Eleven Olympians from Six Nations Highlight Impressive List of Entries for 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™

March 27, 2025

Entries Feature Six of the World’s Top 12 Eventing Riders, Athletes from Seven Countries

Six of the world’s top 12 eventing riders, including World #1 Tom McEwen (GBR) and World #2 Tim Price (NZL), head an impressive list of entries for the 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™. The event will feature 11 Olympians and athletes from seven countries when it returns to the Kentucky Horse Park, April 24-27.

 

Produced by Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), a non-profit, charitable organization that supports the development of equestrian sports by staging sporting events at the highest level, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian features one of only seven annual 5* three-day events in the world. Known as “The Best Weekend All Year,” 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 traditional CCI5*-L, the event also features the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S and the Kentucky International CSI5* presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

McEwen, a two-time British Olympic team gold medalist and current World #1, has his sights set on the top of the Kentucky podium after finishing second in both 2023 and 2024 with his talented mount, JL Dublin. “Dubs” will be making his return for the third consecutive year alongside McEwen’s other entry, Brookfield Quality.

 

Also vying for the win are international veterans Tim Price, World #2, and his wife, Jonelle Price, who were the first husband-and-wife team to represent New Zealand at the Olympics. They were teammates on three consecutive teams (2016, 2021, 2024). Jonelle also rode on the Olympic team in 2012. They are joined at Kentucky by World #7 Harry Meade (GBR); World #10 Boyd Martin (USA), a four-time Olympian; World #11 Lara De Liedekerke-Meier (BEL), a two-time Olympian; and World #12 Michael Jung (GER), a four-time Olympian and four-time Kentucky champion. Jung is entered with his 2024 Olympic Gold Medal partner, fischerChipmunk FRH, who helped him secure his fourth victory in Kentucky in 2022. Jung also won at Kentucky in 2015, 2016, and 2017.


In addition to Martin, the star-studded U.S. contingent includes 2016 Olympian Lauren Nicholson, 2024 Olympian Caroline Pamukcu, and seven-time Olympian Phillip Dutton, whose horses are entered in the Cosequin® Lexington 4*. Dutton won the Kentucky title in 2008.

 

Other Olympians entered to compete include two-time Olympic veteran Clarke Johnstone of New Zealand and three-time Olympic veteran Jessica Phoenix of Canada.

 

The full list of CCI5*-L entries can be found at Entry Lists. 

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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