Will Coleman (USA) won the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S in impressive fashion—earning back-to-back wins after claiming the title in 2024 with Diabolo and now in 2025 with Off The Record. While he and Off The Record had a rail at 9A of the double combination, they managed to hold on to the top spot on the leaderboard to win with a score of 33.0.
“I think you’d be lying if it didn’t make you think a little bit more about your time allowed or obviously you don’t want to have another rail,” Coleman said of having a rail. “It was towards the end of the course and we just kind of stick to our plan. Thankfully ‘Timmy’ left the last three up, so that was bit of good luck.”
Only nine-tenths of a point behind the winners were Phillip Dutton (USA) and Possante. They were one second over the time allowed to add four-tenths of a point to their score to finish on a score of 33.9 in second place. Jessica Phoenix (CAN) and Freedom GS had one of six double-clear rounds to finish in third place on a score of 38.0.
Coleman and Off The Record Claim Top Honors
The partnership between Coleman and Off The Record took time to develop when it first began several years ago. Coleman said it had “humble beginnings” with the 2009 Irish Sporthorse gelding having a headstrong nature. Though Coleman said that toughness is also one of the horse’s strengths. “He was a pretty hearty young horse but always displayed a real knack for the cross country,” said Coleman. “As our relationship improved and we started to find little more harmony in how we were communicating, we started to really blossom. He’s really been a joy to have.”
Despite there being a limited margin of error in the final phase and the big atmosphere of the final day, Coleman said he felt quite relaxed. He even took a nap by the warm-up before it was time for him to get on. “It was a great crowd, and I really wanted to try to enjoy the whole weekend and have fun,” he said.
Another enjoyable aspect of the final day for Coleman was Steve Stevens’s show jumping course. “It’s important that every day matters at a three-day event, and the show jumping designer has a lot to do with finishing up on a good note. I thought he set a really great test for the four-star class,” said Coleman. “I thought it was an exciting day, and I just enjoyed every minute of it.”
Dutton and Possante Secure a Second-Place Finish
Dutton was pleased with his finish with Possante as well as his fourth-place finish with Denim. He credits his jumping success to his trainer, U.S. show jumper Lauren Hough. “You don’t always just have a great improvement. You have some ups and downs, and she’s been incredible,” Dutton said of Hough. “She gave me a good program to work on with these horses. It showed today, and let’s hope it keeps going.”
While Dutton was already aiming for the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S with his horses, it was an added bonus that the event serves as a qualifier for the new US Equestrian Open of Eventing. The final will take place at the Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials in Leesburg, Virginia, Oct. 9-12, 2025. “It has certainly affected where I go and what I do,” said Dutton. “I think it is an excellent thing for the sport to bring in more money for owners and riders and more spectators. I couldn’t be more pleased with it and hope everybody really endorses it and gets involved in it.”
Phoenix and Freedom GS Climb the Leaderboard to a Third-Place Finish
Phoenix went to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with Freedom GS, and they have had a strong spring season with a win at TerraNova. Since the Olympics, Phoenix has been focusing on improving the 2013 Trakehner mare’s dressage with the help of U.S. dressage rider Ashley Holzer. “That has just been a real game changer for me,” said Phoenix. “She just really understands how to teach me and how to explain exactly where I need to be to help my horses the most.”
The dressage homework seemed to set Phoenix and Freedom GS up for success for the weekend. The pair was 14th after the dressage phase then fourth after cross country before ultimately finishing in third place.
In addition to riding in the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L divisions, Phoenix rode in the 1.45-meter classes of the concurrent Kentucky International CSI5* with another horse, Virginia GS. “What an incredible opportunity to be able to do both classes of five-star eventing and show jumping,” said Phoenix.
For full results from the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S, click here.
Read more about the CCI4*-S here:
Read more about the CCI5*-L here:
Sneak Peek: CCI5*-L Cross-Country Course
Thanks to Kent Nutrition Group and Blue Seal for our coverage of the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. It includes lead-up events, rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more.
