Chef

Leslie Law

Hometown: Ocala, Fla. Birthday: 5/5/1965 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing Olympic Years: 2000, 2004

Leslie Law has been a staple within the USEF Eventing High Performance Programs for over a decade, overseeing the USEF Eventing Development Program and supporting USEF Elite and Pre-Elite combinations. Law is an individual Olympic gold medalist and Olympic team silver medalist representing Great Britain at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. Law has been based in the U.S. for nearly three decades and is a highly sought after coach and mentor. L


Competitor

Will Coleman

Hometown: Gordonsville, Va. Birthday: 5/8/1983 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing Olympic Years: 2012

Will Coleman was part of the U.S. eventing team at the London 2012 Olympic Games with Twizzel and the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 with Tight Lines. In 2021, Coleman and Off The Record became the first-ever U.S. winners of the CCIO4*-S at CHIO Aachen. The pair went on to compete as part of the silver medal-winning U.S. team at the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy. In 2025, Coleman and Off the Record finished as runners-up in the inaugural US Equestrian Open Eventing Final CCI4*-L at Morven Park in Leesburg, Va. Coleman and Diabolo reached a career milestone in 2026 by winning the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L, becoming the first horse-and-rider combination to win both the Lexington CCI4*-S and the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L in different years, and just the second U.S. combination to win the CCI5*-L in the past fifteen years. Coleman had a stellar 2024 season with both Off the Record and new mount, Diabolo. The pair finished one-two at the competitive CCI4*-S at the Kentucky Three-Day Event. Ultimately, Coleman was selected to his second U.S. Olympic Eventing Team, but unfortunately withdrew his mount Diabolo before the start of competition.

 

Diabolo

Nickname: Dabs Owner: Diabolo Group Groom: Erin Jarboe Gender: Gelding Breed: Holsteiner Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Diarado Dam: Roulett M Foal Date: 5/8/2012

Diabolo joined Team Coleman in 2023, traveling all the way over from Australia where he was started by Stuart and Gemma Tinney. Coleman saw Diabolo (Dab) on a video and flew to Australia to try the horse before bringing him home to the U.S. to join his upper-level string. The pair have been conservative in the frequency of their runs in the U.S.; however, their results speak for themselves. Diabolo has developed into one of the country’s most consistent upper-level horses, with ten CCI4*-level starts yielding eight top ten finishes. The partnership quickly established themselves at the highest level, highlighted by victory in the Lexington CCI4*-S in 2024 at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, marking a breakout international win for the combination.  The pinnacle of Diabolo’s career to date came in 2026, when he and Coleman captured the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L in their debut at the level, adding only time penalties to their original dressage score to finish on an unbeatable 28.1. With the victory, Diabolo became the first horse to win both the Lexington CCI4*-S and the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L in separate years.


Competitor

Phillip Dutton

Hometown: West Grove, Pa. Birthday: 9/13/1963 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing Olympic Years: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020

Phillip Dutton is a native of Australia who relocated to the U.S. in 1991 and became an American citizen in 2006. He is a six-time Olympian, winning team gold for his native Australia in 1996 and 2000 and individual bronze for the U.S. in 2016. He was a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. Eventing Teams at the Pan American Games in 2007 and 2015 and won individual silver in 2007. With Connaught, he was the winner of the 2008 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. A highlight of his 2025 seasoncwas a podium with the Defender U.S. Eventing Team at 2025 CHIO Aachen, where Dutton and Possante helped the team secure their third consecutive silver medal in the CCIO4*-NC-S competition, and where they finished in 11th individually, just ahead of barn mate Denim, who took 14th overall. In 2026, Dutton continues to produce results with a talented string of horses, which has included numerous top ten finishes in international competition.

 

Possante

Nickname: Impy Owner: The Possante Group Groom: Emma Yanek Gender: Gelding Breed: KWPN Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Namelus R Dam: Wendelien Foal Date: 4/11/2013

Possante is a 2013 KWPN gelding (Namelus R x Ontangelo R) owned by The Possante Group. Bred in the Netherlands, Possante began his international career in Great Britain before joining Phillip Dutton's program in 2023. Since partnering with Dutton, Possante, known as “Impy” at home, has quickly established himself as one of the country’s top event horses. During the 2025 season, Possante earned podium finishes in several major CCI4*-S competitions, including second at the Lexington CCI4*-S at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event and third at The Event at TerraNova CCI4*-L. The pair also claimed victory in the Plantation Field International CCI4*-S. Possante continued his upward trajectory in 2026 with another competitive spring campaign, highlighted by a top finish at the Carolina International CCI4*-S and a strong performance at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI4*-S, finishing eighth overall.


Competitor

Boyd Martin

Hometown: Cochranville, Pa. Birthday: 8/20/1979 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing Olympic Years: 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024

A native of Australia, Boyd Martin has competed for the U.S. since 2009. He is a three-time Olympian and has three Pan American Games gold medals to his name, including a team gold from 2015 with Pancho Villa and team and individual gold from 2019 with Tsetserleg TSF. Tsetserleg TSF was also his partner for the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship, where they were part of the silver medal-winning team. Martin has won the USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event twice, in 2019 with Tsetserleg TSF and in 2021 with On Cue. In 2021, he and On Cue won the inaugural Maryland 5 Star, becoming the first American combination to win a CCI5* event since 2008. The 2026 season started strong for Martin with a podium finish aboard Commando 3, owned by Yankee Creek Ranch, at the Bouckaert CCI4*-S. Martin then claimed a second and third-place finish on Miks Master C, owned by OHP Hammertime Partners, and Shanroe Cooley, owned by Dallas LLC, at the Fair Hill International CCI4*-S the following month. In April 2026, Martin had two strong finishes with Commando 3 and Cooley Nutcracker at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event CCI5*-L, earning sixth place with Commando 3, and finishing just outside of the top ten with Cooley Nutcracker, owned by Liz’s Nutcrackers.  The following month, Martin and Shanroe Cooley took home third in the Tryon International CCI4*-S before making their first 5* appearance at the Longines Luhmühlen Horse Trials in June coming home with yet another podium finish, earning third place overall.

 

Cooley Nutcracker

Nickname: Bali Owner: Liz's Nutcrackers Groom: Stephanie Simpson Gender: Gelding Breed: Irish Sport Horse Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Tolan R. Dam: Ballyshan Cleopatra Foal Date: 6/15/2014

Cooley Nutcracker (Bali) joined Liz Halliday’s program in 2022 after beginning his career with Astier Nicolas in France. Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker debuted at the CCI3*-S level in 2022 and worked their way up to the CCI5*-L level by 2024. The duo collected two wins at the CCI4*-L level in 2023 in their preparation for their 2024 season. The first at Tryon International in Mill Spring, N.C., and the second at Galway Downs in Temecula, Calif., at the end of the year, where they topped the division to earn their first National Championship together. The pair have placed outside of the top ten only twice in their FEI career and finished eighth in their debut at the CCI5*-L level at the 2024 DEFENDER Kentucky Three-Day Event. In 2025, Boyd Martin took over the reins, and the pair secured their first win at the Yanmar America Tryon International Spring Three-Day Event CCI4*-L.  Later that year, the duo went on to bring home a podium finish at the Les 5 Étoiles de Pau CCI5*-L, where Martin and Cooley Nutcracker finished third in their 5* debut together.  In 2026, the duo contested their second CCI5*-L together, this time on U.S. soil, at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L, where they finished eleventh.


Competitor

Caroline Pamukcu

Hometown: Springtown, Pa. Birthday: 12/8/1994 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing Olympic Years: 2024

Caroline Pamukcu (neé Martin) is a five-star eventer who has produced numerous young horses to the upper levels of the sport. She represented the U.S. Eventing Team at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, riding HSH Blake, where she won individual gold and team silver medals. After several strong finishes at the CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L level with HSH Blake, including a win at the Tryon International CCI4*-L in May, Pamukcu was named to her first Olympic Eventing Team with HSH Blake and represented the U.S. at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. HSH Blake and Pamucku were the first to compete for the team in their Olympic Debut, earning a 30.40 in the dressage phase and finishing on a final total score of 66.8 for 36th place overall and contributing to the team's sixth place finish. Pamukcu and her team continued to showcase their consistency and strength in 2026 with a win at the Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. International CCI4*-S aboard HSH Connor. Entering the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L with a strong spring season, Pamukcu doubled down with a second-place finish with HSH Blake, earning Defender/USEF CCI5*-L National Reserve Champion honors.

 

HSH Blake

Nickname: Blake Owner: Caroline Pamukcu, Deniz Pamukcu, Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin Groom: Chloe Teahan Gender: Gelding Breed: Irish Sport Horse Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Tolan R Dam: Doughiska Lass Foal Date: 5/10/2015

Following their Olympic debut in 2024, HSH Blake and Pamucku were selected to represent the U.S. at the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S where the pair contributed to a silver medal finish for the Defender U.S. Eventing Team. In his CCI5*-L debut at the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill in October, HSH Blake and Pamukcu completed another successful weekend, securing an impressive fourth place with Pamukcu in the irons.  The following year, in 2026, the duo continued to shine, entering the cross-country phase as the highest placed U.S combination at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L, where they ultimately took home second place, earning the title of the 2026 Defender/USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Reserve Champion.


Competitor

Tamra Smith

Hometown: Murrieta, Calif. Birthday: 7/23/1975 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing

Tamie Smith was a member of the U.S. Eventing Team that won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, with Mai Baum. The pair were named as the reserve combination for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. With Mai Baum, Smith finished in the top ten at the 2021 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* and the 2022 Badminton Horse Trials CCI5*. Smith broke a 15-year drought becoming the first U.S. winner of the Kentucky Three-Day Eventing CCI5* in more than 15 years with her veteran partner, Mai Baum.

 

Lillet 3

Nickname: Lillet Owner: Molly & Jennifer Duda Groom: Savannah Gwin Gender: Mare Breed: Holsteiner Disciplines: Eventing Sire: S.I.E.C. Livello Dam: Princess L Foal Date: 3/25/2016

Lillet 3 is a 2016 Holsteiner mare (Livello x Calido I) owned by Molly Duda. Bred in Germany, Lillet 3 began her international career in Europe before joining Tamie Smith’s program in the United States, where she has quickly developed into one of Smith’s top international mounts. The 2026 season has brought tremendous success for Smith and Lillet 3, who traveled east for their spring campaign. At the Lexington CCI4*-S in Lexington, Ky., Lillet 3 was part of a historic achievement for Smith. Their victory was another competition milestone for Smith, as she became the first athlete to win both the CCI4*-S and CCI5*-L at the Defender Kentucky Three Day on different horses.