Elkton, Md.—Oct. 18

In what was the most exciting 16 minutes of dressage at the Mars Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, former five-star winners Tamie Smith on Mai Baum and Oliver Townend on Ballaghmor Class went back-to-back in the ring Friday afternoon. It was a battle of titans that lined up perfectly for those gathered around the ring to watch.

In the end it was Smith and “Lexus” who hit the lowest mark of the day, scoring a 25.3 to take the dressage lead heading into Saturday’s cross-country. Townend, of Great Britain, and Ballaghmor Class are just behind on 26.5 penalties. Sitting a very close third is Great Britain’s Bubby Upton and Cola (26.7), who are competing in the U.S. for the first time.

“I was super pleased with him,” Smith said of her 18-year-old partner. “He’s feeling like a million bucks, and he feels like he’s 10 again. He’s so strong, and I felt like I had my best test. I was really thrilled with pretty much every aspect of it. I couldn’t have asked for him to be better.”

In many ways the two horses’ years mirrored each other. Ages 18 and 17, both horses had veterinary issues that sidelined their season and ultimately prevented them from being in contention for the Olympics. Lexus got loose just before he was scheduled to head to Kentucky for the Lexington CCI4*-S and injured himself. Townend’s 17-year-old partner “Thomas” had an abscess this spring and was unable to compete at Mars Badminton CCI5*-L (England) for the Rolex Grand Slam and didn’t get the necessary qualifying runs in time.

Smith and Lexus, a German Sport Horse (Loredano 2—Ramira, Rike), competed at one intermediate event at Twin Rivers (California) since March before heading to Maryland.

“It’s actually really great to be here,” she said. “He started his four-star long career here at Fair Hill. So to be back here for the five-star—his final five-star—is actually very special. And to be in the United States, in this area, is awesome.”

While Smith has decided that this will be the gelding’s final five-star, she said she’d likely still do some four-star short competitions and has long held a desire to compete in a hunter derby, so she’s talked to California hunter trainer Archie Cox about taking Lexus in that ring next year.

“It’s hard, because at one point we were like, ‘Oh, maybe he needs to retire,’ she said. “He got hurt, and we’re thinking, ‘Oh, it might be bad,’ and then it wasn’t so. And he actually doesn’t need to retire, just for us, and his owners, we want him to go out of the sport feeling the way he feels today, and not just running him ragged, if you will.

“Five-stars are hard, and the amount of work and pressure and all the stuff to put on a horse at that level, you always want him to be feeling at their prime,” she continued. “And I don’t know, at 19, any horses going to be really feeling at their prime. I think it’s a very few. So we’ve just chosen that this would be his last five-star.”

While the pair has always been formidable on the flat, Smith has her own secret weapon this year.

“I’ve been riding a lot with Ian Stark on the flat, actually, which most people would find that to be odd, but he’s quite good on the flat, and he just helped me get the horse really in front of the leg and, I mean, I’ve never had an extended trot until today or yesterday.”

Riders were asked to pick which music played during their dressage tests, and Smith picked “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John—particularly fitting for a pair who have had hills and valleys throughout their career together.

“Actually, Alyssa [Dobrotin] my groom picked it,” Smith said. “I was like, I don’t know. Like, what do you what do you play to this? But she’s like, Elton John, ‘I’m Still Standing.’ I’m like, that is so perfect! So I think he liked it.”

Townend and Thomas—who together have won Burghley twice (2017 and 2023) and Kentucky once (2021)—had a similarly light year. They also won their last preparatory event at Little Downham CCI4*-S (England) before coming to Maryland.

“[He’s] done another very good, clear round at the level,” Townend said after his test. “It’s just great to have him back here, and full credit to the team. I don’t think we’ve quite got him, dressage wise, where he can be, but at the same time, he’s feeling extremely well. And looking at the course, I don’t think we’ll be worrying about the dressage by the end of tomorrow.”

Townend has come to Maryland every year since the five-star’s inception, so he’s seen how cross-country course designer Ian Stark’s track has evolved over the years, and he said it’s gotten progressively more difficult.

“The time was incredibly gettable the first two years, and year three and four, definitely, that ain’t gonna happen,” he said. “It’s big. TV isn’t gonna do it justice, because you just cannot get over to people how many big jumps after big jumps, after big jumps with such accuracy as well. You know, one trip, one slip, and you’re over. So you need a lot of luck at five-star, but you need a willing partner. And it’s going to be a proper, proper five-star competition, and so it should be.”

Upton was the first rider in the ring this afternoon and scored a five-star personal best of 26.7.

“I’m thrilled with Cola,” she said. “He delivers every time. It’s kind of my job to do him justice with everything. I’m just thrilled with him. He was fantastic. [Personal best] at five-star, so we can’t really ask for more.”

While it’s the pair’s first time to the U.S., it’s their sixth five-star start, and over the years Upton has figured out how best to prepare the 14-year-old Holsteiner (Catoki—Vanessa XII, Contender), in what she described as a “risk-it-all” strategy. After making the mistake of working him too hard at Badminton the first year, she’s taken a more minimal approach.

“So I literally was in [warm-up] for 15 minutes before the test, and familiarizing him, I just walked round, like once, and that was it, because I kind of used the atmosphere to lift him,” she said. “And I went in, and I was like, ‘Oh, God, I may have left this a bit too on the edge,’ because he was a little bit spooky when we went in, but it kind of just lifted him. And it’s just a pleasure, honestly, to ride him every time. I’ve gained a huge amount of perspective in the last year. So it feels beyond special. It’s pretty impossible to put into words what it means to be here with my very, very special best friend.”

Upton had a fall at home while flatting a young horse in August 2023 that left her with a pair of spinal fractures, uncertain she’d walk again. What followed was a six-hour surgery to stabilize her spine, weeks of rehab and miraculously a return to Badminton this spring where they were 10^th.

“For me, just so lucky to still be doing what I love, let alone at the top of the sport,” she said. “And I, for one, know now how quickly things can change. The line is so thin, and I was the lucky one to be on the right side of the line.

“My perspective on life has definitely changed so much now from it,” she added. “We just enjoy every minute, particularly with this horse who’s done so much for me, and like I say, we did the young rider teams together, and I never thought in a million years that we’d get to five-star, let alone be kind of fighting at the top with the likes of Tamie and Ollie.”

Upton also has ridden many of Stark’s courses and said that he’s going out with a bang with this course.

“There’s kind of four or five really, really difficult questions, and he’s such a clever course builder,” she said. “Oh my God, we’re going to miss him so much in this sport.

“When you’ve committed to the straight route, you’re in and there’s no way of getting out, so basically, there’s no room for error,” she added. “Fingers crossed, I’ll have my A game on, because like I said, it’s just my job to do him justice because I know that he’ll fight for me right to the end.”

Tomorrow’s cross-country action begins at 9 a.m. Eastern Time with the three-star. After a break, the five-star will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET, with riders heading out on course every five minutes.

Full results here.

The Chronicle is on-site at the Mars Maryland 5 Star, bringing you photos and stories from all phases of the event. You can find all of our coverage of the event in one spot, and you also can follow us on Instagram and Facebook. You can read more in-depth coverage in the Nov. 18 issue of the Chronicle.