Tim Price and Xavier Faer are back for another crack at Kentucky Photo courtesy Leslie Mintz/USEA
After a topsy-turvy 'will it, won't it' start to the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event 2021, it now seems as if we finally will have a real CCI5* on our hands to start the season and things are hotting up with entries from overseas rolling in
The World Number One and double Kentucky winner Oliver Townend has been listed with three horses; the big Tregilder making his five-star debut, double Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class and Burghley winner Ballaghmor Class, who just breezed around Oasby Elite for a win, are all entered at this stage
Oliver is joined on the list by three more British-based riders, triple Kentucky winner William Fox-Pitt riding the 12-year-old Little Fire, Kentucky first-timer Harry Meade riding Superstition and young Richard Coney with Mermus R Diamonds, who made their 5* debut at Les Etoiles de Pau in 2020 with a strong top 10 finish. The other British rider to keep an eye on is the US based Leslie Law with Voltaire de Tre, who have been having a very good lead-up to this event
New Zealand also has a strong contingent making the journey from their UK base with Tim and Jonelle Price bringing five horses between them and Jesse Campbell listed with Diachello
Tim returns with Xavier Faer, who finished third here in 2019, and Bango while Jonelle will be riding Grappa Nera, Grovine De Reve and her 2018 Badminton winner Classic Moet
Also coming from the UK will be Australia’s Kevin McNab, making his first trip to Kentucky with Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam who had his 5* debut at Les Etoiles de Pau last year while three USA-based riders, Clayton Fredericks, Dom Schramm and Ema Klugman are also entered
Dom will be competing on Bolytair B, Clayton has three entries in FE Stormstrooper, Ophelia and FE Always In Time and Ema will be riding Bendigo (who really sounds as if he should be ridden by Clayton, for those who have long enough memories)
The international entries have now swelled the numbers, adding to the already quality US based field, but there are still Covid and travel complications to overcome for those making the trip. But, as Oliver Townend commented in our recent article “It would be a huge shame if these brilliant horses didn’t go to a CCI5* this spring”
