Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S to Offer Increased Prize Money at 2024 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™

February 8, 2024

Lexington, Kentucky – February 8, 2024 – Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), producer of the world-renowned Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™, is excited to announce that prize money for the Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S is being increased to $50,000 for this year’s event, which returns to the Kentucky Horse Park, April 25-28.

 

Introduced in 2021, the Cosequin® Lexington 4* runs concurrently with the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian (K3DE), one of only seven annual Five Star three-day events in the world. Known as “The Best Weekend All Year,” K3DE annually attracts nearly 90,000 spectators who also enjoy extensive shopping, a variety of hospitality experiences and a wide array of demonstrations. The event also features the Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.


A woman is riding a horse on top of a giant inflatable dog.

Thanks to increased support from Cosequin® and other generous sponsors, the Cosequin® Lexington 4* will now offer double last year’s prize money, with money distributed to the top-ten finishers as follows:


  1st place - $16,400

  2nd place - $12,000

  3rd place - $7,200

  4th place - $4,800

  5th place - $2,600

  6th place - $2,000

  7th place - $1,800

  8th place - $1,600

  9th place - $1,000

  10th place - $600

 

“We are thrilled to increase the prize money being offered to our riders in the Cosequin® Lexington 4* and also deeply honored by the show of sponsor support for our event,” said Erin Woodall, Executive Director of EEI. “Without the generous support of our sponsors, the event wouldn’t be what it is today. This year promises to be the biggest and best yet for every level at the K3DE, and we look forward to providing competitors and spectators alike with the same world-class excitement they’ve come to expect.”

 

“Cosequin® has been a longtime sponsor of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, and we are proud to return for the second year as the title sponsor of the Cosequin Lexington 4* event,” said Todd Henderson, DVM, President and CEO of Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Sciences, Inc. “We are excited to see the 4* continue to grow and offer more to the riders who have worked so hard to compete at this event.”

 

Tickets for viewing the Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S are included when purchasing K3DE tickets and can be purchased at kentuckythreedayevent.com/tickets. 

 

Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™

The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE) is a thrilling multi-day competition featuring Olympic-level riders and horses in what can best be described as an equestrian triathlon. Horse and rider pairs compete in three phases of the competition – Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping – for $400,000 in prize money to those competing at the CCI5*-L level. K3DE is the largest and longest-running Five Star event in the Americas and as the United States’ premier event, it also serves as the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian for the U.S. athletes. Rolex is the Official Timepiece and Event Partner.

 

Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S

Introduced in 2021, the Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S runs concurrently with the CCI5*-L competition, featuring the three phases of eventing – dressage, cross country and show jumping. The Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S offers $50,000 prize money. Tickets for viewing the Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S are included when purchasing the K3DE tickets.

Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute

The $225,000 Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute will take place on Saturday afternoon, April 27, after the cross-country portion of the K3DE. As part of the competition, there will also be a $35,000 Welcome Speed Cup Ranking Class on Friday in the Rolex Stadium, after the day’s K3DE dressage competition. In addition to the new 4* level for the 2024 Grand Prix, there will be a new $35,000 1.45m Two-Phase during the lunch hour on Saturday, April 27. No stadium seat ticket is required for Friday’s Ranking Class. For more Grand Prix information, please visit https://kentuckythreedayevent.com/grand-prix/.

 

Further information about the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian, the Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S, and the Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute is available at https://www.kentuckythreedayevent.com/.


 

About Equestrian Events, Inc.

Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI) is a non-profit charitable Kentucky corporation that was established initially to produce the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the success of those championships, EEI established an annual event that evolved into the world-renowned Kentucky Three-Day Event, which draws nearly 90,000 spectators to the Kentucky Horse Park each year. EEI added the Kentucky CSI Invitational Grand Prix in 2018, the Lexington CCI4*-S in 2021, and also produces other events. EEI supports several local and equine charities and has donated more than $725,000 to various charities since 2011. For more information, please visit www.eq-events.com.

Coleman brings the win back to the USA at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian

April 28, 2026
Lexington, Ky., April 26, 2026 Despite it being an American event, American champions have been hard to come by over the last 18 years in the CCI5*-L at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian (K3DE), with only Tamie Smith’s 2023 win standing out in a sea of foreign victories. But Will Coleman has entered his name into the record books as just the second American in nearly two decades to take home the top prize. He and Diabolo added just 0.8 time penalties in the final phase to finish on a score of 28.1 and take home the trophy. Double-clear show jumping rounds propelled Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake (28.6) and Great Britain’s David Doel on Galileo Neiuwmoed (30.8) to 2 nd and 3 rd respectively. Overnight leader, New Zealand’s Monica Spencer and Artist, dropped three rails to fall to 7 th . “I probably can’t put it into words,” he said of his victory abord the Diabolo Group’s Holsteiner gelding. “It’s a surreal feeling; it’s something we all dream about. Winning (a five-star) is the hardest thing to do in equestrian sports, and I feel like (all the riders) deserve the win. It’s such a hard game, it takes so long to get good enough at it to contend at this level. “I have so much respect for the sport, and the horses and riders, so it feels like it’s unfair that I’m the only one that gets to take home the win,” he continued. “But I’m overjoyed for the horse and all who are involved in his journey — the owners, my family, my coaches, and our staff at home. I wake up most days feeling like the luckiest guy in the world and today I feel extremely lucky.” As the highest-placed American, Coleman is also the winner of the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian for the U.S. riders.

Farrington flies to victory in the Kentucky International CSI5* $340,000 1.60m Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Eques

April 28, 2026
Lexington, Ky., April 25, 2026  Fresh off his win in the show jumping World Cup Final, world #2 Kent Farrington continued his winning ways by streaking home fastest in the jump-off with Descartes SR at the Kentucky International CSI5* $340,000 1.60m Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute part of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian (K3DE), the penultimate stop on the Major League Show Jumping tour. Mclain Ward and High Star Hero put in a strong performance to stop the clock in 40.42 but couldn’t quite catch Farrington’s time of 39.92. Shane Sweetnam of Ireland and James Kann Cruz chased them both, but his time of 40.71 was only good enough for third. “I’m really excited about this horse,” Farrington said. “He’s just 9 and this is his first five-star, and we started it the right way. He has an incredible stride like a racehorse and I know he can eat up the ground.”
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