The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event has received five-star status from the Fédération Equestre Internationale. The new status, along with its respective requirements and rules, will take effect Jan. 1. The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L, returns to the Kentucky Horse Park, April 25-28, 2019.

Now in its 41st year, the Kentucky Three-Day has been a four-star event since 1998.  

The proposition to alter the star system, accepted at the FEI General Assembly in 2017 but not effective until 2019, states that CCI competitions will now be referred to as CCI-L (for long) while CIC competitions will become CCI-S (for short).

The existing levels are being increased by a single star, so the existing one-star level becomes the two-star level, the two-star becomes the three-star, the three-star becomes the four-star, and the CCI**** becomes the CCI*****-L.

The Kentucky Three-Day will now be one of six annual five-star three-day events in the world, along with Badminton and Burghley in England; Luhmuhlen in Germany; Pau in France, and Adelaide in Australia. The Kentucky Three-Day remains the only five-star in the western hemisphere.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the FEI as one of the world’s elite events with the new five-star status,” said Stewart Perry, president of Equestrian Events, Inc. and organizer of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. “It solidifies our longstanding position as one of the world’s leading equestrian events. A distinction we work hard to deliver on every year.”

The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event brings some of the world’s best horses and riders to Lexington, Kentucky, to compete for $400,000 in prize money, as well as a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, which is awarded to any rider who wins the Land Rover Kentucky, Mitsubishi Motors Badminton and Land Rover Burghley five-star Events in succession. It also serves as the Land Rover/USEF National CCI*****-L Championship for American riders.