Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event Volunteers – Part 1
February 4, 2022
Throughout the course of history, each and every year the iconic Kentucky Three-Day Event has brought tens of thousands of spectators and hundreds of competitors to the Kentucky Horse Park for the most legendary competition of its kind on American soil. Without the tireless passion, skill, and perseverance of our stewards and volunteers, it simply couldn’t happen! The Kentucky Three-Day Event volunteers are the glue that keeps this epic event alive, and we want to thank them, and to help all of you get to know them just a little bit better!
We can’t thank them enough for all that they do to ensure that the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event runs as smoothly as possible, not only for the athletes that worked so hard to get here, but also for those of you out there who have come to watch legends in the making.
Join us in the first of our extensive series, as we shine the spotlight on the men and women who pour their hearts into the Best Weekend All Year!
Meet the Kentucky Three-Day Event Volunteers!
Megan Carr – Vet Box Chief Steward
Megan kicked off her volunteer work with the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 1988 roping off the galloping lanes. Like so many of our volunteers, her decades of experience bring a new level of precision and organization to the event.
- What are the responsibilities of the Vet Box stewards and volunteers? – The vet box covers the large area located right after the finish. In the box we are in charge of the competitor/owner hospitality tent, logistics like providing ice, water, hoses, etc, vet scribes for our veterinarians, and we also provide security for the area.
- How many hours on average do you volunteer for the event? – Around 60
- How many volunteers are in your group? –
The 2021 LRK3DE was our largest year yet, with about 53 amazing volunteers in our area!
What is your favorite part about volunteering? – My favorite part is when a horse and rider come off of cross country and their support crew runs to congratulate them. It is always wonderful to see riders and their teams really reward and take amazing care of their animals after they come off course. - Why do you volunteer with K3DE? – I am a strong believer in giving back to the community. Growing up my family always volunteered and help run numerous events in the area. Although I am a dressage rider now, I grew up in eventing and will always have a soft spot in my heart for the sport.
- Who is your favorite Vendor at the event? – Unfortunately I don’t have much spare time to go to the vendor area but I love to stop by the local vendors from the Lexington area and support them.
- What do you do when you’re not volunteering with K3DE? – I work at a structural engineering firm that works on all types of projects across the country.
- Do you, or have you shown? – I grew up in Pony Club and have a background in eventing. I competed all up and down the east coast up to Preliminary.
- Is there anything else you’d like to share? – This event would not happen without our amazing volunteers. HUGE shout out to my faithful Vet Box volunteers who keep on coming back year after year, rain, shine, snow, sleet, whatever. YOU GUYS ROCK!!
Erin Woodall – XC Groom Shuttle Chief Steward
Erin has volunteered with the Kentucky Three-Day Event since 1996, when she began volunteering with the Groom Shuttle team! In 2006, she became the Chief Steward for that area, and we’re so thankful to still have her on board.
- What are the responsibilities of the Groom Shuttle stewards and volunteers? – I recruit and coordinate drivers and vehicles to transport riders, grooms and equipment from the barn area to the vet box on cross-country day.
- How many hours on average do you volunteer for the event? – Around 20
- How many volunteers are in your group? – We typically have 14-16 volunteers and vehicles on cross-country day, who split the shift in half.
- What is your favorite part about volunteering? – I treat the K3DE almost like a family or class reunion. Our volunteer group is tight-knit and many of us may not see each other during the rest of the year. We enjoy spending the day with each other almost as much as we enjoy volunteering!
- Why do you volunteer with K3DE? – While I didn’t become an eventer until my late 20s, I’ve always admired the sport. The concept of volunteering and giving back was instilled in me at a young age by my mother and others. Supporting the K3DE is just one of many competitions and groups I regularly support.
- Who is your favorite Vendor at the event? – I miss Bob Mickler’s and the Crepe food booth. The only constant in life is change.
- What do you do when you’re not volunteering with K3DE? – I’m the Activities & Events Director for the United States Pony Clubs (USPC), where I organize our National Championships, Annual Convention and work with volunteer committees to support competition in the organization.
- Do you, or have you shown? –
Yes, I started eventing at the age of 27 on my 17-year-old 4-H horse, Lickety Split. While he is no longer with us, I’ve moved on to occasionally eventing my horse Clearly Not Blonde (Clarence). With the last few years being so busy, I’ve been doing more mental therapy rides than competing. Clarence doesn’t mind as long as he gets scratches and cookies.
Bob and Kay Willmarth – Galloping Lane Volunteers
This husband and wife duo have been donating their expertise to the Kentucky Three-Day Event for over 20 years! They began volunteering by assisting with the Galloping Lane, and they continue to assist with the same area they started so long ago.
- What are the responsibilities of the Galloping Lane stewards and volunteers? – We help set up galloping lanes, warm-up area, spectator crossings, and the D-box. We also assist with any necessary crowd control roping.
- How many hours on average do you volunteer for the event? – We each work 8 hours per day, for about ten days. To lay it all out and get it straight and correct, Bob walks about 50 miles and I walk 47 miles.
- How many volunteers are in your group? – Just the two of us!
- What is your favorite part of volunteering? – Watching the horses run the course each year, it never gets old. Since we lay out the track, we know every hill, curve, approach, every inch of the course and it’s such a thrill to watch them run.
- Why do you volunteer with K3DE? – Because we ran Richland Park for 18 years and we know how much work goes into a successful horse show, it takes a village. We know a lot of riders, owners, trainers, and officials from all over the world and we get to reconnect with them all each year.
- What do you do when you’re not volunteering with K3DE? – We used to own car washes, gas stations, and convenience stores. We built two car washes from the ground up. We are now enjoying retirement.
- Do you, or have you shown? –
- We both evented at low levels for several years. We also fox hunted with Battle Creek Hunt and Waterloo Hunt in Michigan for many years. Bob was a whipper-in and Kay was field Master at Battle Creek Hunt. Currently, we support a couple of riders by being part of syndicates.
Caroline Greathouse – Crowd Control & Road Crossings (XC Day) Chief Steward
While Caroline started with the K3DE in 2018 as a communicator, her dedication to her team highlighted her passion for the event! She became Chief Steward of Crowd Control and Road Crossings starting with the 2020 LRK3DE.
- What are the responsibilities of the Crowd Control and Road Crossings stewards and volunteers? – Our job is to maintain a safe experience for competitors and spectators alike on Cross Country day. I manage the wonderful volunteers and make quick but sound decisions regarding the overall safety on the grounds.
- How many hours on average do you volunteer for the event? – over 50
- How many volunteers are in your group? – Between 50 and 60 on Cross Country day!
- What is your favorite memory from volunteering? – Taking my daughter (3rd generation attendee) to XC for the first time, she was not quite 5 months old.
- Why do you volunteer with K3DE? - I have been coming to watch since 1989 as a D-1 in Covered Bridge Pony Club. I look forward to the event all year long and to have the honor of being a Chief Steward has always been a dream of mine.
- Who is your favorite Vendor at the event? – All of them!
- What do you do when you’re not volunteering with K3DE? – Wife, mother, eventer and all around Horse lover. I am an accountant and am very involved with various non-profits and fundraising.
- Do you, or have you shown? – I have been Eventing since my first Rally in 1989 as a D-1 with Covered Bridge Pony Club and I have ridden ever since. I am currently competing at the Beginner Novice level and hope to move up to Novice next season.
- Is there anything else you’d like to share? – I am fluent in Spanish, love dogs and I am deeply devoted to and involved in various facets of the equine industry.
We want to thank you all so much, for everything you do! Stay tuned for the second part in our series, featuring even more of the incredible Kentucky Three-Day Event volunteers!
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.
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.”
