LRK3DE Worth the Wait

A year after the pandemic forced the cancelation of the 2020 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS EquestrianTM, the prestigious event returns this year with an extra twist: a CCI4*-S.

The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™️ is back! After a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a groundswell of support from the eventing community and its devoted fans brought the 2021 event—and the prestigious Land Rover/USEF CCI-5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian™️—back to the Kentucky Horse Park.

This year, with pandemic-related restrictions still in effect, the Lexington, Ky., competition will not be open to spectators on the Kentucky Horse Park grounds. But there will be even more eventing action than usual for those tuning in to USEF Network’s LRK3DE livestream and broadcasts on NBC and NBC Sports Network and following #LRK3DE on US Equestrian’s social media platforms. The NBC broadcast will take place at 1 p.m. ET on May 2.

Bringing the 2021 LRK3DE back for competitors and fans was a genuinely inspiring community effort fueled, in part, by a fundraising effort launched by athletes and strongly supported by grassroots eventers and fans. LRK3DE’s producer, Equestrian Events, Inc., partnered with the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, and thanks to the support of US Equestrian and longstanding sponsors Land Rover, MARS Equestrian™️ , and Rolex, the group not only secured LRK3DE’s CCI5*-L competition, but they also announced a new event that will run alongside it: the CCI4*-S.

Both competitions will take place April 22-25 at the Kentucky Horse Park, and both will be streamed live on USEF Network. US Equestrian members can access the streams at usef.org/network. Not a member yet? Join US Equestrian as a free fan member using the LR3DE promo code LRK3DE21 and start enjoying world-class eventing!

USEF Network isn’t only live streaming the 2021 event. You’ll also find special features, including historic NBC broadcasts from as far back as 1998, Karen O’Connor’s classic cross-country performance on the legendary pony Theodore O’Connor, a selection of individual rides from past competitions, and top eventing athletes’ favorite LRK3DE memories.

Bruce Davidson and Park Trader at LRK3DE in 2019.

Taylor Pence/US Equestrian

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF won theLand Rover/USEF CCI-5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian in 2019.

Andrea Evans/US Equestrian

“Seeing the athletes, community, our sponsors, and these two organizations—the KHP Foundation and EEI—come together in a united way to allow the CCI5*-L and CCI4*-S to go forward despite the challenges presented by the pandemic is nothing short of remarkable,” said US Equestrian Chief Executive Officer Bill Moroney. “This will allow our athletes and horses aiming for the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer the best opportunity to qualify and prepare, while ensuring the safest possible environment for participants seeking to complete a CCI5*-L or CCI4*-S.

“We extend a huge thank-you to all involved, especially to our sponsors, for their flexibility and continued commitment to this event,” he added.

“We are humbled and honored by the response of the eventing community as they’ve stepped up in a mind-blowing way enabling us to go forward,” EEI President Mike Cooper said.

The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™️ is one of only seven five-star eventing competitions around the globe. It also serves as the Land Rover/ USEF CCI-5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian™️, collected annually by the top-placed U.S. rider. The national champion will receive the Roger Haller Perpetual Trophy, which is maintained at US Equestrian’s headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park. US Equestrian also presents a silver picture frame and a navy cooler to the national champion. The 2019 national champion, Boyd Martin, finished second aboard on Tsetserleg TSF, owned by Martin and Christine, Thomas, and Tommie Turner. The 2021 event could see Martin and Tsetserleg TSF attempt to defend that title; they were among the early LRK3DE entries. For up-todate entry information for both the CCI5*-L and CCI4*-S, visit KentuckyThreeDayEvent.com.

Though the event is running without on-site spectators, you can get a front-row seat to all the action on USEF Network. And there’s also a way to be present in the Rolex Stadium for the dressage and show jumping phases, too— not in person, but in cardboard. EEI is offering fans the chance to have a cardboard photo cutout of themselves displayed in the stadium seating during LRK3DE. The weatherproof fan cutouts are $75 each and can be ordered at KentuckyThreeDayEvent.com/cutout.

Tamie Smith and Wembley tackle the legendary Head of the Lake combination.

Alex Banks/US Equestrian

One rider who particularly is looking forward to the 2021 LRK3DE is Fylicia Barr, 25. The Pennsylvania-based eventing athlete was among those who had been set to make their LRK3DE and five-star debuts at the 2020 event before the pandemic shutdown intervened. It might have taken Barr a year longer than she expected to bring Galloway Sunrise, the mare she owns with Shannon and Daniel Barr, to the Kentucky Horse Park, but it has been worth the wait, she said. And she feels fortunate that the pandemic’s disruption in her life was relatively minor.

“I was still able to keep working, and there were a lot of people who were affected by the pandemic in very serious ways. So that kept everything in perspective,” she said. “I know a lot of families were really impacted so negatively by the pandemic, so I consider myself pretty lucky.”

After the cancelation of the 2020 LRK3DE and other threeday events, Barr was determined to make the most of the enforced downtime.

“I used it as an opportunity to train her a bit more so that when 2021 came around we could hopefully be even more prepared and even more competitive when our time finally came,” said Barr. “I tried to keep giving myself goals. I’m a very goal-oriented person. For the first few months, I found something I could perfect and really worked toward those mini-goals with the horses. It was tricky not having any competitions to work backwards from, but it gave me a little more time to step back and get to know all of the horses’ personalities a little better and create a program that is going to make them better, without a strict timeline.”

The opportunity to compete at LRK3DE has arrived, and though it will be different from its pre-pandemic editions, Barr says she’s excited—and grateful—for the opportunity that 2021 offers.

“I really appreciate everyone’s efforts to make it happen this year,” she said. “It really was devastating to hear of the cancelation. To see the fundraising effort and see other upperlevel riders that I look up to reaching out to their owners and sponsors—I’ve always felt eventing was a community, but to see that effort and to actually have that happen was really incredible.

“I went and watched with my mom for as many years as I can remember. Feeling that electricity, being at the Head of the Lake and hearing the crowds, that was always something I looked forward to. Obviously, because of the coronavirus we don’t get that this year. But I’m still looking forward to running the cross-country, and what they’re doing with the cut-outs of the fans in the stands is going to be really awesome.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was a little kid,” she added. “Obviously, I’d love to go and be competitive, but mostly I just want to go and have a really good experience. I want to give my horse, Sunny, a really great ride and let her come out of it feeling like she’s conquered the world, as well.”

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF earned the Land Rover/ USEF CCI-5*-L Eventing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian at the LRK3DE’s most recent competition in 2019.

Alex Banks/US Equestrian

LRK3DE Provisional Schedule

Times subject to change. Visit usef.org/network for the most up-to-date schedule. See KentuckyThreeDayEvent.com for the complete event schedule, entries, and more. Times listed are Eastern time.

Wednesday, April 21 3 p.m. First Horse Inspection; CCI5*-L only

Sponsored by Hagyard Pharmacy

Thursday, April 22 8:00 a.m. Dressage Test Ride 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. CCI4*-S Dressage Tests 1:30–6 p.m. CCI5*-L Dressage Tests 6:15–8 p.m. Arena Familiarization

Friday, April 23 8 a.m.–Noon CCI4*-S Dressage Tests Resume 1–5:30 p.m. CI5*-L Dressage Tests Resume

Saturday, April 24 8:30–11:30 a.m. CCI4*-S Cross-Country 12:45–5 p.m. CCI5*-L Cross-Country

Sunday, April 25 7:30 a.m. CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L Horse Inspection Sponsored by Hagyard Pharmacy 10 a.m. CCI4*-S Jumping Test 2 p.m. CCI5*-L Jumping Test

THE USEA FOUNDATION: Advancing Eventing

The USEA Foundation’s Frangible Fence Technology Fund is just one way the USEA Foundation is helping advance safety.

Formed in 1991, the USEA Foundation (formerly the USCTA Endowment Trust) was created to raise funds to build the United States Eventing Association Headquarters in Leesburg, Virginia. With the completion of the headquarters in 1996, the Foundation then set about creating an Endowment that would safeguard the USEA and the sport of eventing through whatever challenges may lay ahead. The Foundation had a true commitment to the future and continues to this day. In addition to those accomplishments, the Foundation began to secure funds for the USEA’s educational programs and horse welfare and rider safety research studies. One of the early studies funded by the Foundation was the Equine Physiology Study conducted in the lead-up to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. A team of veterinarians and scientists was commissioned to study the effects the heat and humidity of an Atlanta summer might have on the horses. This vital work protected the world’s top sport horses as they competed for Olympic glory and resulted in technology and improved practices that have benefited not only event horses, but also those competing in all disciplines. Thanks to work funded by the USEA Foundation, not one horse suffered any heat-related issues at the 1996 Olympic Games. More recently, the Foundation’s Frangible Technology Fund was established and to date more than 350 frangible fences have been constructed on courses across the country using the funds raised since March 2020. Additionally, earlier work raised funds for research by the Engineering Department of the University of Kentucky to help advance the safety of horses and riders on cross-country. Lovers of eventing donated to these efforts, resulting in the Foundation raising more than $650,000 for frangible technology. Research is ongoing through the USEA’s Safety Subcommittees, and the work will continue as long as necessary. A major focus of the USEA Foundation has been the administration of grants to help young riders, developing riders, amateurs, officials, and more advance in eventing. Some lucky recipients of USEA Foundation grants have already taken their places at the top of podiums and international leaderboards. Thanks to the Haller Educational Fund, many officials have received scholarships that have helped them become FEI officials – such eventing officials are essential for the future of the sport. As successful as the Foundation has been in supporting education, safety, and horse welfare programs, there is still much to do. Educational programs, like the USEA Instructors’ Certification Program, will need to continue as long as riders compete. Securing the future of the USEA and the sport through the Endowment Fund is unending. Equestrians, eventers, and the public have helped the sport achieve great things, and with your help, the USEA Foundation can continue advancing eventing indefinitely. To learn more about how the USEA Foundation is protecting eventing’s future, visit USEAFoundation.org.—Rob Burk