Award Winners Received Special Trophies from L.V. Harkness at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN

May 3, 2019

Oliver Townend, the winner of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN won $130,000 in prize money, a new Rolex Oyster Perpetual watch, and a 12-month lease for a 2019 Land Rover Discovery. Based on where they placed, the top 20 competitors also shared proportionally in the $400,000 pot of prize money.


Team Great Britain/Switzerland won the Dubarry of Ireland Nations Team Challenge. Oliver Townend/Cooley Master Class; Piggy French/Quarrycrest Echo; Felix Vogg/Calero; and Leslie Law/Voltaire De Tre’ split the $200,000 prize.


The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN also presented a number of other prizes and awards. Most of the awards were supplied by L.V. Harkness, the event’s official award supplier.


Located in the heart of downtown Lexington, L.V. Harkness & Co. offers a wide selection of equestrian-themed pieces, fine tableware, decorative home accents, and exquisite gift items including china and porcelain, silver, leather and crystal, as well as beautiful trophies of all styles. The boutique store is just 15 minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park and offers free parking!


“L.V. Harkness is well known in the equestrian world for their beautiful trophies and we’re thrilled they partnered with us again this year,” said Stewart Perry, president of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), organizer of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Even presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN.


L.V. Harkness supplied the commemorative silver cup given to the owner of the winning horse, Angela Hilsop who owns Cooley Master Class, ridden by Oliver Townend. The breeder, John Hagan, received a silver conus vessel on an ebony wood vase. The highest-placed international rider, Townend, also took home a custom silver claret.


The highest-placed owner/rider Lillian Heard, who rode LCC Barnaby, received a cut crystal vase, while the highest-placed young rider went to Chris Talley riding Unmarked Bills who took home a silver scallop bowl with horse heads on both sides.


A stirrup adorned ice bucket was given to the Equistro Oldest Horse Completing, Harbour Pilot, ridden by Hannah Sue Burnett. Harbour Pilot is a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse.


The winner of the 2019 Land Rover USEF CCI5*-L presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN Championship, Boyd Martin and Christine Turner’s Tsetserleg, took home the Roger Haller perpetual trophy, a bronze created by Olympic bronze medalist Kerry Milliken.


The groom of the winning horse, Susie Cooper, took home an engraved glass cookie jar, a bouquet of flowers, a ceramic from Ouisha, and a cash gift from Susan Domonkos in honor of her mother Jane Ginn, as well as a check for $500 from EEI.


Other special awards given out on the final day of competition included the FLAIR Protect and Perform Award given to the highest-placed horse and rider pair using FLAIR nasal strips during both the cross-country and show jumping phases. This year’s winning pair was Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class.


The Equis Sportsmanship Award was given to Buck Davidson, who fell and broke his collarbone on his first horse on Cross Country, but who stayed on the grounds to help and cheer on his fellow competitors. The prize of luxury clothing and tack from Equis Boutique is chosen by the competitors and is given to the rider who “throughout the competition exemplifies the spirit of the event, serves as a good role model for the sport, respects others and overall exudes a positive demeanor and attitude.”


The MARS EQUESTRIAN Best Turned Out Horse Award for the best-turned-out horse at the first horse inspection was awarded to Leslie Law’s Voltaire De Tre’ and his groom Isabel Holden. The Shapeley’s Groom’s Award is given to the best-groomed horse in the show jumping phase. The winner this year was Emma Ford, groom for Phillip Dutton’s Z.


The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN will be broadcast on NBC on Sunday, May 5, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. EDT. It will also be broadcast on NBC Sports Network on June 23, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT. USEFNetwork.com will livestream the competition in its entirety – including the two CSI jumping classes – in the U.S. and abroad. Competition will also be archived and available on demand.


Further information on the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN is available at www.KentuckyThreeDayEvent.com.

The Hands that Build the Sport: Unsung Eventing Heroes, ft. Karen Yates

By Jennifer Sedlatschek • July 31, 2025
Karen Yates has never been one to follow the beaten path. A lifelong horsewoman and passionate amateur eventer, her story is one of grit, generosity, and an unwavering love for the sport. Though her introduction to eventing may not have been conventional, her contributions to the community have become nothing short of transformational. Raised on Air Force bases without the benefit of structured training, Yates’s entry into the world of eventing was entirely self-taught. “I didn’t have an instructor until I was 32,” she says—by which point she had already spent five years actively competing. Without jumping lessons or formal coaching, she would simply show up at events and learn by doing. Her survival in those early days came down to two things: the boldness she carried into the saddle and the athleticism of the horses she rode. She trained every one of them herself, driven more by determination than direction. Yates’s breakthrough came in 1993 when she first competed at the upper-levels at the Kentucky Three-Day Event. “I never schooled any cross-country at all,” she remembers. “My horses saw the course for the first time when I got there.” The experience was a defining moment. Though daunting, it was emblematic of her entire riding career—rooted in experience, experimentation, and an indomitable spirit. But as her ambitions grew, so did her awareness of the risks involved. She recalls the 1996 Olympic cycle, during which she competed with 45 pounds of lead on her horse—weight that ultimately contributed to a suspensory injury. That setback shifted her perspective. She began stepping back from the upper levels, prioritizing the safety and longevity of both her horses and herself. Even as she turned away from elite competition, her love for the sport never wavered. Instead, it found a new outlet. In 2017, Yates launched a unique initiative at Copper Top Farm: the “horse party.” Aimed at introducing newcomers to eventing, the horse party was her answer to what she saw as a troubling trend. “I was running into young people who had never ridden out of a ring,” she explains. “I thought, this is not a good way for this sport to grow.” Her horse parties were designed to be approachable and fun, offering small jumps and cross-country schooling in a low-pressure environment. It wasn’t just about teaching riders to jump—it was about giving them a taste of what makes eventing so thrilling. The concept took off. Riders of all ages and backgrounds began flocking to Copper Top Farm, not just to ride, but to become part of a welcoming, horse-loving community.

Vanessa Coleman Named Chief Competition and Operating Officer of Equestrian Events, Inc.

June 19, 2025
The Board of Directors of Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), a non-profit, charitable organization that supports the development of equestrian sports by staging sporting events at the highest level, is thrilled to announce the naming of Vanessa Coleman to the position of Chief Competition and Operating Officer.
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