Townend tops Jung at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event

Michael Jung did not manage to clinch his fourth success at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event. In a nail-biting finish filled with gasps and thrills, Oliver Townend of Great Britain beat the Germany’s three-time defending champion, finishing on his dressage score of 28.7 penalties.

The day had started well for Jung who was top of the leaderboard with his FischerRocana FST in front of 25,000 spectators waiting for his triumph in Lexington. 

The top three were separated by a mere 1.2 points before the last challenge. So when both Jung and Christopher Burton incurred penalties, it left the door open for Townend and Cooley Master Class to take the lead. 

Burton’s Noblis 18 lowered two fences, dropping the Australian right out of contention. So there was just a small matter of Jung and his 13-year-old German-bred mare between Townend and the title. And when the German pair dropped a rail at fence 5, the victory was secured for the British rider who covered his face with his hands in disbelief before dissolving into tears.

Among the most cheered up was American pair Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, who also put in a double-clear show jumping round to move up into third overall.

The win of the first Kentucky title for Townend is just like a fairy-tale everyone dreams: the rider has had Cooley Master Class since he was a 4-year-old and despite a good start, he suffered a lot of injuries in the past that slowed down his professional growth. However, he has great talent and the results finally came in the last two seasons before this last triumph in Lexington.

Earlier on in the week, equestrian and actress, Kaley Cuoco, was part of the judging team for the annual Land Rover Tailgate competition.

Press Release Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event

Photo: credits Nelson Barnard for Jaguar Land Rover