The Fair Hill Organizing Committee (FHOC), an affiliate of the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland (The Sport Corp.), has announced that athletes and horses in the inaugural Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill (CCI5*-L) will be competing for $300,000 in prize money.
Additionally, the US Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing National Championship (CCI3*-L), running in conjunction with the 5 Star, will award $25,000 in prize money. Both events, as well as the United States Eventing Association (USEA) Young Event Horse East Coast Championships, will take place this October 14-17 at the new Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Cecil County, Maryland.
Planning and developments for the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill continue to move forward. On May 3, licensees of USEF competitions held in May were permitted to welcome a limited number of spectators back to their competitions with pending news forthcoming regarding competitions held after June 1.
USEF’s Covid-19 Action, including requirements and recommendations for operating USEF-licensed competitions during the pandemic, are being adjusted regularly. As a result, FHOC anticipates releasing various announcements in the coming weeks with information related to retail vendor applications, ticket offerings, sponsorships, volunteer opportunities, livestream and broadcast partners, media credentialing, and more.
Event organizers will continue to monitor and administer all current health and safety protocols as necessary for the protection of all those in attendance.
FHOC Co-Chairs, Mike Gill and Michael Hankin said, “While we remain focused on monitoring health and safety protocols for our event, we are excited to see that the conditions continue to improve here in Maryland, and that events are beginning to open up. We are looking forward to producing an inaugural Maryland 5 Star that will provide a top-class experience for our competitors, as well as our spectators.”
The event will mark a new chapter for the State of Maryland’s rich horse and equestrian tradition. The Maryland 5 Star is one of only two CCI5*-L events in the United States, and seventh worldwide. It will showcase four days of thrilling competition at the sport of Eventing’s highest-level across its three discipline’s, Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping.
“It is great feeling having sporting events coming back in Maryland this year and welcoming spectators,” commented Terry Hasseltine, President of The Sport Corp. “The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill will be one of the highlights during the fall giving people something to look forward to, and something new to experience. We are excited to showcase the new Fair Hill Special Event Zone for the first time and produce an event that our state can be proud of”
