YES!
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Iām a newb in terms of qualifications/distinctions in the eventing world. This might be a dumb question. Can someone explain the 4*/5* difference? Why are pairs that have competed/completed at Land Rover in the past in the 4* instead of the 5*? Will we still see them go?
Hi! really great info here about the different levels https://useventing.com/news-media/news/what-the-the-new-fei-star-system-explained
Itās possible combinations who have competed in the past at KY did not qualify for the 5* this year.
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Just to confuse everyone, the FEI re-categorized the levels of eventing a couple of years ago. What was 4* became 5* because a new level was put in at the bottom. Basically, 5* is the ultimate level of competition and there are only 6 in the world, soon to be seven if Fairhill does run as a 5* this year.
Kentucky 5* is the first in April.
In the UK, Badminton in May and Burghley in September are, by comon agreement, the two toughest events, such that just getting there is deemed an accolade and riding round gives life-long boasting rights. Winning puts you into the pantheon of stars.
In Germany, Lehmuhlin runs in June. It seems to grow bigger and better all the time, partly because eventing has become more popular in Germany, a nation generally dominated by Dressage and Showjumping. More and more nations are competing there, year on year, sometimes with horses not quite ready for Badminton or Burghley.
Fairhill, Maryland, in October is a new 5* that didnāt run last year because of the pandemic. It will be interesting to compare performances between Kentucky and Fairhill this year as they happen spring and fall.
France has Pau in October, the last 5* in the European season, often a good place to see new stars emerging as riders like to give Pau 5* a try as the culmination of their season. It always has the most beautiful, artistic jumps and is run in the slightly tight space of a racecourse on the edge of town.
Australia holds the Adelaide 3DE in November, the only 5* in the southern hemisphere. It is run in a public park in the middle of the city. Sadly, it is also the one that people tend to forget about.
Olympic eventing is actually run at a lower level because the IOC and FEI want to increase participation by more nations. That puts eventing in an odd position whereby the ultimate accolades are not Olympic gold (an extremely nice-to-have) but rather winning Badminton or Burghley.
5* is an odd level also because the riders donāt know if they have a 5* horse until they try one. 4* (= Advanced) is serious stuff but 5* ups to another level, in which the horse is running 12 minutes or so over a relentless course of technical challenges and questions at each fence. Individually they are still only 1.2 m high but the drops are steeper, the skinnies narrower, the brushes higher, the focus and concentration more intense. Even the let-up fences appear massive. The dressage and showjumping are similarly highly technical. Basically, 5* is designed to be the ultimate test. In the days of long format eventing a horse might do one 5* in their life, a few could return in subsequent years. In these times of a shorter format horses are able to win multiple 5* in a season and/or over their competitive lifetime.
On one occaision at Badminton I watched a horse gallop around a bend, see a line of fences, starting with the Vicarage V, and literally sit down on itās bum and say āYouāve got to be joking!ā. Not a 5* horse even if it had qualified by success at 4*.
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Thanks, your post was like a speedrun of the article above. I watch the events closely but not an eventer and donāt compete in eventing so the qualifying for a level in the sport is a mystery to me. Whatās the qualification for participating in a 5*? I looked at the 4* list for LR this year and some pairs that have run at LR 5* are in the 4* (if Iām not mistaken, but Iām pretty sure Iāve seen these pairs before).
so, in the US this will depend on the riderās categorization ā¦ there are different Minimum Eligibility Requirements (MERās) based on a rider being categorized or uncategorized and their A, B, C, D levels within. This is where it gets complicated to try and explain, but I did find all the info here https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/KlV5P9prkmM/ev-eventing-division page 52-57.
List of FEI riders by category is here https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/NktAb_S30XQ/usa-fei-eventing-rider-categorization
hope that helps a little to understand, though it is confusing
You are correct. There are several pairs in the 4S at Kentucky this year that have previously competed at 5*. There are a multitude of reasons for this - some combinations are coming back to the level after a long break (horse or rider injury, sometimes pregnancy, etc), horse is getting older and stepping back in its career slightly (but still wants a job), horse found something/some phase about the 5* level stressful or somewhat beyond its abilities, horse has been lightly competed or hasnāt travelled for the spring season due to COVID and isnāt quite prepped, horse has proved itself time and again at the level and is being saved for bigger things this year (ex. Tokyo).
Looking at the 4S entry list for Kentucky, I see potential examples of all of those scenarios there.
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In eventing it is the horse that goes up through the levels, from first baby steps upwards and onwards. That is why school children can compete on equal terms with Olympians at the lower levels. As they gain experience, build skills, strength, stamina then horses run over longer distance at faster speeds. Or decide they are happy at a lower level and stay there. Horses need experience to read what they are being asked to do as the fences become increasingly technical and great trust in their rider to jump into the unknown, which is why rider & horse relationships are so important in eventing. The horse gradually moves up the levels, ideally in a manner that builds confidence and consolidates success.
Starting at a certain level, Prelim in the US (= Novice in the UK, 1* FEI), riders and horses are required to meet MERs - Minimum Eligibility Requirements - before they can move up a level. MERs are minimum scores obtained in dressage, showjumping and xc to demonstrate competence. The idea is to improve safety in the sport by stopping unsafe combinations who exceed their actual ability. Currently, MERs are under intense debate in the US. You can easily look up the FEI international MER requirements online as the organisation is very transparent. Kentucky is a 5* Long (L) format i.e. it takes 3 days. Short (S) 5* would have shorter courses, so need less land, require fewer days with the three phases run over one or two days - and off the top of my head I canāt think of any such events. (5* competitions also happen in Dressage and Showjumping and the FEI likes to be orderly). If the rider and horse have already obtained a MER at a previous 5L, essentially the combination requires four previous 4 S/L in various possible combinations and/or 1 x Advanced, the MERs setting minimum scores in the three phases. If running 5* for the first time, the combination needs more experience in 4* L/S and must also have 1x Advanced.
A horse that has run at a 5L may drop down a level to 4 without any issues. In fact, good horsemanship and management of your equine athlete requires a careful programme of runs at appropriate lower level events as preparation for the 5* effort. Some horses do very well at 4* but never quite make it work at 5*. Some horses try Kentucky or Badminton or Pau for the first time and just eat up the course.
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So excited to watch. I will be at work but luckily can have it streaming in the background.
Anyone want to place some bets on who will win dressage in the 4* and 5*? Ballaghmor Class is going to be the one to beat, but RF Scandalous can put in such a nice testā¦ Iām with whoever said Ballaghmor is the one to beat - IMHO he is the best horse eventing has with Rocana hanging up her spurs.
As an asideā¦ Iām loving seeing names like AP Prime, Mai Baum, and Bolytair back out there. Hoping for a great comeback for those horses and their riders.
And did I read it right Steady Eddie is now with Michael Pendelton? Where on earth have I been? Pandemic has really cut into my eventing timeā¦ Yeesh!
Doesnāt Wofford usually do a Woffordās prediction commentary? Iām having so much fun speculating today.
I had to do a double take seeing Kimmy Cecere in the 4*. I used to give her piggy backs when she was a kid and I rode in her motherās riding program. Such a small world. Canāt wait to cheer all of these riders on!
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Double posting to plop this in here:
So bummed to hear Unmarked Bills wonāt be making an appearance. I absolutely love that horse.
EDITED TO ADD: ITās here!!! Woffordās ā no ā Carterās picks!!
http://bit.ly/2021-COTH-Kentucky-Preview
I enjoyed Carterās perspectives ā and his frank delivery on some rider/horse pairs.
Loved the buttons that showed US BRED and OTTB. Too cool.
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@beowulf thank you for sharing the link! wish they had included stories of all the first timers <3
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The course preview was released this afternoon: https://fb.watch/4UtxLeQwx_/
One more week!!
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with people shipping in from other countries, Iām guessing there is no quarantine for them as they will most likely be there for the Monday. Curious, anyone know?
Is anyone else doing the Eventing Manager app fantasy league type thing? Itād be fun to have a COTH league.
Itās I think by equiratings, download the app and for the major events they give you a fake 10M dollar budget, a list of horse/rider combinations that have different prices, and you have to pick a team of 4 combinations under your budget. They give you stats for each horse, rider, and combination. Thereās five days left to choose for LRK3DE, then I think you can sell and buy again after dressage. Supposedly you can win actual prizes but Iām just doing it for the fun of it.
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I am obsessed with Eventing Manager! Iāll set up a league if people are interested. Any good ideas for a name?
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Fun!! I would participate.
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Could just put something like COTH Eventing Squad or something 
