Tamie Smith wins Kentucky 2023
Tamie Smith has won the Kentucky 5* three day event Horse Trials and become the first US winner of Kentucky since 2008 and the first female winner since 2011.
Tamie was riding the 17 year old Mai Baum owned by his former rider Alexandra Ahearn and her parents Ellen Ahearn and Eric Markell.
Speaking after winning the event Tamie Smith said “I’m just a bit speechless, I don’t think it’s sunk in. “I’m a little bit in awe right now. With that horse, a lot of people were part of his career, not just me and it means a lot. All of us have been rooting for an American to win Kentucky for a long time and we’ve been close a few times. I’m so happy an American won because I’m so tired of the Europeans coming over here and taking our national championship and I’m so grateful it was me. I think everybody is elated for me but we all have our own struggles in this sport, we all have our ups and downs. You picture the iceberg, you see the tip poking out, but the bottom is massive. You have a lot of struggle, a lot of heartbreak in this sport, but I think you do in anything that’s great. I think everybody just felt the same emotion I’m feeling right now, just elated.”
Tamie has to jump a clear show jumping around to keep her place as Tom McEwen from Great Britain was less than a pole behind her. He also jumped clear on Jo and James Lambert and Deirdre Johnston’s horse JL Dublin to clinch second place rattling the second to last fence and taking a flyer at the last but finishing with a double clear.
Liz Halliday-Sharp scored her first podium finish at five-star when she piloted Miks Master C, owned by Ocala Horse Properties and Deborah Palmer, to a clear to hold onto third place.