November means shaggy horses, pumpkin spiced everything and holiday shopping

November 11, 2019

by Kate S. Spencer, Kentucky Three-Day Event “Super Fan”


Fall snuck up on us in Lexington, Kentucky. Almost overnight the hot, dry days morphed into icy rain, and temperatures plummeted 20 degrees. The horses in their pastures are sporting some seriously shaggy winter coats, and their humans are frantically searching through trunks and closets for those turnout sheets we are fairly certain we had cleaned, so where the heck are they? Hay is piled high in the barn lofts, and riders bundled in quilted jackets and fleece breeches are arriving at their barns with steaming mugs of coffee and multiple pairs of gloves. The horses love these cooler temperatures, so they run and prance and roll and play and we watch, sipping our coffee and silently begging them to be careful.


Fall is my favorite time of year in Lexington, not only for the colorful palette that graces the farms and countryside, but Land Rover Kentucky Three Day tickets are finally on sale! LRK3DE 2020 will take place again April 23-26 at the Kentucky Horse Park. Right now, 2020 tickets are the least expensive that they will ever be (prices will increase on December 6th) so now is the very best time to buy your tickets. And, there is NO BETTER GIFT than LRK3DE tickets for the holidays! My husband’s annual gift to me is a 4-day grounds admission ticket (he knows I like to choose my stadium seats myself), and there is no gift I appreciate or look forward to using more than this. If you have a birthday in December, like I do, ask for a reserved parking pass, too! You deserve it!


Though the eventing season is definitely winding down, there are still several competitions and schooling shows happening in areas that are unlikely to get snow this month, so if it seems like a loooooooooong time until LRK3DE, check out the events happening near you (the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, California, Texas, Tennessee). This is a great time to see some of our favorite teams in top form, and to meet some of the up-and-coming horses showing promise for next season. Most horses not heading to Aiken or Ocala are at home, refining their skills, before they take a few wintry months off. They will be back to work by February, starting with dressage and jumping shows before moving on to eventing competitions in the Spring.


At a time of year when our thoughts turn to all of the good things and people in our lives for which we are thankful, I am truly thankful for all of the volunteers, planners, organizers, sponsors, fans, riders, and (especially) the horses that make the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event the BEST WEEKEND ALL YEAR! As a Super Fan, I appreciate all the work that goes into this event, and I am amazed that, every year, this event gets better and better.


So bundle up, put another log on the fire, cue up the Man From Snowy River, and enjoy pumpkin and peppermint season. See you in Lexington in April!

February 25, 2026
Sydney Solomon’s journey to the top levels of eventing is a story of determination, resilience, and belief in steady progress. Raised in Maryland, Sydney did not grow up in a horse family. What began as a once-a-week hobby quickly became twice a week, and before long, the barn became home. Her first horse, a green Thoroughbred x Percheron cross, presented a true learning curve from day one. During her initial time with "Bella", Sydney wasn’t even aware that eventing existed as a sport. She was riding in 4-H and local hunter shows, building her horsemanship from the ground up alongside a horse who was learning, too. Everything shifted after a visit to Fair Hill International, where she saw eventing at the international level for the first time. She returned inspired and certain that this was the path she wanted to pursue. Eager to move forward, Sydney began searching for a horse that could match her growing ambitions in the sport. That journey brought her to True Prospect Farm, owned by Phillip Dutton, where she discovered Lillian Pink, who was for sale at the time through Boyd Martin. After several successful seasons eventing with Lillian Pink, Sydney stepped into a new phase of development, training under the guidance of Lillian Heard and eventually becoming a working student for her. The experience sharpened her skills, strengthened her foundation, and propelled her confidently up the levels. The working student years were demanding and formative. They offered a clear view into what it truly takes to build a career at the highest level of the sport. After the heartbreaking loss of Lillian Pink, Sydney made a defining choice to continue pursuing her dream, leaning into the challenges rather than stepping away from them. With Heard's support, Sydney was connected with a working student position under Phillip Dutton at True Prospect Farm, immersing herself fully in a high-performance program and the daily rhythm of top-level eventing. Soon after, she was offered the ride on Early Review CBF, a Hanoverian mare who would go on to become a defining partner in her upper-level career. Together, Sydney and “Coco” have worked their way up the FEI levels one step at a time, building experience and confidence all the way to CCI5*. In 2023, they made their 5* debut at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, marking a career-defining milestone — one that stirred emotions Sydney rarely allows herself to show and underscored just how far the partnership had come. As “Early Review, accepted” echoed over the speakers during the first horse inspection, Sydney found herself tearing up, caught off guard by the magnitude of the moment. Even walking into the dressage ring, she admitted she felt the weight of it all — the years of work and the grit it takes to get there. They returned to Kentucky in 2024 to contest the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, continuing to build their résumé at the upper levels of the sport and adding another chapter to a partnership forged through resilience and experience. Today, Sydney continues to compete at the highest levels of the sport while dedicating much of her time to teaching and producing horses within her own program. Having trained within some of eventing’s most respected systems, she has drawn on that mentorship to shape a competitive and training business grounded in intention, patience, and strong fundamentals. Her journey — from learning on a green first horse to stepping onto the five-star stage — reflects a career built thoughtfully and earned step by step. With each season, she continues to add depth to her experience at the upper levels, carrying forward the resilience, perspective, and work ethic that have defined her path from the very beginning.
February 19, 2026
2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™  Set to Return, April 23-26
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