15 to watch in Kentucky – can one of these pairs take the 2026 title next week?

Who are the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event riders with a chance of winning next week’s US spring five-star (23-26 April)?

Tom McEwen starts as favourite with Brookfield Quality, but behind him, it’s a relatively open field with about half the field having a chance of taking home the title. Let’s find out who the leading Kentucky Three-Day Event riders for 2026 are…

Kentucky Three-Day Event riders to watch for 2026

Whether you’ve got your Kentucky tickets or are watching from home, these are the combinations you need on your radar.

1. Boyd Martin (USA) and Miks Master C

14-year-old bay gelding, by Mighty Magic out of a mare by Flyinge Quite Easy 958, owned by OHP Hammertime Partners

This horse was third here with Liz Halliday in 2023, with Boyd Martin taking over the ride after her serious accident in 2024. This will be Miks Master C’s first five-star run since then. He and Boyd have been in the top 10 at all four of their four-star starts, including winning one, and with a sub-30 dressage test every time. Their record suggests either time-faults could be their Achilles’ heel – or Boyd has only really pressed that button once. We’ll find out which in the next few weeks at either Kentucky or Badminton Horse Trials, as this pair have entries at both.

2. Harry Meade (GBR) and Et Hop Du Matz

12-year-old bay gelding, by Nouma D’Auzay out of a mare by Easy Star, owned by Mandy Gray and rider

Harry Meade and “Hoppy” were third here last year and ninth at Burghley Horse Trials. The world number one really rates him as a cross-country horse – he felt a little foolish when he sang his praises as such before his first five-star at Maryland 5 Star in 2024, where he fell off him, but he’s proved it since. They won’t start in the front ranks but should rise. Harry will want to put two down at Burghley behind him to repeat the dressage score finish they pulled off here in 2025. All Harry’s horses here also have entries at Badminton so we’ll see where they all end up…

5. Tim Price (NZL) and Global Quest

13-year-old by Gelding, by Metropole out of a mare by Big Sink Hope, owned by Diana and Lance Morrish

This horse was produced by the late Georgie Campbell and has been with Tim Price since 2024. He was fourth at Boekelo 2024, then completed his first five-star at Pau Horse Trials last year. The Dorset-based rider will want to improve on his first and last-phase performances from Pau at this second five-star. Warmed up with second in the advanced at Thoresby, beaten only by his stablemate and fellow Kentucky contender Vitali.

8. David Doel (GBR) and Galileo Nieuwmoed

15-year-old dark bay gelding, by Carambole out of a mare by Harcos, rider, Mary Fox and Gillian Jonas

This experienced pair’s 12 five-star starts have yielded eight top-15 finishes, including eighth here and second at Burghley in 2023. They fell at both Badminton and Burghley last time, but made amends with ninth at Pau in the autumn. David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed are leaderboard climbers rather than first-phase stars.

9. Will Coleman (USA) and Diabolo

14-year-old dark bay gelding, by Diarado out of a mare by Aljano 2, owned by Diabolo Group

Hailing from the Tinney family in Australia, Diabolo has been with Will Coleman since 2023. He’s won three times at CCI4*-S in the past two years, including at Kentucky 2024, a result which earned him a direct reserve listing to Will’s world team silver medallist Off The Record for the Paris Olympics – he was called up but then withdrawn at the last minute himself with a hoof abscess. He now tackles his first five-star, so he’s new to the level, but will be one to watch.

12. Phillip Dutton (USA) and Possante

13-year-old bay gelding, by Namelus R out of a mare by Otangelo, owned by The Possante Group

Produced in Britain from two- to four-star level by Emily King, when he was called Imposant, this horse has been with Phillip Dutton since January 2023 and gained five top-10 four-star results since then, including a win at Unionville last autumn. He can do a mid-to-low 20s dressage at that level and Phillip knows what it takes to win here (2008 on Connaught) so don’t discount him despite it being the horse’s first run at five-star.

14. Tom Jackson (GBR) and Plot Twist B

11-year-old bay gelding, by Plot Blue out of a mare by Concorde, owned by Mary Harris and Ruth McMullen

Last year’s Pau runner-up, on his dressage score, having also completed Pau with a clear cross-country jumping round the year before but been retired at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in between. He’s also previously been seventh in the young horse class at Blenheim Horse Trials and obtained the same placing at CCI4*-L at Bramham Horse Trials. He’s likely to be pegged by his dressage, but can move up the ranks. Tom Jackson makes his Kentucky debut.

16. Boyd Martin (USA) and Cooley Nutcracker

12-year-old black gelding, by BMC Tolan R out of a mare by Cobra, owned by Liz’s Nutcrackers

Another horse who came to Boyd after Liz Halliday was injured. He was her ride at the Paris Olympics (called up when Diabolo was withdrawn), where they finished at creditable 19th. He and Boyd were third at Pau last year and have also had three top-10 four-star placings together, including a win. Although he probably won’t lead the dressage, he should be sub-30 to be competitive and has the form to back that up in the following phases.

17. Harry Meade (GBR) and Superstition

17-year-old bay gelding by Satisfaction FRH out of a mare by Cordalame, owned by Mandy Gray and rider

Harry took over this ride from Lucy Jackson in late 2019 and they have a great five-star record – fifth at Kentucky 2021, two sevenths at Maryland 2021 and 2022, 12th at Burghley 2024 and sixth at Badminton last year. The horse finds competing stressful so Harry takes the novel approach of doing it sparingly and simply preparing him for the big ones at home; don’t be deceived by the fact he hasn’t run since Badminton last year as this won’t put Harry off in the slightest. Should be top six again.

22. Monica Spencer (NZL) and Artist

15-year-old bay gelding, by Guillotine out of a mare by Volksraard, owned by Spencer Eventing

This pair consolidated a string of great five-star results – seventh at Maryland 2023, 11th at Burghley in 2024 and seventh and eighth at Kentucky 2024 and 2025 – by finishing second at Maryland 5 Star last term, having led after both the first two phases but had two down in the showjumping ring. “Max” is a good-moving thoroughbred and could be the dressage leader. Time-faults across country and showjumping rails are their nemesis and will probably prevent a win but can certainly be top six. Monica is based in the USA, having moved in the winter of 2023/2024.

29. Tom McEwen (GBR) and Brookfield Quality

17-year-old bay gelding, by OBOS Quality 004, owned by John and Chloe Perry and Alison Swinburn

On paper, the favourites, but there’s a strong chasing pack behind them. Tom and “Nervous Norris” were fifth here last year – when time-faults were their major failing – and third at Pau 2024. They also have two retirements on their five-star scorecard, so not totally consistent, but on their best form, they are pillar-to-post leaders. The Brookfield owners tend to shift their horses between riders and this one has been with Tom since 2022, having previously been competed by Piggy March.

32. Tim Price (NZL) and Vitali

16-year-old bay gelding, by Contender out of a Heraldik mare, owned by Alexander and Joseph Giannamore and rider

Vitali has a 100% record for finishing in the top 10 across his eight five-star results – and has been close to winning numerous times, only to be let down by his showjumping. He prepped for this with a win in the advanced at Thoresby, but we all know the final phase is a different game for him after cross-country. He hasn’t jumped on a surface in that phase at five-star since Luhmühlen 2022, so perhaps that will help him and he’ll finally get that victory – it would be an incredibly popular result.

33. Boyd Martin (USA) and Commando 3

13-year-old bay gelding, by Connor 48 out of a mare by Amigo xx, owned by Yankee Creek Ranch LLC

Having fallen at Maryland in 2024, Boyd was the runner-up here last year on Commando 3, when he said he could be “a career-changing horse” for him. They followed up with third at Maryland in the autumn – when he said the best is yet to come for Commando and that next year he’d “like to hopefully try to win one of these things”. They certainly have as good a chance as any of the home side. Commando 3 came from Sweden’s Louise Romeike, joining Boyd in 2023.

34. Harry Meade (GBR) and Grafennacht

14-year-old bay mare, by Birkhof’s Grafenstolz out of a mare by Narew, owned by Amanda Gould

Harry took over this mare after William Fox-Pitt’s retirement – she was in the top 15 at Badminton twice with her former rider. Last year, the pair won Montelibretti CCI4*-L and were fourth at Kentucky. If Harry could get a few more marks from “Lillie” in the dressage – certainly possible, as William managed it – she could be his long-awaited first five-star winner.

35. Caroline Pamukcu (USA) and HSH Blake

11-year-old black gelding, by BMC Tolan R out of a mare by Kannan, owned by Mollie Hoff, rider’s mother Sherrie Martin, rider and her husband Deniz

Caroline has three horses entered but this is probably the only one with a real win chance. He was a serious talking horse in the build-up to Paris 2024, where inexperience perhaps caught up with both of them and they finished 36th. Caroline then had a baby in January 2025 – named Blake after the horse – and, having staged a fast comeback, landed fourth at Maryland last year, the horse’s first five-star. Could lead the dressage so the first two phases won’t be over until this chap has his say – and he could go last on the final day too.

Don’t forget there are also three young British riders among the Kentucky Three-Day Event riders in the CCI4*-S this year, so if you’re watching you’ll want to keep an eye on them too.

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