LEXINGTON, Ky.--As a stepping stone to this summer's Paris Olympics, the Kentucky Three-Day Event's entries include defending champion Tamie Smith and three of the world’s four top-ranked riders, with Olympians and World Champions among the riders from nine countries entered to compete .

Tamie Smih on Mai Baum (Photo by Michelle Dunn)The Kentucky Three-Day Event, one of only seven annual five star three-day events in the world, will be held in the Kentucky Horse Park April 25-28.

The Event annually attracts nearly 90,000 spectators who also enjoy extensive shopping, a variety of hospitality experiences and a wide array of demonstrations.

In addition to the CCI5*-L, the Event also features a four star competition  and the Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix.

With many riders’ sights set on the Paris Olympics this summer, both the five star and the four star will be instrumental in choosing the U.S. team.

Smith won last year’s five star on Mai Baum, her longtime partner with whom she was reserve rider on the 2021 Olympic team and helped the U.S. win team silver at the 2022 World Championships.

She has entered Mai Baum in the four star  along with Danito, with whom she finished second in the 2022 Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, and Kynan.

Also among those vying for a place on the U.S. Paris team are three-time U.S. Olympic veteran Boyd Martin, who is World #3.

Martin has several horses competing at both levels.

 

IN ADDITION to Smith and Martin, the star-studded U.S. contingent includes 2012 Olympian Will Coleman, who has several rides entered, including his 2022 World Championship mount Off The Record.

Also entered are seven time Olympian and five time USEF CCI5*-L National Champion Phillip Dutton, and Olympic veterans Lauren Nicholson and Doug Payne;.

All four members of the U.S.’s silver medal winning team from the 2023 Pan American Games, Sydney Elliott, Liz Halliday, Sharon White, and individual gold medalist Caroline Pamukcu, will compete.

International entries in the Kentucky Event include British riders Oliver Townend, who is the World #1 and a three-time Kentucky 5* champion, and Tom McEwen, who is World #4 and last year’s Reserve Champion at Kentucky.

Townend and McEwen have one entry each in the five star.

Also riding for Great Britain are 2022 World Champion Yasmin Ingham on Banzai Du Loir, her gold medal mount in the 2022 World Championships with whom she finished second at Kentucky that same year, and Leslie Law, a two-time Olympian with three Olympic medals including individual gold in 2004.

Representing Canada are two-time Olympians Colleen Loach and Jessica Phoenix, as well as Tik Maynard and defending Lexington four star champion Karl Slezak.

Other international contenders include Olympic veterans Matthew Grayling and Joe Meyer of New Zealand and Germany’s Christoph Wahler, who helped Germany win team gold at the 2022 World Championships.

The full list of CCI5*-L entries can be found at kentuckythreedayevent.com/5-entries-and-ride-times.