Tamie Smith has taken the lead in the Mars Maryland 5 Star dressage, kicking off Mai Baum’s final five-star with a score of 25.3.
The 18-year-old US eventing legend, who belongs to his original rider Alexandra Ahearn and her parents Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell, will step down from top-level sport after this weekend.
Tamie pulled off a mistake-free test today and earned the first 10 of the competition, from ground jury president Christina Klingspor at C, for her final centreline.
Mai Baum is a slender, extremely elegant black gelding by Loredano 2. He and Tamie Smith put in a Maryland 5 Star dressage test which was rhythmic and fluid, with flying changes so silky smooth onlookers barely even noticed them.
“That was probably his best test – he’s just getting better with age and so strong,” said Tamie, referencing the fact that the horse won the CCI3* (now CCI4*-L) here in 2015, his first season with Tamie, and now returns to do the five-star as his final event at the top level.
“It’ll be his last five-star, so it’s a bit bittersweet but it felt really good to feel that test after all the hard work we’ve been putting in. He feels like he’s a 10-year-old.”
Tamie and Mai Bau ended a 15-year drought for the home side in the other US five-star at Kentucky Three-Day Event when they won there last year and were also team silver medallists at the 2022 World Championships. The horse has won 13 times internationally in his career – once with Alexandra before she handed over the reins and 12 times with Tamie – and has become renowned for his first-phase prowess, so his lead today is no surprise.
Tamie said today that Mai Baum will still be out and about when he steps down from the top level – he may do some short format and showcase competitions and she is also interested in the hunter derby circuit.
She said: “He is only 30% blood and while he’s very athletic, he doesn’t have a lot of thoroughbred in him. It takes a tremendous amount to get him and keep him in that peak performance. ‘Lexus’ could do anything – he could do pure dressage, he could just do showjumping, he could go on the trail with Alex [Ahearn, his owner], he’s a very all-around type horse when he’s not five-star fit. We’ll keep enjoying him.”
Brits hold the other two podium places with just a few more tests to go. Oliver Townend lies second on 26.5 with another veteran, three-time five-star winner Ballaghmor Class, and Bubby Upton is third on Cola, just 0.2 of a penalty behind Oliver.
Tim Price has moved into fourth for New Zealand with his double world bronze medallist Falco on 27.4, while Dorset-based home side rider Cosby Green, the overnight leader on Highly Suspicious, is now in fifth on her mark of 28.
End of day update: Tamie holds her lead, with Oliver second, Bubby third and Tim fourth. Boyd Martin piloted Tsetserleg TSF into fifth at the conclusion of the phase and Cosby Green is now sixth.
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