Michael Jung’s (GER) powerhouse performance yesterday aboard fischerChipmunk FRH that pushed him to the top of the overnight leaderboard on a score of 18.6 was not to be beat during the second day of dressage competition at the CCI5*-L 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event that was plagued by and on-and-off thunderstorms and showers.
But Boyd Martin (USA) and Commando 3, who were last in the order of go today, gave the pair a run for their money as they powered through pouring rain to deliver an impressive performance on a score of 26. As the downpour saturated the Rolex Stadium and spectators and press ran for cover, Martin and “Conner” remained laser-focused on the centerline.
“I was sort of glancing up at the skies in the warm-up and thinking this isn’t looking good. But in all sports, there are things you have no control over—like the typhoon today. I just tried to stay in the moment. When the weather got a bit spooky, it maybe distracted him a bit, but he’s a champion horse and went in there and stayed focused and did his job,” Martin said. “But, I was relieved to put some dry underwear on when the test was over.”
Martin is also competing in the CCI5*-L at this year’s event with his 2024 Paris Olympic mount, 15-year-old KWPN gelding Federman B, who finished yesterday on a score of 29.8 and in 11th place overall following dressage competition, and 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding Luke 140 on score of 27.9 and in sixth place.
“I’m lucky to have three good horses here. I think this is the best group of five-star horses I’ve had, and we’ve been working very hard on their dressage,” Martin noted. “And to have three horses score in their 20s here really shows off the huge amount of work we’ve put in—and not just from me, but from my wife, Silva, and so many people along the way.”
Tom McEwen and Brookfield Quality Land in Overnight Third
Tom McEwen (GBR) and 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse Brookfield Quality clinched third following the second day of dressage competition on a score of 26.2. “We’ve developed a good partnership over the last couple of years and really seem to understand each other,” he said. “There are lots of different paths to getting to a five star, but he’s an absolute legend.”
For Brookfield Quality, McEwen finds that fostering the gelding’s confidence by competing in lower-level events leading up to bigger ones like Kentucky is the best preparation. “He always produces when he knows he’s going to get it right,” McEwen said. “It’s just completely going on confidence and allowing him to go smoothly and be nice and relaxed. The more relaxed he is the better the chance we have at producing a solid test.”
Looking Toward the CCI5* Cross Country
In assessing Derek di Grazia’s five-star cross-country course tomorrow, Jung noted that it’s undoubtedly a formidable five-star course with plenty of challenging questions. “But that’s the beauty of a five star. You have to do a good job everywhere, because if you start having even little disruptions, it will catch up with you either on the clock or a problem at a fence.”
McEwen noted that there’s plenty to do on di Grazia’s course this year, but it’s also a positive track that’s clear to the horses. “Sometimes, as we all know with Derek’s courses, they might look nice and easy when you’re wandering around walking the course, but they still catch plenty of people out in many different ways and for many different reasons. The first time here it always walks quite twisty, but then rides really flowing.”
Martin agreed on the challenges of Saturday’s course. “It’s a test of endurance and the riders pacing their horses to make sure you have plenty of juice left, especially at the Cosequin Cove toward the end,” he said. “I think that’s the real challenge to make sure you’ve got plenty of gas left there. Tomorrow isn’t going to be a dressage show. It’s going to be a very exciting contest, and hopefully we’ll all be sitting up here again.”
For more of our coverage of this year’s Kentucky Three-Day Event, click here.
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.
