Pony Club Alumni Reach Top of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event Standings; Pony Club Present Throughout the Weekend

By Sarah Evers Conrad, USPC Director of Marketing and Communications

An education from the Pony Club program can take you places…like the top levels of equestrian sport, which includes the leaderboards for the 4* and 5* events during the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by MARS Equestrian (K3DE). It was a thrilling weekend as Pony Club fans and members tracked their favorite riders and role models. In addition, members stayed busy in a variety of other events provided by the United States Pony Clubs.

A Five-Star Weekend

It’s common for the roster of riders for both the 4* and the 5* events during the Kentucky Three-Day Event weekend to be filled with Pony Club alumni. This year was no different, with 64% of the riders in the 5* being alumni and 57% of the riders in the 4* also alumni of either the United States Pony Clubs (48%) or a Pony Club organization from another country (9%).

The weekend, known as “The Best Weekend All Year” by many, kicked off with top-notch dressage competition, which saw German rider Michael Jung, aboard Fischerchipmunk FRH, throw down a major challenge to the other riders with a record-breaking score of 18.6 on the first day of competition. This was the second time this reigning Olympic champion from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and multi-World Champion has achieved a record score in Kentucky. In 2022, he set down a record-breaking score of 20.1, also aboard the 14-year-old bay Hanoverian gelding owned by a consortium including Joachim Jung, DOKR (the Germany Olympic Committee), Klaus and Sabine Fischer, and breeder Dr. Hilmer Meyer-Kulenkampff.

“Chipmunk is a horse you dream to have in your stables,” Jung said. “He’s a super talent. He’s great in the dressage—easy and relaxed to ride. On cross-country, he’s super-fast with a big stride, and he has a lot of scope in the show jumping.”

While Jung doesn’t have Pony Club experience, he certainly gave a masterclass to all riders as he stayed in first after 2.4 time faults in cross-country, thus opening up an 11.8-point lead over the second-placed horse, making it the widest lead anyone has ever had going into the final phase of the CCI5*-L. And on Sunday, a packed crowd in the Rolex Stadium saw him drop only one rail in show jumping at fence #3 to finish on a score of 25.0. With his commanding lead, that downed rail didn’t affect the rankings as he clinched his fifth win at the K3DE, which includes wins in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, and now 2025.

“I really love to ride the horses, train the horses, do something with the horses,” said Jung. “I really love the animals, and I’m really happy with what I’m doing every day.”

Following down the five-star leaderboard, a host of international Pony Club riders landed in the top spots, with Boyd Martin, who now rides for the United States but who started out in Australia and was a member of Forest Hills Pony Club as part of Pony Club Australia, landed three mounts in the top seven spots.

This success during the weekend helped this four-time Olympian earn the number one position on the FEI Eventing World Ranking List for the first time in his illustrious 25-year-long career. This is the first time a U.S. Eventing athlete has held the honor in more than 20 years, with the last American being Kim Severson in 2004. Martin has accumulated more than 71 starts at the 5* level, with more than 48 clear cross-country rounds and 416 jumping clears. His record includes an impressive 73% completion rate at this level along with 56 international wins.

“It is a huge honor and privilege to be named the number one rider in the world in Eventing,” said Martin. “It’s really a humbling moment.”

Martin, who is fan favorite of Pony Club members and was definitely a favorite with the show jumping crowd on Sunday as they roared with applause after his double-clear round (no rails and no time faults). He rode Commando 3 (aka Connor) to land behind Jung and Fischerchipmunk FRH with a total score of 32.8. The pair had chased Jung from second place all weekend, starting with their dressage score of 26.0.

In dressage, Martin and Connor remained unphased when the rain started, as they showcased their strong trot and lateral work, which had them trending above the 75% mark throughout the test.

“[Commando 3] is very good on the flat,” said Martin. “He’s flamboyant. He’s good looking. He’s got presence and enthusiasm.”

Martin noted that Commando 3 benefitted greatly from arena familiarization earlier in the week, and overall, he was pleased with the focus throughout the test in the rain.

The next day, Yankee Creek Ranch’s 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding added 6.8 time penalties on Derek di Grazia’s cross-country course, which spanned roughly four miles, after what Martin noted was a tiring day.

A tiring cross-country day indeed, as out of the 34 entries that were set to start on Saturday, only 26 completed the course, with 15 finishing with no jumping penalties. Three were eliminated, four retired on course, and one withdrew before the start. That puts the 5* course at a 78% completion rate, which is down from 2024’s 81% completion rate. It was definitely a tough course, with problems in a variety of spots for the riders.

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was in for this weekend,” said Martin about Commando 3. “Last year, he was my backup horse for the Olympics, and he didn’t do a long-format three-day, and I questioned if he had the guts and the heart to do an epic competition like this. But after going through this weekend, I think he could be a career-changing horse. He has a lot of quality. He’s beautifully bred, with plenty of Thoroughbred, and he was strong in all phases, so I think it’s just the beginning.”

His other two mounts, Fedarman B (aka, Bruno), a 14-year-old bay KWPN gelding owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate, and Luke 140, a 14-year-old bay Holsteiner gelding owned by the Luke 140 Syndicate, landed in 6^th and 7^th, respectively. As the highest-placed American rider, Martin captured the Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship, presented by MARS Equestrian, and his trio of horses gave him a 1-2-3 in the national championship.

Great Britain’s Harry Meade, who has been a member of The Pony Club in the United Kingdom once upon a time, took third aboard ET Hop Du Matz, an 11-year-old Sell Francais gelding he co-owns with Mandy Gray, after jumping from 17^th after dressage. And he also took fourth on Grafennacht, a 13-year-old Oldenburg mare owned by Amanda Gould and formerly ridden by William Fox-Pitt. He and the mare also lept up after dressage, from 18^th. His jump in placings were due to his fabulous cross-country rounds with both mounts. He was the only rider in cross-country to finish inside the optimum time of 11 minutes and 20 seconds, and he did that with both horses.

When talking about what motivates him, Meade commented that it’s hope. “Having hope is an amazing quality,” he said. “It’s what every young horse you have that dream that they could be a superstar, and some of them don’t turn out to be, but the whole time you have that hope, and it’s hugely motivating. Every competition is part of that exciting journey. It’s because of these events. It’s the motivation for these big moments.”

Martin shared his respect for Jung, commenting that he tries to emulate him.

And while Jung attributed his success in Kentucky to luck, Meade shared great admiration for his idol during the final press conference of the weekend. “Michi will be remembered as one of the greats,” he said. “I’ve followed the sport from the 50s, 60s, 70s—before I was even born, and I think Michi is hands down, without a doubt, the greatest event rider there’s ever been. And I don’t think there will ever be anyone better. I think we are living in a moment with an extraordinary thing; I think often when it’s happening at the time, people don’t appreciate it, but I think he will be remembered in 50 years’ time as the best there ever was.”

With a final scoreboard filled with riders from Great Britain, New Zealand, and Germany showcasing the international talent the 5* brings to Kentucky, Bruce (Buck) Davidson, Jr., was the highest-placed USPC alum aboard his longtime partner Sorocaima, with his 13th place finish on a score of 66.5.

Four-Star Fun

The Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S saw another Pony Club Australia alum-turned-U.S. rider in the top placings with multiple horses, just like in the 5*, and also another repeat winner, as well.

Defending champion Will Coleman, riding Off the Record, a 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by the Off the Record Syndicate, danced to a score of 21.8 in dressage despite a rain deluge and a delay, to earn the best dressage score of Coleman’s career.

Although he wasn’t quite able to catch Coleman’s score, Phillip Dutton, an Australian native who got his start in Nyngan Pony Club in New South Wales  with Pony Club Australia, who now rides for the United States, was able to land two horses in the top three after dressage. He and Possante, a 2013 KWPN gelding owned by The Possante Group, were right on the heels of Coleman with a 23.1, also setting a career best score. Aboard a less-experienced mount, Denim, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (owned by Caroline Moran, Ann Jones, Ann Lapides, and Neill Sites), Dutton earned a 25.6, for third.

Riders who have been part of the United States Pony Clubs program include: Ariel Grald (aboard Diara), Caroline Pamukcu (and her Olympic mount HSH Blake), Sarah Kuhn (aboard Mrs. Cash Van De Start), Ema Klugman (and RF Redfern riding for Australia), Alexandra Knowles (on Morswood), and Jan Bynny (on Beautiful Storm), ended up in 5^th, 7^th, 10^th, tied for 16^th, and 19^th, respectively.

Except for the top three spots, some shuffling happened on Saturday during the cross-country phase. Of course, Coleman and Off The Record continued to have a fabulous weekend as they were the fastest duo to finish cross-country, only picking up 7.2 time penalties for a score of 29. And Dutton managed to keep his hold on second with Possante, with third with Denim.

USPC alum Allison Springer had the second-fastest round on No May Moon, an 11-year-old Connemara cross bred by owner Nancy Winter, to move up from 27^th into 5^th, where she would eventually finish at the end of the weekend. Jessica Phoenix (CAN), a Canadian Pony Club alum, and her Olympic mount Freedom GS moved from 14^th to 4^th, and would finish in third after her show-jumping round, pushing Dutton and Denim into fourth. Klugman and Chiraz moved an incredible 23 spots from 30^th into a tie for 7^th with Alexander O’Neal, another USPC alum with Redtail Penumbra, but 8 faults in show jumping would bump O’Neal down to 12^th.

On the final day, 37 horse-and-rider combinations entered the famous Rolex Stadium to tackle the show-jumping phase. The track,  designed by U.S. course designer Steve Stephens, immediately showcased itself to be a challenging course, with only six combinations going double-clear.

Coleman and Off The Record had a rail in hand due to time penalties incurred by second-place combination, Phillip Dutton and Possante from day 2, and they needed it as they dropped a rail at the first fence in the double combination at 9A. However, Coleman managed to end the day with only four jumping faults, bringing their final score to 33.0.

“Honestly, he’s been a horse that has often been a bridesmaid in my barn,” said Coleman of Off The Record, better known as “Timmy” at home. “If I have two horses at an event, I often have Off The Record be my first to go, because he’s such a reliable cross-country horse. He’s sort of like an old shoe, I just know him so well, and he gives me a great feel for the course. So being in that position a lot, he doesn’t often get to come home as the winner. But this weekend, he was kind of my only horse here in this competition. He’s just a sensational boy, and I’m just really pleased that he gets a chance to wear the crown after this weekend. He’s more than deserving.”

Even with a clear round aboard Possante, Dutton would stay in second with a total of 33.9. Due to Phoenix’s double-clear round, she and Freedom GS snuck into third place with a 28.0, right ahead of Dutton and Denim’s score of 38.8.  Springer, who was the keynote speaker at the 2023 USPC Convention, became the highest-placed USPC ambassador with a double-clear to end on 40.4. Additional ambassadors for USPC in the top 20 included: Ema Klugman (AUS) and Chiraz in 9^th, Jan Bynny and Beautiful Storm in 10^th, Alexander O’Neal and Redtail Penumbra in 12^th, Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake in 16^th, and Sarah Kuhn and Mr. Cash Van De Start in 19^th.

And international Pony Club alumni included James Alliston, who now rides for the U.S., who rode Nemesis to a seventh-placed finish, and Dana Cooke (CAN), of the Canadian Pony Club, and FE Quatro landed in 11^th.

Pony Club Activities

Mounted Games was on display during the Chewy Mounted Games Invitational, held in the Walnut Arena on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Three teams from Pony Club were invited: Full Throttle, Hot Rods, and Bravacados. The team of Full Throttle—consisting of Mariana Racine and Misty, Mattie Belle Yates and Panda, Cash King and Mazi, McKayla Kelly and YoYo, and Stella Rosen and Izzy—was made up of members from the Sunshine and South Regions and came in first place for the weekend.

With a scramble team from the Sunshine, Maryland, and Western New York Regions, the Hot Rods—with Lexi Ray and My Little Squire, Sage Clarich and Sausage-n-Biscuits, Emma Watson and Rhea Sunshine, Madelyn Dietrich-Cochran and Peaches, and Landon Cambridge and Doc—came in second. A scramble team from the Maryland Region and one rider from the Virginia Region, the Bravacados—consisting of Claire McMillan and She’s a Diva, Katelyn Donnelly and Roger Rabbit, Madeleine Liker and Baby Blue, Eden Lily Sollimo and Kizmet, and Waverly Smith and Candy Caper—rounded out the teams in third.

A weekend of variable weather saw Mounted Games get rained out on Friday, due to the same downpours that deluged riders in the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event during the dressage phase over in the Rolex Stadium. However, the teams made up for lost time on Saturday and even had time for some bonus games.

In addition to Mounted Games competition, members from Keeneland Pony Club—Emma Shade Kleintop, Grace Tucker, Hadley Taylor, and Isla Utterback—in the Midsouth Region were invited to do a quadrille demo for three days of the event. In addition, volunteers from various Pony Clubs were on site volunteering in a variety of roles on the grounds.  

One club, Silver Springs Pony Club from the Midwest Region, made a weekend of it and dozens of their members traveled here to watch one of their trainers compete.

One lucky Pony Club member was put to work in the media center as the Ann Haller Media Intern. William Coon, H-B HM, C-2 EV, of Ariatti Equestrian Center Pony Club Riding Center in the Midsouth Region was chosen from multiple applicants to learn all about equestrian media. You can read his winning entry here.  

Despite the rain on Friday, several lucky Pony Club members were chosen to participate in a barn tour with Pony Club alum Brooke Burchianti, who was competing in the 5* during the weekend. Members got to hear stories from Burchianti’s time in Pony Club, get her autograph, and learned more about how she got to where she is today.

Luckily the weather issues cleared up for Saturday and Sunday, and a large group of Pony Club members met Steve Stephens, the course designer for the show jumping phases of the Eventing weekend, on Sunday morning and enjoyed a special opportunity to walk the course for the 4* event. Stephens has done this behind-the-scenes course walk for USPC for several years now, and he is always full of insights and information for members.

In addition, staff from the USPC National Office greeted members, alumni, and visitors at the booth in the Trade Fair and talked about Pony Club’s new programs, including the USPC Member Achievement Program and virtual competitions, along with the launch of Allpony, the new online learning platform available to any horse enthusiast who wants to learn more about riding and horsemanship.

 It was a weekend packed with thrills and excitement of Eventing at the highest level, plus evenings of top-notch Show Jumping competition, equestrian entertainment on display, plenty of shopping, fabulous food trucks, along with special Pony Club activities  to earn the title of “Best Weekend All Year.”