GLADSTONE, N.J.--Three-time eventing Olympian Boyd Martin of Cochranville, Pa., and his mount, Commando 3 are the recipients of the 2024 Connaught Grant.
Boyd Martin on Commando (Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography)Each year, the USET Foundation administers up to $25,000 to a developing horse that is seen as a potential candidate to represent the United States eventing team at the international level.
The grant was established and is funded by Caroline Moran in memory of her dear friend, the late R. Bruce Duchossois, who was dedicated to encouraging the development of eventing horses in the U.S., and it is named after Connaught, a horse that was owned by Duchossois and ridden by Phillip Dutton at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2008 Beijing Olympics.
As the recipient of the Connaught Grant, Martin, who is a rider on the US Equestrian Eventing Elite Program List with Commando 3 and Luke 140, will use the funds to support further competition and training with Commando 3 with the aim of riding for the U.S. at the highest levels on the international stage.
“It’s a huge honor and privilege to receive the Connaught Grant with Commando 3,” said Martin. “In the last year, Commando 3 has burst onto the U.S. equestrian scene. We’ve worked very hard at building a partnership. I really feel like he is developing into one of the top horses in the nation."
“WHEN I first arrived in the U.S., I got a job as a rider for Philip Dutton and was lucky enough to get to know Bruce Duchossois and Connaught,” said Martin. “From the bottom of my heart, receiving this grant is a touching moment because I witnessed how much Bruce Duchossois changed his career and helped U.S. equestrian sport. I was also there to see Connaught in his finest moments, winning five-star events, and representing America. To be put in a category with a champion bloke like Bruce and a horse like Connaught is a huge accomplishment.”
Throughout 2023, Martin and Commando 3 have competed at the four-star level.
Most recently, in October, the pair won the CCI4*-L at the Morven Park International, in Leesburg, Va.
This win came on the heels of several top-five finishes in four-star competition, including winning the CCI4*-S in September at The Fork at Tryon International and placing third in the horse’s first CCI4*-L in May at the Tryon International Three-Day Event, both in Mill Spring, N.C..
“He’s an interesting character,” Martin said of Commando 3. “He’s a very good-looking horse and, sadly, he knows it. He struts around like a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. He has an amazing presence, and even when I watch him walking in the field, he has a championship look. I feel like we have an exciting future on the horizon with him."
“I’m really grateful for Yankee Creek Ranch getting behind me and owning Commando 3,” he said. “We’ve developed a great friendship and partnership, and it’s a fantastic feeling to ride a horse for people that have the same beliefs, goals, and aspirations.”
Next year, Martin has his eyes on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, with Commando 3 and other horses in his string.
Whether or not Commando 3 is selected for the Games, Martin plans to enter the gelding in five-star competition.
“The USET Foundation and USEF do an incredible job identifying and supporting the great horse-and-rider talent we have in America,” Martin said. “To anyone that wants a shot at greatness, my advice would be to put your head down and work as hard as you can. Strive for the pinnacle of the sport. I promise there will be many ups and downs, but if you can hang in there and you keep chipping away, this sport will eventually reward you.”
