One rider lands two top-six places in Kentucky dressage despite ‘monsoon’ conditions

Home side rider Boyd Martin holds second and sixth after the Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage, piloting both Luke 140 and Commando 3 to sub-30 scores today.

Boyd was last to go on Yankee Creek Ranch, LLC’s Commando 3 and had to ride in very heavy rain, but pulled off a score of 26 for second overnight, with three nines scattered through his score sheet. He said: “That was a freaking monsoon that hit, so full credit to the horse. He kept it together and went in and did a good test.”

The US rider added of the 12-year-old Commando 3: “He’s very good on the flat. He’s flamboyant, he’s good-looking, he’s got presence and enthusiasm. He can be pretty spooky though, so I am glad we got to do the ring familiarisation.

“And in a weird kind of way, maybe the rain helped – he was sort of keeping his head down a bit or something. But he was well behaved in there, so I was very pleased with him.”

Boyd and Commando 3 sit just 0.2 of a penalty ahead of Britain’s Tom McEwen (Brookfield Quality), who hold third, and 7.4 marks behind leaders Michael Jung and FischerChipmunk FRH.

Kentucky Three-Day Event dressage: Boyd Martin – ‘I dared not breathe’

Boyd was also the first rider in today, scoring 27.9 for sixth with the syndicate-owned 14-year-old Luke 140. His test was just marred by Luke 140 stepping sideways behind in his first halt and a blip in his second flying change.

“I felt like I prepared him well for the halt and then he sort of just stumbled a bit, so he lost his footing, which was a shame because I usually get them every time,” said Boyd.

“But it was pretty good – he’s a great dressage horse if you can get him settled and being here for a couple of days and doing the ring familiarisation makes a big difference. And right from the warm-up I knew he was in a good gear and he went in and did well.

“My favourite part of the test was that he walked all the walk, which has been our biggest challenge in the lead up events. He anticipates the next movement and starts prancing around like a Tennessee Walking Horse. So I tell you, my legs were just gently dangling and I dared not breathe on him. And he was a very good boy and walked every step.”

Boyd said he has fallen off Luke 140 seven times already this year.

He said: “At home he’s a very difficult horse. He is just bursting with enthusiasm. But I almost put up with anything when they’re great horses – he’s a pain in the ass a lot of the time, but when you get to this event he’s a champion.”

Debutante claims fourth

German Libussa Lübbeke, 24, holds fourth on 27.1 with Caramia 34. This pair were young rider team silver medallists in 2022 and make their Kentucky debut after 19th at their first five-star, Luhmühlen Horse Trials, last year.

Caramia 34 was bred by Libussa’s parents and ridden by her brother Fritz Ludwig until 2019, up to three-star level.

New Zealand’s Tim Price is in fifth with his final ride, his own and Sue Benson’s double world bronze medallist Falco.

“I thought he was super. He’s like putting on an old pair of shoes compared to the other two yesterday,” said Tim. “He was through, really nicely connected and he’s just been getting better and better with improving the quality of his way of going.

“This morning he was quite buzzy to work and I thought, ‘Oh, maybe I should have done a little bit more.’ But you’ve just got to trust your partnership and the fact he knows his job. He felt really good out here in the warm-up and then I was just hoping that I’d be able to go in there and get the same feeling and I did.

“There were a couple of mistakes, but the reality is it’s still dressage and you’ve got to do a really perfect job and he’s not God’s gift to dressage, it’s learned and I think he tried his heart out for me.”

Tim also holds equal seventh on Jarillo and ninth on Happy Boy.

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