Who will be first to ride at Kentucky Three-Day Event and when will the Brits go?
Boyd Martin has been given number one in the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event draw (23-26 April), although whether he is actually first down the centreline will depend on final withdrawals as riders confirm entries across Kentucky and the Mars Badminton Horse Trials.
The four-time Olympian has been drawn first in the CCI5* with OHP Hammertime Partners’ Miks Master C – although the 14-year-old gelding remains in the Badminton entries and will not run at both. Boyd is 16th to go with Liz’s Nutcrackers Cooley Nutcracker and 33rd with Yankee Creek Ranch’s Commando 3.
World number one Harry Meade is second to go with Et Hop Du Matz and 17th with Superstition, both owned by Harry and Mandy Gray, and second-last with Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht. Although he can ride all three at Kentucky, it is expected that he will only take two to the US. Harry has five entered for Badminton; Cavalier Crystal (Charlotte and Peter Opperman), Et Hop Du Matz, Superstition, Grafennacht and Annaghmore Valoner (Stephen and Dinah Posford and Jules Carter) and can ride up to three here.
Brit David Doel is drawn eighth with the experienced Galileo Nieuwmoed – owned by David, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas – and Tom Jackson will start 14th with Plot Twist B, owned by Ruth McMullen and Mary Harris. Tom McEwen is 29th to go with John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn’s Brookfield Quality.
New Zealand’s Tim Price starts fifth with Lance and Diana Morrish’s Global Quest and 32nd with Vitali, owned by Tim and Joseph and Alexander Giannamore.
There was a surprise withdrawal from Ireland’s Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue, winners of Maryland 5 Star in 2003. The pair have also withdrawn from Badminton.
Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4*-S draw
Three young Brits are entered in the Cosequin CCI4*-S, thanks to a support package from the new Rising Lions initiative – Elizabeth Barratt, Isabelle Cook, and Finn Healy. Finn is number 121 with his own Greannanstown Monbeg Joe, Isabelle and Cymoon F Z (Tina Cook and Jim Chromiak) will wear number 130 and Elizabeth and Ride For Thais Chaman Dumontceau (Barratt Eventing) are 136.
- To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2026, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website
You may also be interested in:
‘One of those things’: five-star winner ruled out of Kentucky and Badminton
Recent withdrawals mean Badminton and Kentucky entry lists start to firm up