AND The Kentucky International CSI5*

As of today, Lexington, Kentucky, is once again the centre of the equestrian universe, and what a weekend it promises to be.

Running from April 23 to 26 at the stunning Kentucky Horse Park, the 2026 edition of the event brings together three world-class competitions under one roof: the flagship CCI5*-L, the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S, and the Kentucky International CSI5*, presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. It is, quite simply, unlike anything else on the international equestrian calendar.

A venue steeped in history

To understand why this event carries such weight, you need to understand the ground it is held on. The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington is no ordinary equestrian venue; it is the birthplace of American five-star eventing.

Horse trials were first held at the park as far back as 1976, but it was the summer of 1978 that truly put the venue on the map. That September, the Kentucky Horse Park hosted the World Three-Day Event Championships, marking the first time the Worlds had ever been staged outside of Europe. It was, by all accounts, an extraordinary occasion. Over 170,000 spectators attended across the event, and the Championships were broadcast worldwide, adding more than $4 million to the local economy. American rider Bruce Davidson, riding the aptly named Might Tango, defended his individual world title, while Canada pulled off a stunning upset to claim team gold.

The success of the 1978 Championships was the catalyst for everything that followed. The American Horse Shows Association – now the United States Equestrian Federation – approached Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI), the non-profit body that had organised the Championships, about hosting a major annual event. The Kentucky Three-Day Event was born.

For decades, it was one of only a handful of four-star events in the world, and the only one held outside of Europe. It gained CCI4* status in 1998, before the FEI’s reclassification of levels in 2019 elevated it to its current CCI5*-L designation. The Kentucky Horse Park also hosted the World Equestrian Games in 2010, cementing its place as one of the world’s great venues for the sport.

Today, it draws close to 90,000 spectators across the weekend, and carries a prize purse of $400,000 in the CCI5*-L alone. The event is produced by EEI, which over the past two decades has donated more than $1.1 million to local and equine charities, a reflection of the deep roots this competition has in the Kentucky community.

What makes 2026 unique

This year’s event is not just a continuation of a proud tradition; it breaks new ground. For the second year running, the Kentucky Three-Day Event is the only competition in the world, outside of a world championship, to host a CCI5*-L, a CCI4*-S, and a CSI5* during the same weekend. That distinction sets it apart from even Badminton and Burghley.

Adding further significance, the CCI5*-L also serves as the 2026 Defender/USEF CCI5-L Eventing National Championship – meaning the highest-placed American combination will take home not only prize money but national champion honours alongside the Roger Haller Trophy.

And with the 2026 FEI World Championships coming up in mid-August in Aachen, Germany, this weekend doubles as a crucial form guide. For U.S. athletes, the CCI5*-L is one of 20 team selection trials. The stakes, in other words, could hardly be higher.

The CCI5*-L field: A cast of stars

This year’s five-star eventing field is one of the most impressive in the event’s history – a fact the organisers have not been shy about proclaiming. Representing five nations (the United States, Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland), the field features four CCI5*-winning riders, several Olympic and World Championship medallists, and some of the most celebrated horse-and-rider partnerships currently competing at the top of the sport.

World number one Harry Meade (GBR) leads the international charge. The Briton, whose accolades include team silver at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, arrives fresh from a third-place finish at last year’s Kentucky aboard Et Hop du Matz – the only horse in the 2025 field to finish on his dressage score. He has two horses entered: Grafennacht, with whom he was fourth in 2025, and the exciting Superstition.

World number two Boyd Martin (USA) is the defending U.S. national champion, having claimed that title at last year’s event aboard Commando 3, with whom he also placed second overall. Martin is no stranger to Kentucky glory; he finished runner-up here in both 2019 and 2025, and arrives this year with three mounts: Commando 3, Cooley Nutcracker, and Miks Master C. A four-time Olympian with three Pan American Games golds and team silver at the 2022 World Championships, Martin is the heartbeat of the American challenge.

World number four Tim Price (NZL) brings his exceptional string to Lexington, including Vitali, ranked among the world’s top ten eventing horses. Price, a three-time Olympian and double-bronze medallist at the 2022 World Championships, has a remarkable Kentucky record, finishing second in 2015 and 2021 and third in 2019. He is looking for his seventh CCI5* victory across all events (and we’re rooting for him to have his first ever 5* win on Vitali!)

Tom McEwen (GBR), world number six, is a three-time Olympic medallist and 2018 World Equestrian Games team gold medallist who finished second at Kentucky in both 2023 and 2024. He returns with Brookfield Quality, who was fifth here last year. McEwen is one of the most technically gifted cross-country riders in the world and will be a serious contender all weekend.

Tom Jackson (GBR) and Plot Twist B, who were runners-up at Pau in 2025, provide another strong British presence, while four-time Olympian Austin O’Connor (IRL) returns with his 2022 World Championship partner Colorado Blue, whose ranking places him among the elite horses in the world rankings.

On the American side, Will Coleman, Boyd Martin’s 2022 World Championships teammate and a two-time winner of the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, steps up to the CCI5*-L this year with Diabolo, last year’s 4*-S winner, making their five-star debut together. Phillip Dutton, one of the most experienced event riders in the world, also makes the jump from last year’s 4*-S with Possante. Emily Hamel brings the beloved veteran campaigner Corvett Airlines, known to fans as ‘Barry,’ who is remarkable for his ten CCI5* completions across all six of the world’s five-star events.

Eventing Nation described the 2026 field as among the highest-rated in the event’s history and it is hard to argue.

The course: Derek di Grazia’s masterpiece

No article about Kentucky would be complete without a mention of the cross-country course – the beating heart of the event. Cross-country course designer Derek di Grazia has held this role since 2011, and this year he has put together what promises to be another exacting test across the rolling bluegrass of the Kentucky Horse Park.

The CCI5*-L track stretches over 28 fences and 6312 metres at 570 metres per minute, with an optimum time of 11 minutes and 5 seconds. Key complexes such as Pete’s Hollow and the Head of the Lake have been refreshed this year, though fans will be pleased to know that classic elements – including the beloved Corgi and Dachshund jumps – remain in place.

The showjumping phase on Sunday will be designed by Brazil’s Guilherme Jorge, making his Kentucky debut in that role.

The Kentucky International CSI5*: Showjumping joins the party

If the eventing weren’t enough, the Kentucky International CSI5* runs alongside it from today through Saturday, co-organised with Major League Showjumping. The jumping schedule is packed with world-class prize money and innovative formats:

• Thursday, April 23 — $62,500 1.55m CSI5* Qualifier (7:00 p.m. ET)
• Friday, April 24 — $62,500 Speed 1.50m and a brand-new $200,000 1.50m Major League Showjumping Team Competition (from 5:45 p.m. ET)
• Saturday, April 25 — $32,000 Power & Speed and the showpiece $340,000 Kentucky International Grand Prix CSI5* (7:00 p.m. ET)

The MLSJ Team format, in which riders from different nations combine into teams, brings a fresh dynamic to the showjumping and is sure to generate excitement under the Kentucky night sky.

What to look forward to

With dressage underway today and Friday, Saturday’s cross-country is where the event truly comes alive. Thousands of spectators will spread across the Kentucky Horse Park’s sweeping landscape, watching from natural hillside vantage points, cheering riders home at the water complexes, and tracking the action on the Cross-Country App. The simultaneous staging of the Grand Prix show jumping on Saturday evening then adds a spectacular finale to what is already the most dramatic day of the equestrian year.

Sunday’s show jumping – set to begin at 10:45 a.m. ET for the CCI4*-S and 2:00 p.m. ET for the CCI5*-L – will determine both the outright winners and, for American riders, the national championship. With a field this strong and a course designed to challenge the very best, the podium is anybody’s guess.

For those not in Lexington, the entire event is available to watch live on ClipMyHorse.TV.

Final thoughts

The Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event has travelled a remarkable journey, from a single world championship held on a brand-new park in 1978 to the crown jewel of the international eventing and showjumping calendar nearly five decades later. The history, the venue, the horses, and the riders all combine to create something that is genuinely irreplaceable.

Whether you are a lifelong devotee of the sport or someone discovering it for the first time, this weekend in Lexington is as good as it gets.

We hope you’ll join us and tune in!