Boyd Martin holds the Mars Maryland 5 Star dressage lead after the first day of action today (Thursday, 16 October), having scored 31 on the syndicate-owned Luke 140.
Second into the arena today, Boyd presented Luke 140 in a pleasing open frame and showed consistent, smooth trot-work which was trending in the 20s. But there were a couple of errors in the canter – he scored fours across the board for his first flying change and fives for a messy transition up to canter, when Luke 140 sneezed and then showed several trot steps rather than going direct from walk to canter.
Maryland 5 Star dressage: Boyd Martin’s ‘mission ahead’
This is Luke 140’s Maryland 5 Star debut, but he has previous form at five-star level as he was seventh at Kentucky Three-Day Event this spring and fourth at Luhmühlen Horse Trials in 2023.
“I was pretty happy with Luke. He’s a very, very talented horse and he’s got an amazing ability. The biggest challenge I’ve got is to keep him settled under a lot of atmosphere and he went around and did a very, very nice test. I was pleased with him,” said Boyd Martin after his Maryland 5 Star dressage test.
“We’ve got a mission ahead – the cross-country course looks very challenging and there’s another day of dressage tomorrow.”
According to data analysts EquiRatings, Boyd was the pre-competition favourite to win this weekend on his second ride Commando 3 (18% win chance), with stable-mate Luke 140 his closest rival (17% win chance), although today’s performances have slipped Luke 140 to fourth on the predictions (11% win chance). Boyd won the inaugural five-star here in 2021 on the British-bred On Cue.
Caroline Pamucku sits second, just 0.4 of a penalty behind Boyd, after a neat, consistent test on her second ride of three, She’s The One. This Jaguar Mail mare owned by Andy and Mollie Hoff, her rider and Caroline’s mother Sherrie Martin, made her five-star dressage at Kentucky this year but was withdrawn before the cross-country.
Caroline said: “I’m really proud of the mare. She’s 10 this year, but she’s had quite a bit of experience. The team last year sent us over to compete at Millstreet, which is great experience for her and me. And then this year they sent us over to Arville. So I’m really thankful for the US federation to keep putting a little bit of energy and time into her and giving me an opportunity so that she’s getting quite used to this sort of atmosphere.”
Caroline Pamukcu praises She’s The One after her Maryland 5 Star dressage test in October 2025. Credit: Amy Dragoo
Brannigan and ‘Foxy’ on the comeback trail
Jennie Brannigan holds third on FE Lifestyle (“Foxy”), owned by Nina and Timothy Gardner, after scoring 32.8. This seasoned partnership – fifth here in 2022 and 12th at Burghley Horse Trials in 2023 – have both suffered injuries this year, starting with the chestnut having an accident in the lorry before a planned Badminton Horse Trials debut this spring.
“It was so unfortunate he had a shipping accident 10 minutes from Badminton – heartbreaking for me, his owners and his groom Isabel Turner,” said Jennie today.
Then last weekend at Morven Park, one of Jennie’s rides, Kismet, flipped over in the cross-country start box, leaving Jennie with an injury to her left leg which meant her fellow US rider Phillip Dutton had to step in to trot up FE Lifestyle for her yesterday.
Jennie Brannigan and FE Lifestyle at Maryland 5 Star 2025. Credit: Amy Dragoo
Jennie made a strong start to her test, demonstrating lift in FE Lifestyle’s trot and a good mid-test halt and rein-back. But the chestnut went to offer an extra flying change when the rider straightened him up up after the second half-pass and then didn’t jump through fully behind in the final flying change, so their marks dropped down in those later movements to between four and 5.5.
Jennie gave a shout out to trainer Bettina Hoy after her test, saying she has “brought everything to the next level”.
Britain’s sole competitor at this year’s Maryland 5 Star, Alex Bragg, had quite a tricky time in his test today, with The Roe Family’s Quindiva looking bright and mistakes including swinging her quarters in unsettled halts and striking off on the wrong canter lead. He sits seventh of the 11 starters so far, with a mark of 39.2.
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