The Maryland 5 Star cross-country course for this week’s event has been designed by multi-medalled British former event rider Ian Stark. Although he is experienced at creating four-star tracks, this is Ian’s five-star design debut.
There are 28 numbered fences on the Maryland 5 Star cross-country course, with a distance of 6270m and an optimum time of 11 minutes.
Maryland 5 Star cross-country course: fence by fence
Start box
Fence 1: Maryland Flower Ramp
Fence 2: Land Rover Flower Table
Fence 3ab: Paul Bunyon Tables
Fence 3a
Fence 3b
Fence 4ab: Viaduct to Ditch Brush
Fence 4a
View over fence 4a to 4b (skinny on the right; trakehner on the left is on three-star course)
Fence 4b
Fence 5ab: Cecil County Tourism C&D Canal Water
Fence 5a
Fence 5b
Fence 6: Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area Covered Bridge
Fence 7ab: Green Rolltop Brush and Skinny Yellow Wedge
Fence 7a
Fence 7b
Fence 8: Ascending Oxer
Fence 9abc: Fair Hill Foundation Rail, Ditch and Wedge
Fence 9a
Fence 9b
Fence 9c direct route
Fence 9c long route
Fence 10ab: Brush Shoulder to Skinny Brush Oxer
Fence 10a
View over fence 10a to fence 10b
Fence 10b
Fence 11: Brush corner
Fence 11 direct route
Fence 11 alternative
Fence 12: Dubarry Stick Pile
Fence 13ab: Timber Rails
Fence 13a
Fence 13b
Fence 14: Cedar Brush Oxer
Fence 15abcdef: Md Crab Water presented by Mars
Straight route fence 15ab
Straight route fence 15cd
Straight route fence 15e
Straight route view over fence 15e to 15f
Straight route fence 15f
Long route fence 15a
Long route fence 15b
Long route fence 15c
Long route fence 15de
Long route fence 15f. It is possible to divert to this from the direct route 15e
If riders have an issue jumping off the bank (fence 15e on the direct route or fence 15de on the long route), this log forms an alternative – it is numbered as 15e one way and 15de the other
Fence 16: Open Oxer
Fence 17: The Fair Hill Flier
Fence 18abc: Roller Coaster and Fair Hill International Drop
Fence 18a
Direct route fence 18bc
View over direct route 18bc to fences 19 and 20
Back view of the direct route fence 18bc
Long route fence 18b
Long route fence 18c
Fences 19 and 20: Camden Yard Houses
Fence 21: MRA GTA Step Table
Fence 22ab: Slab Table to Oak Top Corner
Fence 22a
Fence 22b
Fence 23: Shelter
Fence 24: Groundhog Garden Gate
Fence 25ab: Left and Right Owl Corners
Fence 25a
Fence 25b direct route
Fence 25b direct route side view
Fence 25b alternative
Fence 26: Yellow Rolltop
Fence 27ab: Brown Advisory-Orlole Bird Water
Fence 27a direct route
Fence 27b direct route
Fence 27a alternative
Fence 27b alternative
Fence 28: Maryland 5* Final Fence
Finish
Pictures by John Kyle
You might also be interested in:
How to watch Maryland 5 Star live from anywhere in the world
When does Oliver Townend tackle the crab? Check out the Maryland 5 Star cross-country times… *Updated due to weather*
‘The terrain is more intense than Burghley’: Oliver Townend comments on the Maryland 5 Star cross-country course
Zara Tindall just outside top 10 after Maryland 5 Star dressage: ‘I love coming to the USA’
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