LEXINGTON, Ky.--Olympic champion and World #3 Christian Kukuk of Germany, World # 2 Kent Farrington and World 10 McLain Ward are among an impressive field of riders to compete in the $400,000, 1.60m Kentucky International CSI5*.
Christian Kukuk on Checker 47The field entered to compete over the course set by 2016 Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge includes 20 Olympians, top international stars from 12 countries and the three podium finishers from 2024.
The Kentucky International CSI5* is a part of the Kentucky Three-Day Event, April 23-27 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
With Kukuk joining countryman Michael Jung, the 2024 Olympic champion in Eventing, this year’s Kentucky weekend features the reigning Olympic champions in both disciplines!
The show jumping event begins Wednesday morning, April 23, with the $35,000 1.45m Two-Phase.
Thursday’s $75,000 1.50m Welcome Stake and Friday’s $35,000 1.45m Speed Cup both take place in the evenings after the conclusion of the Three-Day dressage competition.
The Kentucky International culminates with the featured $400,000 1.60m finale on Saturday evening after the event’s cross-country phase.
The entrants include two-time Kentucky champion and World #11 Conor Swail of Ireland), who is entered with his 2024 winning mount Casturano.
COMPETITORS from the U.S. include two-time Olympic veteran and World #2 Kent Farrington; six-time Olympic veteran and World #10 McLain Ward; four-time Olympic veteran and World #18 Laura Kraut, who was recently inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame; World #28 Lillie Keenan, who rode on the U.S.’s World Championship team in 2022; 2000 Olympic veteran and Show Jumping Hall of Famer Margie Goldstein Engle; 2021 Olympic show jumping veteran Jessica Springsteen; 2021 Olympic eventing veteran Doug Payne, who won theUSEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship in 2022, and Charlotte Jacobs, who finished third in the Kentucky 5* last year.
Among the other competitors are 2024 Olympic podium finishers Nayel Nassar of Egypt, who competed in the 2021 Olympic Games and placed second in 2024, .
Swail is also joined by fellow Irishmen Daniel Coyle, a 2024 Olympian and World #17, Shane Sweetnam, a two-time Olympian and World #20, and Darragh Kenny, a 2021 Olympian and World #21.
Other world-class entries include 2021 Olympians Roberto Teran Tafur of Colombia and Patricio Pasquel of Mexico; 2024 Olympians Thaisa Erwin of Australia and Luis Fernando Larrazabal of Venezuela; two-time Olympian Katie Laurie of New Zealand; and three-time Olympian Tiffany Foster and four-time Olympian Mario Deslauriers, both of Canada.
Three-time Olympic veteran and World #24 Daniel Bluman of Israel will try to reclaim the title he won in 2023, competing alongside two-time Olympic veteran Ashlee Bond of Israel on Donatello 141.
