British rider Tom McEwen finished runner up in a close battle for the top at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event riding Nicola Wilson’s former ride JL Dublin, owned by Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston.
Their 27.8 final score was good enough for second place behind America’s Tamie Smith who became the first American to win the event since 2008, and the first female winner since 2011. Riding 17-year-old Mai Baum, she finished on her dressage score of 24.2.
“So many people wanted an American to win here in Kentucky, and I’m just so grateful that it was me,” said Tamie at the prize-giving. “It hasn’t sunk in – I’m a little bit in awe right now. It means a lot.”
A masterclass cross country round with just 5.2 time-faults saw Tom and ‘Dubs’ lie in second place going into Sunday’s showjumping where they pulled off a superb clear round.
“Dubs, you are a truly special horse and I am so privileged to have taken over the reins.
What an incredible week and an even better team around me,” said Tom on his Facebook page later that day.
Other Brits to complete at Kentucky included David Doel who finished on his dressage score of 35.6 to finish in eighth place on Gillian Jonas’s Galileo Nieuwmoed, Zara Tindall who had an unlucky fence in the showjumping to earn 15th place on Class Affair, and Yasmin Ingham (Banzai Du Loir) and Kirsty Chabert (Classic VI) who both jumped clear showjumping rounds to finish 18th and 21st respectively.
