Late withdrawals include one Brit as Kentucky five-star gets underway with first trot-up

Thirty-eight horses were presented at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up this afternoon and all were accepted to start the competition.

US rider Andrew McConnon, who had hoped to make his five-star debut this week, was on the start list for the inspection, but withdrew Ferrie’s Cello before his turn on the strip.

Five British pairs came forward for the Kentucky Three-Day Event first trot-up, in front of ground jury president Christina Klingspor of Sweden and members Angela Tucker of Great Britain and Peter Shaw of Australia. US-based British rider Leslie Law withdrew Voltaire De Tre’ at the start of this week.

Britain’s world champion Yasmin Ingham will aim to go one better than last year, when she finished second at Kentucky, on The Sue Davies Fund’s Banzai Du Loir.

Tom McEwen makes his Kentucky debut on Jo and James Lamberts’ and Deirdre Johnston’s JL Dublin, while Kirsty Chabert also has her first start here, riding Classic VI, owned by Carole Somers, Kate Ward and Kirsty’s father John Johnston. David Doel completes the trio of British Kentucky first-timers, riding Gillian Jonas’s Galileo Nieuwmoed.

Zara Tindall – who finished third at the US five-star in 2017 on High Kingdom – rounds out the British pack, with Gleadhill House Stud’s Class Affair.

US favourite Tamie Smith cut a dash in the fashion stakes today, wearing a short white dress and black hat to trot-up world team silver medallist Mai Baum.

Will Coleman’s ride Off The Record, one of Mai Baum’s team-mates from last year’s World Championships, showed high spirits during his turn, cantering on his return up the trot-up strip.

As usual at Kentucky, the horses who have flown in from Europe all trotted up first. This is to keep them separate from the US-based horses, for biosecurity reasons.

The five-star dressage is scheduled to start at 1.30pm local time tomorrow (6.30pm British time).

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