The U.S.’s Tamie Smith, champion of the 2023 CCI5*-L Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, and Danito delivered a dynamite dressage test today to take the lead in the 2026 Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S on a score of 27.0 following the first day competition.

Smith was thrilled with her and the 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding’s test in Rolex Arena’s high-octane atmosphere. “It was so cute when we were coming out of the ring today—he was like ‘yay!’  He knows how to flip his toes and turn it on, and he knew he did a good job,” Smith beamed. “He just went in there like the seasoned little showman he is, and we both had a good time. He’s my flashy little dressage fancy prancer who kind of stepped in right behind Mia Baum and is like an old friend. We just fit together.”

Tommy Greengard (USA) and 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding That’s Me Z also had a stellar start to this year’s four-star competition, topping off the first day of dressage in second place on a score of 31.4. The U.S.’s Dan Kreitl and 13-year-old Westphalian gelding Carmango finished in third on 32.0.

‘Feral Pony’ to Eventing Rock Star

Smith and “Cheeto” first partnered about four years ago when owner Ruth Bley called the California-based eventer to see if she would be willing to work with the gelding to hopefully sell him as prospect. “Ruth described him as basically feral, but after I had a couple of weeks on him I asked if she would consider keeping him,” Tamie recalled. “I told her that I didn’t know if he would be a top horse, but he has so much scope and he moves.”

The pair started at the two-star level and worked their way up the ranks to claim second place at the 2022 Maryland 5 Star. “Who knew? He’s small and the jumps definitely feel big when we come up on them,” Smith said of the mighty 15.1-hand Cheeto. “I’m not sure we expected this with him, but he just keeps getting better and braver. And he has so much scope and heart and loves his job.”

Prior to the first day of CCI4*-S dressage competition, Cheeto had a hot nail in one of his shoes and Smith couldn’t ride him for two days while the farrier reset his shoe. “We didn’t get to do the ring familiarization, but I rode him this morning before our test and he didn’t miss a beat,” she said about the strong partnership she and the gelding share. “It’s about the work that keeps going all the way to the ring and the basics that need to be solid.”

In assessing Derek di Grazia’s four-star cross-country course, Smith appreciates the track’s flow but notes the time will be challenging. “After walking the course, it’s all right there but with different questions than last year, which kind of reflects what’s been seeing on the West Coast this spring. But when I walk one of Derek’s courses and feel comfortable, I get a little nervous because his courses never ride as easy as you might think,” she laughed. “There must be something tricky out there. It will be a good fact-finding mission and continued education.”

Greengard and Kreitl Deliver in Dressage

Greengard has had “Z” since he was a 5-year-old and says now that the gelding is 9, he’s starting to blossom after gaining more strength, fitness and experience. “Today in the dressage, I feel like I was able to do a better job of maintaining the balance and encouraging him to rotate that balance onto his hind legs,” the up-and-coming eventer said. “He always tries really hard, but when I can do my job as a rider better to help encourage the right balance, it’s always a great feeling. Z is really quirky and very much a one-person kind of horse, but I’m so grateful for him and we’re excited about his future.”

Greengard notes that Z has steadily become more reliable and comfortable competing at the higher levels with more electric environments. “He is like ‘Mr. Consistency’ and has very little sense of occasion in the best way possible, so he was happy to go in the ring today and do the work that he’s confident in,” he said. “He’s also gotten stronger, which is exciting because he can move around the ring with a little more step and fluidity. But he’s such a dependable partner which is really nice as a rider because our training at home looks very similar to our training before a show—and that gives me confidence as a rider.”

When preparing for an event like Kentucky, Greengard says they keep the jumps relatively small and focus on promoting the gelding’s confidence. “Confidence is the no.-1 thing, so every day we try to keep his routine consistent. He’s a creature of habit through and through, so keeping his routine and habits the same really helps him.”

Greengard and his coach Andrea Pfeiffer walked the four-star cross-country course on Wednesday and noted the differences in this year’s track compared to last year. “There’s plenty to do and lots of questions for the riders in terms of speed and accuracy, so you have to be sharp all the way through,” he noted.

In the dressage phase, Kreitl says he strives to ride better to help him and Caramango achieve better scores. “He’s always such a good horse and so steady. He’ll never do a disastrous test, but trying to get those few extra points here and there is the hard part.”

This year’s four-star competition at Kentucky notes a remarkable comeback for Kreitl, whose homebase is in nearby Indiana, and Caramango. After the gelding strained a tendon in his front left leg only a year-and-a-half ago, Kreitl and his team didn’t believe the gelding would ever event again. “To have him back here at our favorite event means more than anything,” he said. “This is our third time doing the four-star here, and he’s really solid on cross country, so I think he’ll eat it up on Saturday.”

For More

To check out more of our coverage from the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event, click here.

Thanks to Dechra for our coverage of the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event. It includes lead-up events, rider interviews, competition reports, horse spotlights, photos, videos and more.