The Once and Future King of Kentucky?

Oliver Townend started out today where he left off last year–at the top of the leaderboard for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. The British rider and Cooley Master Class, the 14-year-old Irish sport horse he has been riding for the last decade, put in a stellar dressage test that drew cheers from the crowd of 11,676 in the Rolex Stadium.

Kentucky, said Oli, “is one of my favorite events.The people here are very, very friendly, the atmosphere second to none the stadium is out of this world. If I had the last event of my career, this is the one I’d want to be at because it’s such a special place to me.”

Oli was marked at 24.1 penalties, giving him a 3-point edge over his countrywoman, Piggy French on Quarrycrest Echo.

Coolio, as his mount is known around the barn, didn’t turn a hair in the atmosphere, where Oli got more applause than any other competitor.

“He was very laid back, almost bone-idle in there,” Oli commented. If it had been warm instead of frigid with wind and occasional rainshowers, Oli observed, his horse might have fallen asleep.”

He knows the horse so well that basically, all it takes for dressage is to “Go in there and do a clear round and press buttons.”

After his ride, Oli stopped and chatted with one of the little Pony Clubbers who remove and replace the board at the entrance to the dressage ring. Yesterday, Chris Talley did the same after his ride, when he invited the girls to pat his horse, Unmarked Bills. So it’s getting to be a “thing.”

But in this case, it turned out the little girl’s mother had bought a horse from Oli, and the child took care to say her mom was very pleased with the animal.

Never one to miss an opportunity, Oli said, “I asked if her mum was ready to buy a new one yet.”

Piggy was a little nervous warming up this morning in what she called “a monsoon” during a rainstorm. But she said she was proud of the way her 12-year-old Irish sport horse conducted himself in the arena, calling it “very professional.”

He was Piggy’s mount for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, where she finished 10th. Her last visit to the horse park was for the 2010 WEG, and she noted it’s quite different for the 5-star but “really exciting.”

The only American in the top three is Boyd Martin with Tsetserleg, the compact Trakehner who was marked at 27.9 penalties, just ahead of overnight leader Felix Vogg on Switzerland on Colero (28).

Amazingly, it has been 11 years since a U.S. rider last won at Kentucky. That was Boyd’s close friend, Phillip Dutton on Connaught. He is seventh on Z (31.7).

Could Boyd be the hero for the Stars and Stripes this time around? He had a disappointing WEG last year with the horse he calls Thomas, but the two have come together since then.

“This year, he’s a bit more seasoned and confirmed at this level,” said Boyd.

It’s the third year he has been with the horse, who is by Windfall, a stallion that was part of the 2004 Olympic team.

“It takes about two years to form a partnership. Last year was probably a little bit of a rush. It sort of felt like we were doing everything on a wing and a prayer. He’s a little bit of a quirky horse.”

Now, however, “We’ve had a bit of time to figure each other out. He’s one hell of a trier and at this level, it’s wonderful having a horse who tries his guts out for you.”

Saturday’s cross-country will tell the tale, not only for Tsetserleg, but also for the 40 other horses that will attempt Derek di Grazia’s challenging cross-country route.

“It always amazes me how much the course changes from year to year,” Oli observed. “I’m a huge fan of Derek’s courses; he’s absolutely exceptional for what he does.”

Find out how it goes for Oli and the others by coming back here Saturday night to catch up on my coverage.