OLIVER Townend became the first British rider and just the fourth person in the history of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day-Event to defend his title on Sunday evening when winning for a second year in-a-row with the Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley Master Class.

The 14-year-old gelding, who Townend has since he was a four-year-old, was bred in Co Wicklow by John Hagan. He is by the late Belgian Warmblood stallion Ramiro B out of the Master Imp-sired mare The Swallow.

Carrying Richard and Georgina Sheane’s Cooley Sport Horses prefix, Cooley Master Class was ridden briefly by Andrew Nicholson before owner Angela Hislop secured the gelding for Townend. Not the easiest young horse and prone to injuries, this back-to-back historic success meant the world to the Shropshire-based rider.

“We’ve had the horse from word go, and it’s a huge team effort. So much effort goes into it, not just on my part. The horse has had a checkered career and we’ve finally got him on top form. We’ve always believed in the horse, and it’s thanks to everybody at home putting in a huge team effort. It was just my job to push the buttons at the right point in time. I couldn’t be more proud of the horse and the whole team,” an emotional Townend said after jumping a clear round to secure victory.

overnight LEADER

Townend and Cooley Master Class shot straight to the lead in Friday’s dressage test with a score of 24.1, ahead of compatriot Piggy French aboard another Irish Sport Horse, the John Dooley-bred Quarrycrest Echo (Clover Echo x Cavalier Royale) on 27.1.

Derek di Grazia set a big and challenging cross-country course and Townend produced a brilliant clear round, just adding 1.2 time faults having taken the long route at the Normandy Bank, despite losing a shoe half way around the course. Just three riders came home with no jumping or time penalties to add.

“Once I realised the shoe had gone, I was conscious of having to balance more and be more conservative than I usually would be. He was certainly a bit keener than he was last year, he felt stronger and was definitely up for it, his ears were pricked all the way. He made his own mind up over a couple of the jumps and at times I felt like he was more in control than I was – he did his job well and is becoming an incredible horse.”

American Boyd Martin moved up to second place after cross-country, ahead of New Zealand’s Tim Price, just one pole separating the top three, setting up a sensational finale.

In Sunday’s show jumping, the electric atmosphere turned into tension when Price produced a clear round to put the pressure on the final two athletes. All eyes were then on home hero, Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg, with the patriotic crowd eager for an American victory for the first time in 11 years.

An eruption of applause echoed through the stadium as Martin cleared the final fence and was just one horse away from victory. Silence fell as Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class entered the arena and with nerves of steel, they delivered a faultless round to become the first ever British equestrian to win back-to-back Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event titles.

“We had a rub at the Land Rover water tray but he’s a very good jumper so even when he touches a jump, he does it lightly and then apologizes for the next six jumps. It was definitely the most (high pressure) round I’ve ever ridden and I’m just glad I didn’t muck it up for him.

“This is one of the biggest events in the world and it’s an eventing childhood dream to win at the highest level. The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event is second-to-none, the infrastructure is out of this world and the whole week has been so phenomenal,” the winner said.

Britain’s Piggy French moved up one place to fourth with a clear round on Jayne McGivern’s Quarrycrest Echo, a great end to the competition for her after they had dropped to fifth when having a difficult time across the country on Saturday. The 12-year-old gelding was sticky in places and French lost her stirrup on one occasion and brought him back to a trot to check if all was okay. They came home with 6.4 penalties.

For his victory, Townend took home a cheque for $130,000, and a one-year lease on a Land Rover Discovery.