You don’t have to wait for April’s Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event to see a 5-star, the highest level of the sport.
The MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill Presented by Brown Advisory is holding its second edition Oct. 13-16 at the Fair Hill Special Event Zone, 4600 Telegraph Road, Cecil County (Elkton), Md. 21921.
Lauren Nicholson on Landmark’s Monte Carlo is competing in the 5-star at Fair Hill again this year. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The small (26 riders) but select field includes the new world number one, Tim Price of New Zealand, who won the Boekelo, Netherlands, event last weekend. At Fair Hill, he’ll be aboard Coup de Couer Dudevin.
His wife, Jonelle, is the new world number two, but she won’t be competing. However, former world number one Oliver Townend of Great Britain will be on hand. He was the runner-up last year on Ballaghmor Class; this year, he’s riding As Is. His countryman, Harry Meade, brings Superstition. Another foreign rider of note is French star Astier Nicolas (Babylon de Gamma).
There was a bigger 5-star field of 38, and a few more riders from overseas in 2021, but that was at the end of the pandemic when Badminton and Burghley in England had been cancelled for the second year in a row, and there was no world championships during the summer.
Will Coleman, the top-ranked U.S. rider at last month’s world championships and now number five in the world, will be aboard Don Dante. Other members of the silver medal championships team competing at Fair Hill are Tamie Smith (Danito), Lauren Nicholson (Landmark’s Monte Carlo) and Boyd Martin. Boyd, number six in the world, does not have a 5-star horse in Maryland but will be aboard Miss Lulu Herself in the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship that also runs over the weekend and has drawn 59 entries.
Also featured is the Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships presented by Dubarry of Ireland.
The Maryland Fresh Food Fest and the Beer, Wine & Spirits Showcase is powered by Grow & Fortify. It features local wine, craft beer and spirits while watching the cross-country action on Saturday, Oct. 15, over courses designed by Ian Stark.
The horses and trainers from Maryland’s Horse Discovery Centers return for Horseland at the MARS Maryland 5 Star during all four days of competition. Major League Eventing will operate the inaugural Maryland Corgi Cup on Sunday, Oct. 16.
For more information or to buy tickets, go to https://www.maryland5star.us/tickets/