VideoWill Coleman achieved a much sought-after milestone this weekend, claiming his first CCI5*-L championship at the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event aboard his longtime partner 2012 Holsteiner gelding Diabolo after finishing the final stadium jumping phase on a score of 28.1 with just 0.8 time penalties. With Coleman’s impressive list of accolades, many fans of the sport might have overlooked the fact that until Sunday, he had yet to secure the coveted Kentucky title.
“It is a surreal feeling—something I think we all kind of dream about,” he said. “Winning a five-star, in my opinion, is one of the hardest things to do in equestrian sport. It’s such a hard game.”
Coleman is only the second American to claim the title in the last two decades and his five-star win also marked the second time that eventing history was made in the Bluegrass State this weekend. Earlier on Sunday in the four-star competition, Tamie Smith, who claimed victory in the 2023 CCI5*-L Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, took top honors in the 2026 Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S with mare Lillet 3. Coleman is now the second rider ever to win both the CCI4*-S and the CCI5*-L at Kentucky and the first rider to claim the titles on the same horse—he and Diabolo swept the competition in last year’s Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S.
“It takes so long to really get good enough at this sport and contend at this level. I have so much respect for the sport, the horses and the riders I feel like it’s almost unfair that I’m the only one who gets to take home the win. I feel like we all deserve it,” Coleman said. “But mostly, I’m overjoyed for my horse and all the people who’ve been a part of his journey. I wake up most days feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.”
Caroline Pamukcu and her Olympic partner and best friend HSH Blake also delivered a lighting fast show jumping round to cruise into second place in the CCI5*-L on a final score of 28.6, and Great Britain’s David Doel and Galileo Nieuwmoed finished in third on 30.8.
Perseverance Pays Off for Coleman and Diabolo
While Diabolo has an exceptional show-jumping record, this was also his first time tackling a jump course after galloping around a four-mile, five-star Kentucky cross-country course. “He has a real conscience about him and always wants to do his best. As a rider, that gives you peace of mind knowing that your horse is going to go out there and really drive for you,” Coleman said. “He felt extremely fresh this morning. I even rode him during the lunch break and he felt fantastic in his body. He’s just an amazing athlete, and I felt really, really good about him. I think it also speaks to his character. He hasn’t had that many opportunities, but he’s made the most out of the ones he’s’ had.”
Like most eventers’ journey in the sport, he and Diabolo’s path to victory has been anything but easy, but the even-keeled, ever-pragmatic Coleman knows how to keep his head down and persevere through the low points.
“The highs and lows are part of the sport for sure. That’s life, too. I always try to remind myself that I chose to do this. I love this sport and the results are never guaranteed,” he said. “Nothing in life is guaranteed. You just have to enjoy the journey. Every time I’ve been in a rough patch, I’ve found a way to become a better person and a better horseman. Those spells have helped me become a better version of myself, so I look back at them with a tremendous amount of gratitude.”
Pamukcu and Doel Deliver to Clinch Five-Star Second and Third
Pamukcu, who was thrilled with Blake’s performance at this year’s competition, echoed Coleman’s sentiment about the inherent challenges of the sport. “I’m so lucky to have incredible horses, but this is such a hard sport, and I still have so much to learn,” she said. “Every day I wake up and try to do the best I can with my horses, and Blake really helped me out today. All the kudos to him. He’s such a special horse.”
Doel, who is rarely without a smile on his face under any occasion, was beaming during the five-star press conference about his and “Galileo’s” third-place finish.
“This weekend has been absolutely magical. He’s a bit of an unreal horse—he’s taken me around the northern hemisphere five-stars and has been in the top 10 in all of them,” Doel said. “We didn’t have the most perfect year last season, but to be honest, I think we’ve improved in the dressage and jumping. He’s 15 and we’re always still learning. Horses are great levelers. We figured out what went wrong in the past and learned from those mistakes to really come together a team.”
Special Kentucky Moments for Martin, Halliday and Hamel
New Zealand’s Tim Price and Vitali took fourth place on 33.0, and Great Britain’s Tom McEwen slid into fifth place with Brookfield Quality on 33.1. The U.S.’s fan-favorite Boyd Martin and Commando 3 finished in sixth on a final score of 34.2, but the home crowd also had their eyes on Martin and Liz Halliday’s former partner 2014 Irish Sport Horse gelding Cooley Nutracker, who produced a double clear show jumping round to finish in 11th on 43.7.
“He’s a superb jumper and just flew around the course really well just inside the time,” Martin, who strategized with Halliday in the VIP tent just before they went on course Sunday for last-minute tips, said. “We had a good laugh about all of ‘Bali’s’ quirks. When we finished, I looked up and she was giving me a thumbs up—typical Liz. She’s such a competitor that I thought it might sting a bit to watch me compete on her horse, but she’s so grateful and gracious. She’s just a top human being, and it’s about more than just a competition here for Bali and me.”
This weekend also marked a special occasion for the U.S.’s Emily Hamel and Holsteiner gelding Corvett, who finished in ninth place on a final score of 40.9. While celebrating “Barry’s” 19th birthday on Sunday, the pair completed their 11th and final five-star together. “He was so good out there and did whatever I asked. There was a bit of pressure since we had that viral moment last year where I almost fell off, so I wanted to redeem myself this year,” she said. “It’s almost like he knew this was going to be his last five-star—he gave me everything all weekend. He is phenomenal, and I love him so much.”
Over their long career together, Hamel says Barry taught her about the crucial importance of patience in the sport. “It’s so important to understand a horse’s uniqueness and not put them in a box in order to bring out their greatness,” she said. “This was his last five-star run, but we’ll do other fun things together. You’ll definitely see us again out there.”
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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.