British Olympic team gold medallist Oliver Townend (GBR) rode to his first Maryland victory atop Ballaghmor Class, finishing with a mistake-free show jumping round on Sunday for a final total score of 31.3 penalties to win the 2024 MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory. This is Townend’s ninth all-time victory in a five-star and fourth with Ballaghmor Class (Burghley 2017 & 2023, Kentucky 2021). Ballaghmor Class now finds himself among the best five-star horses in the history of the sport.
Three-time Olympic veteran Tim Price (NZL), the 2022 Maryland winner, and 15-year-old gelding, Falco placed second, also with a mistake-free Sunday, finishing with a score of 34.6. David Doel (GBR) was third on Galileo Nieuwmoed with a score of 38.5, while Buck Davidson (USA) took fourth on Sorocaima with a score of 47.6.
Townend, who finished second in the inaugural MARS Maryland 5 Star in 2021 and had consecutive third place finishes the last two years, finally pushed his way to the top of the podium. “I fully expected that Tim would go clean and keep the pressure on me,” he said. “Fortunately, I am lucky to ride one of the sport’s great horses and he delivered big time.
“I wish he could carry on for another 10 years so we could retire together,” continued Townend, whose ninth 5 Star win ties him with Andrew Nicholson and Lucinda Green for fifth all-time behind William Fox-Pitt (14), Michael Jung (11), Sir Mark Todd (11) and Ginny Elliot (10). “He’s just phenomenal and it’s my job to show the world how good he is. Luckily, I didn’t mess this one up.”
Australian Ema Klugman was unfortunately eliminated on Saturday’s tough cross country course that saw 13 combinations either eliminated or retired (one eight combinations completed the course).
“That’s eventing for you! So proud of Bronte’s efforts around a seriously tough 5* track,” said Ema via social media following the event. “We were having an awesome go for the first three quarters of the course but unfortunately I popped off at the big water. We’re both no worse for the wear! Thanks to everyone who was cheering us on.”
Ema Klugman and Bronte Beach on cross country. Image by Shannon Brinkman.
CCI3*L
In the CCI3*-L competition, Sharon White, who was part of the U.S. Team that took home silver in the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, jumped from ninth place to first after a spectacular cross-country round on Saturday, and held firmly onto her lead with a clean Show Jumping round with eight-year-old Westphalian mare, Jaguars Duende finished with a total score of 29.6.
“Maryland is a unique place and a good test of fitness and a very proper course,” White said. “The atmosphere is unreal and special in both the dressage and show jumping so it’s such a good education for a horse. To me, I want not to overwhelm them and if you really produce them confidently, sometimes you have to be a little patient and I don’t mind being patient.”
Sara Schulman and Cooley Chromatic held onto second place throughout the entire competition, finishing with a final score of 30.6. Overall, Schulman and her gelding had strong finishes in each phase. Schulman held off Will Coleman and Fahrenheit Addict, as the pair finished with a final score of 31.5. Coleman, the two-time Olympian from Gordonsville, VA, moved up the leaderboard after a great cross-country round, going from fourth to third in the finale on Sunday.
Ema Klugman finished 29th with young horse Chiraz 68.2 in the CCI3*L. “We wrapped up Maryland with Chiraz jumping a beautiful clear show jumping round,” said Ema. “We learned a lot at this event, and we will be better in the future because of it!”
“We are appreciative of our sponsors for continuing to make the Maryland 5 Star possible again this year, especially MARS Equestrian™ and Brown Advisory,” said Jeff Newman, President & CEO of the Maryland 5 Star. “The weather was outstanding and the crowds throughout the weekend were incredible to see. Ian Stark’s final cross-country course was beautiful and challenged the sport’s most elite riders and their horses. Thank you to the FEI riders and officials for coming from around the world to help lay the ground work for this event, to the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to get it off the ground, and our fans who continue to show us amazing support every year. We look forward to seeing everyone back out at Fair Hill and in Cecil County in 2025.”
Click here for full results.
The entire event was streamed globally via ClipMyHorse.TV and re-watched here.
Source: Event press release, edited by EQ Life
