage competition at Maryland. He attributed the gelding’s success today to his wife, dressage rider Silva Martin, who helped Commando 3 cool his engines in the dressage ring.

“I was thrilled with my guy. He’s an extravagant horse but can get a little bit spooky and nervous in a big atmosphere,” he noted. “I was very lucky that my wife took him to a number of dressage shows in the lead up, including at Devon. For him to do dressage for four days at Devon and be around all that chaos was pretty unbelievable, especially competing at the Fourth level, which requires tempi changes. I struggle with doing one tempi change and Silva did about seven of them in one test. It was a huge benefit for him to go through an experience like that.”

Martin said Commando’s intensive year of training to prepare for the Paris Olympics this past summer helped keep the gelding in peak shape for this year’s Maryland 5 Star, but he also noted that Saturday’s cross-country course is going to be “one hell of a test.”

“With the distance, size of the jumps and the technicality, this is almost like a five-and-a-half-star course. And it will definitely test fitness, stamina and bravery,” he said. “And it’s competing against an amazing field of horses and riders. It’s an unbelievable quality field. So finishing in the top five would be a huge accomplishment just because of the people you’re up against.”

Lindsay Traisnel and Bacyrouge in Third

Today’s dressage competition at Maryland marked a near personal-best score for Lindsay Traisnel (CAN) and 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding Bacyrouge with a score of 30.7. The pair landed in third today after the first day of dressage competition and the gelding’s first CCI5* test.

Traisnel didn’t anticipate that Bacyrouge would go on to be one of her top eventing horses. He was originally purchased as a resale project. After proving his talent for the sport, however, she decided to to pursue five-star success with gelding.

“He’s been qualified for five-star competition since last spring, but I wanted to make sure he was ready,” she noted. “The four-stars started feeling easy for him. And even though we didn’t have perfect rides all the time, he felt really confident.”

Traisnel attributed their success to improving Bacyrouge’s fitness and helping him feeling well in his body. “My team at home has been doing a great job. I think he’s really, really strong in his body. He’s more confident in his changes, that he used to get a bit nervous about,” she said. “So, it’s just about putting it all together. He’s awesome to ride every day and always wants to work. We decided he doesn’t really have any adjectives to describe him; he’s just dreamy. He’s his own adjective. He’s like part-racehorse, part-Shetland and is just awesome.”

More MD5* Dressage Day 1 Photos

Read More:

For more of our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star, click here.

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail Equine for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

The riders in the field represent five countries, including USA, Australia, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand. They’ll compete in the dressage phase Thursday and Friday starting at 2 p.m. EST. They’ll move forward to cross-country on Saturday, starting at 1:30 p.m. EST, and finish with show jumping on Sunday at 2 p.m. EST.

Below are photos of all of the horses and competitors at the CCI5* First Horse Inspection; scroll down to vote for who you think was best dressed.

Vote on Your Favorite Outfit at the End of the Photos

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

Away Cruising

17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Cruise On x Parklands Princess, Able Albert)

Rider: Harry Meade (GBR)

Owners: Jane Dear, Charlotte Opperman and Peter Opperman

Away Cruising traveled across the pond to compete on U.S. soil for the first time. He is making his 10th CCI5*-L start. He and longtime rider Harry Meade had a respectable finish at Badminton CCI5*-L in the spring, and they aim to make their trip worthwhile with a solid finish at Maryland.

Ballaghmor Class

17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Courage II x Kilderry Place)

Rider: Oliver Townend (GBR)

Owners: Karyn Shuter, Angela Hislop and Val Ryan

Ballaghmor Class has found success on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean at the CCI5*-L level. With Oliver Townend in the irons, Ballaghmor Class won Burghley twice (2017, 2023) and Kentucky once (2021). The pair also represented Great Britain at the 2021 Olympic Games (team gold) and 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship. Ballaghmor Class is making his 10th CCI5*-L start and his first appearance at Maryland. He and Townend won the Little Downham CCI4*-S in the lead-up to this week’s event.

Corvett

17-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Corrido x Tina XII, Clearway)

Rider: Emily Hamel (USA)

Owner: Black Flag Option, LLC

Corvett has competed in five of the world’s seven CCI5*-Ls (Kentucky, Maryland, Badminton, Burghley and Luhmühlen) with Emily Hamel in the irons. The gelding is making his eighth CCI5*-L start and third appearance at the Maryland 5 Star. Corvett and Hamel finished in third place in the Stableview Oktoberfest CCI4*-S to prepare for Maryland.

LCC Barnaby

18-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Guy Cavalier x Lady Tanjour, Rafael)

Rider/Owner: Lillian Heard Wood (USA)

LCC Barnaby is making his fourth start at the Maryland 5 Star and his 15^th CCI5*-L start in his career. His best finish at Maryland was 10^th in 2023 with longtime rider Lillian Heard Wood. The pair competed in the Plantation Field CCI4*-S last month in the lead-up to Maryland.

Mai Baum

18-year-old German Sport Horse gelding (Loredano 2 x Ramira, Rike)

Rider: Tamie Smith (USA)

Owners: Alexandra Ahearn, Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell

Tamie Smith brings Mai Baum, her longtime championship mount, to his first appearance at the Maryland 5 Star. The pair represented the U.S. at the 2019 Pan American Games (team gold), 2021 Olympic Games (reserve combination) and 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship (team silver). Mai Baum is making his fourth CCI5*-L start at Maryland. In his last CCI5*-L appearance, he and Smith won the 2023 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event as the first U.S. combination to win the event in 15 years.

On Cue

18-year-old Anglo-European Warmblood mare (Cabri d’Elle x On High, Primitive Rising)

Rider: Boyd Martin (USA)

Owners: Boyd Martin, Christine Turner, Thomas Turner and Tommie Turner

On Cue is making her fifth CCI5*-L start this week, marking her second start at the Maryland 5 Star. In her last Maryland appearance, she and Boyd Martin won the inaugural CCI5*-L in 2021 after finishing on their dressage score of 25. The pair is coming off a fifth-place finish at the Bromont CCI3*-S as part of their preparations for Maryland.

Tsetserleg TSF

17-year-old Trakehner gelding (Windfall 2 x Thabana, Buddenbrock)

Rider: Boyd Martin (USA)

Owners: Christine Turner, Thomas Turner and Tommie Turner

Boyd Martin brings his longtime championship mount, Tsetserleg TSF, for the horse’s first appearance at the Maryland 5 Star. The pair competed for the U.S. at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, 2019 Pan American Games (team and individual gold), 2021 Olympic Games and 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship (team silver). Tsetserleg TSF is contesting his ninth CCI5*-L start. Most recently, he and Martin were 12^th in the Plantation Field International CCI4*-S.

For More Information

• Find out more about the Maryland 5 Star here.
• For more on our coverage of the Maryland 5 Star, click here.

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

(Note: the total number of CCI5*-L starts includes events that were CCI4*s before the FEI updated its star system in 2019)

In the CCI4*-S, Alliston and Cora clinched their victory with clear jumping and adding 4.4 time penalties on cross country to finish on a score of 44.8. It’s been a quick rise for Alliston and the big 9-year-old bay Oldenburg mare (Commissario x La-Montana) since their first event together at Novice at the 2022 Twin Rivers Fall International.

They were reserve champions in the CCI3*-L at the 2024 Twin Rivers Spring International last April, as well as runner-up in the CCI3*-L at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Montana in July.

“It was awesome. I’m really thrilled with how it went,” Alliston said. “She’s a nice horse, obviously, but you never know the first time you move up a level how they’re going to handle the bigger jumps. Everything is harder, but she did really well. I was very impressed.”

Alliston Sails to Second Consecutive Victory at Twin Rivers

Alliston also won the CCI4*-S at this event in 2023 with 9-year-old bay Oldenburg mare Karma (Escudo II x Travita). Karma would go on to make her five-star debut at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2024 and most recently finished ninth as part of the Defender U.S. Eventing Team at the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S in Germany.

“They’re similar in that they’re both very careful,” Alliston said about the two mares. “Obviously, Cora is a huge horse at 18 hands, and Karma is more normal-sized at around 16.2. Karma has a very fast tempo and high activity in the canter. Cora is so big that she has a huge stride but a slower tempo.”

Alliston noted that Cora is also fast to ride because she doesn’t pull at the jumps, but due to this he can’t waste any time setting her up for the fences.

“She’s so huge that you can easily take a stride out in some of the lines in the show jumping and cross country,” he said. “She and Karma are quite different to ride; they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum. But they’re both very careful, good jumpers.”

Alliston said he would point Cora to the Advanced level at Ram Tap in Fresno, California, in October, while Karma would wait to return to competition in 2025 with Kentucky as their five-star goal.

Smith Celebrates Multiple Victories and Comeback Event for Mai Baum

In the CCI3*-S, Smith finished one-two aboard Kynan (Envoy x Danieta) and Lillet 3 (S.I.E.C. Livello x Princess L), with both recording zero jump penalties and finishing within one point of each other. Kynan’s score was 30.0 in the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding’s first event since May. Lillet 3 finished on a score of 30.9 in the first FEI event for the 8-year-old Holsteiner mare with Smith.

Lillet 3 previously won FEI events with two other riders—Andreas Dibowski at the 2024 CCI4*-S at Kristianstad in Sweden and Maj-Jonna Ziebell at the 2023 CCI2*-S at Baborowko in Poland. Smith also used the Fall International as a comeback event for her 2023 Kentucky five-star winner Mai Baum (Loredano x Ramira), winning the Intermediate level with clear jumping on a score 30.9, as a prep for the CCI5*-L at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill next month.

“I had a super weekend with all of the horses,” Smith said. “The tracks were challenging, and the Twin Rivers team did a phenomenal job on the footing. The massive effort to get the footing right was evident, and I know I can speak for all of the competitors for how grateful we are for the huge improvement that was made.”

This press release was written by Jonathan Horowitz with Twin Rivers Ranch.

For More:

• For a full list of results from the 2024 Twin Rivers Fall International, click here.
• For more on the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fairhill taking place October 17 – 20, click here.
• For more on our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star, click here.

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!

Coleman said, “He was very ready to go today—I actually had a hard time getting him in the start box. But he loves his job, so I can’t be annoyed that he gets a bit hyper; once he gets out there, he settles very quickly. He’s just a lovely horse. He jumped around today very well, I wasn’t really pressing him for time, but he was full of running all the way to the end.”

The $40,000 prize money was thanks to a generous $25,000 donation from an anonymous donor in the name of the charity Brooke USA. The winner also received a certificate for a €2,400 discount off of a €30,000 or more purchase at the Goresbridge Go for Gold select event horse sale in Ireland in November, as well as a number of other prizes.

Grald and Isla de Coco Secure Second Place

Standing second after yesterday’s show jumping, Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF, a 17-year-old Trakehner gelding (Windfall 2 x Thabana) owned by the Turner family, also jumped clear but a slow and conservative ride, which added 26.4 time faults to their score and dropped them to 12^th place overall.

This opened the door for Ariel Grald, who won the CCI4*-S at this event in 2023, to move up from eighth to second place overall riding Annie Eldridge’s Isla de Coco (U-Lotti x Gardus Nimbus), a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare, after going clear and also adding just 3.6 time faults.

“I think this is an important event in the calendar,” said Grald. “We’re ramping up for our long events in the fall and this one ticks all the boxes to prepare for that.”

Comparing the cross-country course to last year she said, “I think the track was similar to last year but it asked different questions, and that is where [cross-country course designer] Derek diGrazia is a genius: he uses the terrain very well, and I felt like this was a good fitness run. Isla de Coco is doing her first four-star long at Morven Park, and I felt like it was important to make her run up and down the hills here. Derek set a great track; it had really good questions and I feel like the horses were able to read it well.”

Nolan and Carrabeg Hulla Balou Earn Third and Important Qualification

Irish rider Michael Nolan piloted Carrabeg Hulla Balou, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Balou Du Rouet x Vella Flavour) owned by Susan Martin, around clear and with 6.4 time faults to finish in third place—a standing that they held from start to finish.

“It was good to get my horse’s dressage more consistent, and it was good to get a clear cross-country round because we needed the qualification,” he said. “I’m an FEI ‘C’ rider, so I have to do two to qualify and then hopefully do something bigger next year.” He also rode a couple of horses at the two-star level this weekend.

Nolan has been in the U.S. for 10 years working for Robin Walker in Michigan, after moving over from his home in County Wexford. Walker bought Carrabeg Hulla Balou as a three-year-old in Ireland, and Nolan brought him up the levels. Martin purchased him this spring and he has continued riding the horse, known at home as “Louie.”

While he may be a new face at this big event, he said that the other upper-level riders have been friendly and welcoming since he moved to the U.S., and he feels that they are more friends than competitors.

Nolan said that he plans to give Louie another CCI4*-S run at Morven Park (VA) in a couple of weeks, then move up to a CCI4*-L at TerraNova (FL) in November.

For More Information

Thanks to Mane ‘n Tail for our coverage of the 2024 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!