It was a red-letter dressage day for Tamie Smith (USA) and her seasoned campaigner Mai Baum. In what Smith described as one of their best-ever dressage tests, the pair shot to the top of the leaderboard during the second day of dressage competition at the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill with a stellar score of 25.3.

“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.”

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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!