Baltimore, Maryland – September 22, 2022, – Oliver Townend of Great Britain, ranked #1 on the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings, is entered to compete in the 2022 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill Presented by Brown Advisory. Townend, who has held the #1 ranking for five years, competed in last year’s inaugural Maryland 5 Star, placing second to American Boyd Martin.

The MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory returns to the Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Cecil County, MD, October 13-16. One of only two five-star level equestrian events of its kind in the United States and just the seventh worldwide, the event made a spectacular debut last year, welcoming a total of 20,886 spectators and 184 competitors that featured four of the top eight eventers in the world. The event’s prestigious five-star (CCI5*-L) designation is the pinnacle of the Olympic sport of Eventing, often described as an equestrian triathlon.

“I’m excited to be returning to the U.S. for the Mars Maryland 5 Star,” Townend said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the event last year and maybe I can move up a notch this time!”

“It was incredibly exciting to have Oliver Townend with us last year and I think his choosing to return this year is a real testament to our event,” said Jeff Newman, President & CEO of the Maryland 5 Star Event Committee. “Our entry list features 188 horses and many of the sport’s top riders; there will be lots of excitement in the air!”

More Than the Five-Star

In addition to the five-star competition (CCI5*-L), the event also features a three-star competition (CCI3*-L), which serves as the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship, and The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships presented by Dubarry of Ireland. The four days of eventing competition feature Dressage (Thu-Fri), Cross-Country (Sat) showcasing Ian Stark-designed courses, and Show Jumping (Sun).

U.S. Competitors at the 2022 Maryland 5 Star

As of September 22, the entry list for the 2022 Maryland 5 Star includes top U.S. eventers Will Coleman, Buck Davidson, Phillip Dutton, Liz Halliday-Sharp, Lauren Nicholson, Doug Payne, Tamie Smith and many others.

Coleman, who currently holds the #8 spot on the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings list, will compete in the CCI5*-L aboard Off The Record. He and the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding were part of the silver-medal winning team at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy.

World Championships team member and world #17 Lauren Nicholson will also compete in the CCI5*-L with Landmark’s Monte Carlo, a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse-Thoroughbred gelding.

Additionally, Tokyo Olympics team member and world #15 Payne will pilot Quantum Leap, an 11-year-old DSP gelding, around the five-star at Maryland.

A full list of entries is available online at Maryland 5 Star entries. FEI definite entries close on September 30.

Thanks to ADM Animal Nutrition for our coverage of the 2022 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, including rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more!⁣