Top rider confirms Kentucky and Badminton plans – and bids to join the record-holders

Boyd Martin has confirmed his ride for the Mars Badminton Horse Trials (8-12 May) next month and will bid to become the second rider to complete all the world’s five-stars there.

The US rider – who was born in Australia and initially represented that nation – has already started at all seven five-stars, but he fell across country on his only attempt at Badminton, in 2016.

Boyd Martin had entered world team silver medallist Tsetserleg TSF and On Cue for both Badminton Horse Trials and this week’s Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (25-28 April).

He has now clarified his plans and withdrawn Christine, Thomas IV and Tommie Turner’s Tsetserleg from Kentucky with the intention of taking him to Badminton. He will run 2021 Maryland 5 Star winner On Cue, also owned by the Turners plus Boyd himself, in the five-star at Kentucky. He also has Commando 3 and Federman B in the CCI4*-S at Kentucky.

Boyd will try to join Tim Price as the only riders who have completed the world’s seven regular five-stars, although if he succeeds Tim will still have a slight upper hand because he also completed the one-off five-star at Bicton in 2021.

US-based Australian Clayton Fredericks has also started all seven regular five-stars, but has not completed Maryland (he withdrew after dressage on his only attempt).

Britain’s William Fox-Pitt and New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson have won at the widest range of five-stars, as they have both taken top spot at five different ones – Badminton, Burghley Horse Trials, Luhmühlen Horse Trials, Pau Horse Trials and Kentucky. Tim has won four – Burghley, Luhmühlen, Pau and Maryland.

Alice Dunsdon has ridden at the most five-stars on the same horse as she has started six of the events on Fernhill Present, the exception being Maryland, which didn’t run at five-star level when she was making her bid to complete the set. She finished five of the events, but wasn’t quite able to make it a full house at Badminton. H&H followed her epic journey to the Australian five-star at Adelaide back in 2015, as well as her Badminton campaign the following year.

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