Epic Equestrian Fails From Land Rover Ketucky 3 Day Event

Dressage riders are basically control freaks with an expensive hobby. (I know you are offended Karen, nobody cares.) Once a year we gather together to watch the pretty jumps and the thrills and spills that is the Land Rover Kentucky 3 Day Event. We use this day to justify our existence as dressage riders and this is the reason we do not take part in the craziness of three day eventing.
Let me save you the four hours of screen time with this epic equestrian edit of all of the horse falls and fails from the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event.
Watch the best riders in the world crash and burn and maybe swim as they gallop their horses through one of the toughest cross country jumping courses in the world. #LRK3DE
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[@freehorsebreyer]

The jump technology is getting better. Ambulance was not used yesterday, horses and riders all walked away.

[@GoLightly01100]

Definitely. I've been watching 3-day for a zillion years, and the falls could be horrific. Much, much better.

[@MissEmily1129]

It still never fails to stop my heart for a moment though

[@sammurch2811]

Thank you for that reassurance there were some scary falls. ❤️🙏🕯️

[@reidchambers2521]

That no horse was fatally injured was mostly luck. Look at that second fall.

[@deanwitt7903]

There were some children physically abused in the park yesterday but don’t worry the ambulance wasn’t called and they all walked away !

[@alexo2178]

I am terrified at doing Cross Country at this level. I do feel as if it a bit too much for both horse and rider. Only 22 riders made it through this course, and these riders are some of the best out there.

[@irockyoursockzsobad]

It also poured rain.... if the footing and weather was better, there would have been a lot less falls

[@GoLightly01100]

44 horses made it to the final inspection, not sure where you got that number from. 63 started. None were injured. Sounds like a pretty good number, to me. The whole point of the XC is to test the horses. Same as SJ, or dressage. The highest scores don't get to come back. USA riders don't have the experience of riding in all weather like GB, AUS & NZ. That said, I still wish D.DeGrazia didn't design the course to be so twisty/turny/trappy. XC isn't about that. imo. Again, some horses LOVE to jump. And they can fall in a field. Glad the ground was soft, easier on the horses in that regard.

[@alexo2178]

@@GoLightly01100 Sorry, I meant 44 riders, not 22. I'm glad none of the horses were injured, and I feel like another major factor of why so many people didn't make it was because the ground was slippery and wet from the previous rain.

[@reidchambers2521]

@@irockyoursockzsobad then for animal welfare, they should've called it, but they never will. Too much money at stake.

[@reidchambers2521]

@@GoLightly01100 can fall in a field. What specious, pathetic attempt at rationalizing this.

[@lauraamick463]

It hurts to see the poor horses having such bad falls!

[@betsysmall3576]

Just because a horse appears to walk away doesn't mean permanent damage wasn't done!!

[@Addison_the_jumper]

Some of theses horses really said have a nice swim😂😂

[@MaureenYost]

I watched Elisa Wallace's webcam of the 3 Star course and it was so slippery. I wish all of the jumps had frangible pins or were like the show jumps and fell apart. So what if you have to have crew put them up again. Those were very scary rotational falls at 0:30 and 1:47. The sport is safer with the vests the riders wear and the frangible pins than it was but it needs more. I show jumped and did dressage when I was a kid but cross country was too scary for me.

[@elsacuadros6192]

I really wish they would cancel/delay when it’s slick and rainy at least! I love Elisa and watching her horse slide like that was so scary! When only about half the riders even finish it should be very clear that the conditions are too bad to continue. I do really appreciate that they are using more and more frangible jumps though, it was nice to hear that all horses and riders walked away this year with no major injuries.

[@MaureenYost]

@@elsacuadros6192 I would have gone over the jump, sailing through the air, when he wisely put the brakes on like that. I like how she gave him a pat and reassured him; telling him it was her fault. Smart horse. That course was worse than I realized before seeing this video of the fails.

[@janerathgeber3117]

There was no 3*. Elisa rode in the 4* short. I agree about the conditions, Ryebread will be back!!

[@MaureenYost]

@@janerathgeber3117 Oh, that's right! She made it look easier than it was. I had no idea it was this difficult. She sticks like glue.

[@reidchambers2521]

@@elsacuadros6192 Everyone puts their horse's welfare second, when it comes to competition. Even Elisa, who I like very much, almost killed Johnny at Badminton. She deserved the yellow card, but should have been stopped on course, so should many others. The judges are afraid to and the riders won't pull up. It should never be run in these conditions. Poor horses.

[@horsegirl07]

Aww the one horse in the water looked to turn around for the rider 🥺 I’m so glad everyone is ok!

[@souringwithdj7989]

Not my trainer being in this 😅

[@reidchambers2521]

No one cares 😁

[@sherinnovak729]

So many of the falls appeared to have been caused by slippery footing. The weather was terrible.

[@julieklett6751]

I wish they would delay or cancel when it is that slippery.

[@tobiahdb]

Many of the falls happened before the rain started. Only a handful were due to the rain.

[@FluxyMiniscus]

Always always use that last clip…it’s so evocative, sloshing back into the water for the stick… I’m always so worried for x country…so fraught with hazards! Good to hear everyone made it out safe. (Sound might be another story, I know I wouldn’t be sound of mind anyhow after some of those spills!)

[@GracieWible-rc9wl]

Good job for the horse at 0:15, it stooped itself from falling and saved the rider as well.

[@purpleravioli7452]

Always feel bad for the horses and could care less for the riders lol

[@Kimberly00000]

This just reminds me of benjamin winter's fall (he died shortly after) and everybody in the comments said that he deservt it and that he was such an abuser, while he wasnt.

[@purpleravioli7452]

@@Kimberly00000 I've never heard of the guy and I wouldn't wish ill will on anyone that doesn't deserve it... I'm just saying when nasty falls happen I always worry about the horse first (and if I fell off in a nasty way my first thought would be my horse) also humans kinda suck lol

[@graceconnolly5765]

@@Kimberly00000 I dont actually remember who it (ill try to find the video) was but he had a bad show jump round and he was getting so much hate. He did quit because he knew what he did was wrong and people continued to come at him telling him to kill himself. He ended up doing so then everyone was like "oh hes so nice it was such a shame". it really disgusts me and disturbs me what influence people have on others lives if they try hard enough.

[@deanwitt7903]

@@Kimberly00000 good riddance to another animal abuser !

[@MBrusaZappellini]

Ugh so tough to see, I don’t know how anyone ( riders OR horses) has enough nerve to ride these advanced courses... I chickened out of eventing decades ago after a few years and a couple events at training level (3’3”?) really did me in...( I thought, wow, if this is “ training” level, then I’m in deep doodoo ! LoL) I’m glad to read that none of the riders or horses were physically seriously injured in these falls- the jump designs have definitely improved in safety, thank goodness!! but I bet a few are pretty mentally rattled...Or, maybe not? 🤷🏼‍♀️it does take a very particular type of personality to have the constitution to take on such risky challenges. Me? I’m way past my big jump days... I’ll stick with hopping over little fences in the ring on a quiet 14.2 hander- leave the adrenaline to the Lionhearted...

[@reidchambers2521]

Not really; they've become way too technical.

[@lizmaslin5258]

Hey, am 72 yrs old, still love to watch, but did Training and schooled Prelim (where I lost nerve). That was it for me and stuck to dressage after that (even after 15 yrs hunter/jumper prior to that. I do agree about it getting too much but it's always been like that. There are still jumps that they can't do frangibles on, so maybe in these cases they need to change the jump itself. I watched the Burghley from 2019 in great and dirt

[@lizmaslin5258]

oops- anyhow Burghley 2019 and the Maltings complex was horrendous. Designer Ian Stark admitted in a news article that he was taken aback by the results. Unfortunately, the horses were the ones who paid the price. Pretty awful! Lower level unrecognized eventing was fun and affordable. You could compete on a $500 horse and have a good time. Entry fees were affordable $30-$50. Today's entry fees Baby Novice $200+ plus any other fees. But for all of this I'm still embarrassed that I like to watch eventing. And it sure is more genuine than modern dressage (which has clearly lost its way)...

[@DragonYT4Ever]

It's scary to see what a mistake can make

[@toddholderfield2187]

The music though

[@sherrielm6259]

cross country is one of the most selfish sports in the equestrian world! we can get air vest and helmets for us humans but our horse has nothing but some stupid, fancy, boozshy boots! i will NEVER EVER take my horse over jumps like this! great vid!

[@syzygyfarm]

I'm just here to laugh react the ignorance. ;)

[@julieklett6751]

@@syzygyfarm How is it "ignorant" to note the inherent danger in the sport? It IS dangerous for the horse. And when we take our horses over unnecessarily dangerous courses for entertainment, should we not really think about why some people do it? And should we not consider why we put our mounts at risk? What are we trying to prove. XC could be just as exciting and as much of a test of horse and rider if it went back to long form, where it was focused on stamina and endurance. Some of these courses are ridiculous.

[@chrissytinarose]

@@julieklett6751 You have seen long format, right? the jumps were way more dangerous than a slippery course. My trainer rode in long format and by her stories there is no way we'd go back to solid fenced bounces multiple times on a course.

[@janethill4365]

Why an owner, rider and trainer would put their beloved horse through this is beyond me. Anything for the ego win.

[@lori5455]

Never seem so many slips and falls on ONE Rolex course. Must have been very slippery wet mess. To see W. Fox Pitt take a nose dive was pretty shocking.

[@lizmaslin5258]

It happens to everyone and is the basis for the old adage "if you ride you will fall."

[@bootygurl2424]

Some of these fall I feel so bad for the horse.

[@annalandmark1458]

This is horrid to see so many horses fall at one event. How can anyone celebrate or laugh at this? Seems like an epic fail of a 5* and the root of the underlying problem with Eventing.

[@reidchambers2521]

That third fall could have been deadly, it was just dumb luck that it wasn't .

[@sunnybunny7053]

Even more reason to stick with just dressage

[@lizmaslin5258]

Hah!! Modern dressage is a mess. So many horses being shown GP with their polls behind the vertical, hollow backs, and not moving freely forward. Not to mention the resistances--rearing, bolting, etc. Also talk about horses who never get proper turnout time and socialization, literally bandaged up to their knees. I worked as a barn manager for a dressage farm in the VADA area and, boy, what an eye opener. I know H/J barns aren't any better.

[@GracieWible-rc9wl]

And it seems like a lot of these accidents are from the ground bein wet and and slippery. They should not hold these events with the ground being this wet, especially if the jumps are this high and solid.

[@tamarakiss5943]

The amount of experts here are amusing. If you'd really do your research you'd know that show jumping and eventing has become stricter and stricter in the years with horse welfare in mind (for eg. they banned climbing, quadrouple jumps etc) Serious injuries are rare even in cross country. Horses became a luxury for hobby and not means of survival. Eventing has come from the military because cavalry needed the strongest, toughest, most agile horses who are willing to put up the work, who can go on any terrain. If we just constantly ease the wokload of horses we just end up producing weak ones. Did u know why in the last 40 years weakened hooves had become an issue? It's because we give the horses improved soil etc. Even in ancient breeds like arabian, berber etc the problem has occured. Do you know what makes hooves become tougher? If they walk on hard surface (dry soil). If you take out a horse from it's original geographic area the breed loses it's features. Back in the day it was an objective goal for breeding to produce horses that aren't needy. Now a lot of lung issues, soft tissue problems, and nervous system problems came to the picture because of sport breeding. Maybe we should take a look back once because we certainly didn't invent horseriding.

[@laurengingery6333]

I'm going to have to disagree on the hoof topic. Proper hoof care is overlooked by many owners who just pay a farrier and move on, not educating themselves, on top of that, even when not needed, horses are shod in open heeled shoes at that which don't provide any frog support, putting strain on tissues/joints. There are so many factors that affect hoof care but bottom line, education is lacking for the modern horse owner. Proper turnout is also overlooked, denying horses of movement which is one of the key needs of the horse. Processed feeds and horses not being provided enough forage also bring forth health issues. There are ways to keep horses strong and healthy aside from running them through dangerous and strenuous 4-5* courses.

[@tamarakiss5943]

@@laurengingery6333 i agree with most of what you said, and yes those are also contributing factors too in hoof care. But what I said is proven to be a multigenerational issue. I think you also know that those who compete on 4-5* level don't necessarily do the equal work of a race weekend in the usual days. Also those who compete on the highest level have a lot more checkups with the vet than the average owner, and they are closely monitored by welfare marhalls at the weekends and i think that's good. I still hold my belief, that increasing a horse's speed, agility etc, considering it's basic aptitude is feasible and is a good objective training goal. Especially since training has become their main use, they aren't used for logistics as before. Also a lot of owners don't let their horses out on the pasture at all, which i find extremely unhealthy and the opposite of proper horse care. I know the reasoning behind it (expensive horse, insurance doesn't cover it etc), but i still don't accept it.

[@laurengingery6333]

@@tamarakiss5943 I completely agree and love your points. No matter how expensive the horse, they deserve socialization and turnout which a lot of upper level horses don't get. I just think we should hold our welfare standards a little higher than where they're at now (which is quite frankly the bare minimum). For example, Marilyn Little, she got nothing more than a small slap on the wrist a few years ago when blood was consistently found on her horses, yet she still continues to get praise and is allowed to compete in the upper levels. For the amount of money that is put into the upper levels, we should encourage those with better, scientifically bases care practices. We should also encourage more proper, relaxed movement, especially during dressage. There are way too many horses going around btv and not working through their backs properly where you can very clearly see the tension (granted eventing dressage seems better about this than modern dressage). On the topic of our impact on how horse's have evolved to live, we have to keep in mind that the time horses have been domesticated is very small in comparison to the time they've had to evolve.

[@tamarakiss5943]

@@laurengingery6333 well said, especially the dressage part.

[@julieklett6751]

And XC used to be more about endurance than the technical. Courses became more technical when short-format was introduced and they keep getting more technical. Many of us think that show jumping, in an arena where you can better control footing, etc., is the place to test technical jumping. XC can still be a test if it is less technical and dangerous, but what are we testing? Speed and endurance or speed and technical skills? The welfare of the animal should always be first and foremost.

[@sophiatynan8494]

2.22 superman

[@audreyalligood4471]

So cruel for horses!

[@IngePinge-]

This sport is cruel. There’s more horse friendly things to do than making them jump over these impossible jumps. I ride horses too, but i would never go for this level of cross country

[@DressageHub]

Yeah it's just a matter of time I think before it gets shut down

[@DressageHub]

Yeah it's just a matter of time I think before it gets shut down

[@smile_y2.0]

I agree but the jumps in S are higher... I think the worse thing is that the jumps are not "flexible“

[@rachelheeley2667]

I'm an eventer and I have to say that this is not the norm for this level. The xc courses from kentucky in previous years were not like this course at all. The combinations had angles that were almost impossible for a horse to read correctly. The last element at the head of the lake imo should have been replaced with a small brush vertical type fence. The fence they used was way too wide and the horses weren't able to have enough time or momentum to read and get over it after jumping the small up bank. I'm really not sure why this course was approved, all I can hope for is that they will make a safer course next year after looking at the stats.

[@coolerkittycattoy8795]

It's a lot safer now. I think all the horses were alright. NO NEED to shut it down just because a karen demands it.

[@katherinesmith235]

I started watching this and then stopped. It was just too awful to go on

[@clairesuzanne1276]

Riders have safety equipment...BUT thd horses dont!!! I honestly thought there were broken legs and necks happening...buts lots of don't tissue injuries which are just as bab as breaks...too testing this course...unnecessary to enjoy at such a cost to the horses

[@claudiamaierhofer5267]

really bad Horse torture this Country sad to see this forced Horses to run this cross Country😡

[@nerosiskou04]

Well wouldn't be so dangerous if stupid people would decide not make their horses run around for 8 minutes jumping meter high solid jumps just for a bit of money and a nice looking cup. Honestly baffles me sometimes. You're supposed to feel "sorry for them" yet they are putting themselves and their horses at risk for nothing other than their own enjoyment or "need to win". Have to be honest, i don't feel bad for any of them Feel sorry for the poor horses having to go through that kinda crap humans put them through 🙄

[@sophiatynan8494]

They enjoy it more fun for them than making them trot round in circles for hours

[@sophiatynan8494]

i mean its more fun for the horses

[@-B0-]

Just cut this crap! This sport is insane. 👎