• Save

Townend Triumphs with Back-to-Back Victories at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

(LEXINGTON, KY) – April 28, 2019 – After four days of thrilling world-class action, Great Britain’s Oliver Townend made history becoming the first British rider to successfully defend his title and win the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event back-to-back. Townend’s win not only secured a healthy share of the $400,000 prize money, but also the keys to a 12-month lease of a Land Rover Discovery vehicle.

With just one pole separating the top three riders on the final day, the electric atmosphere turned into tension when Tim Price (NZL), lying in third place, produced a stunning clear round to put the pressure on the final two athletes. All eyes were then on home hero, Boyd Martin (USA) and Tsetserleg, with the patriotic crowd eager for an American victory for the first time in 11 years. An eruption of applause echoed through the stadium as Martin cleared the final fence and was just one horse away from victory. Silence fell as Oliver Townend and Cooley Masterclass entered the arena, hungry to defend their 2018 title. With nerves of steel, Townend delivered a faultless round, denying the home victory for Boyd Martin, and making history to become the first ever British equestrian to win back-to-back Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event titles.

With tears glistening in his eyes, an emotional Oliver Townend commented, “I am so proud, I can’t say what this means. It’s a huge team effort; it hasn’t been an easy journey, but we always believed in him and the horse is pure class – it was just my job to press the buttons at the right time and he delivered again.”

“This is one of the biggest events in the world and it’s an eventing childhood dream to win at the highest level. The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event is second-to-none, the infrastructure is out of this world, and the whole week has been so phenomenal.” — Oliver Townend, Great Britain

Leave a Reply