The Equiery had it from reliable sources today that although there has not yet been a official announcement, discussions are underway to skip this year’s Maryland 5 Star with the expectation that the competition would return in 2027.
When the competition returns in 2027, it would be run by a group that is not affiliated with the Maryland Stadium Authority.
These discussions only involve the CCI5*-L division. The United State Equestrian Federation (USEF) still shows the CCI3*-L competition scheduled for October 15-16 at Fair Hill, and the United States Eventing Association (USEA) still shows the East Coast Young Event Horse (YEH) Championships at Fair Hill that weekend as well.
The CCI3*-L division has been popular each of the last 5 years. The 2025 edition saw 52 entries, including entries from Australia, Canada, and Ireland. Thirty-nine of the entries completed the event.
The Young Event Horse Five-Year-Old (YEH-5) Championships has also been popular. Last year the division drew 49 entries, with 47 completing. The four-year-old division (YEH-4) drew 19 entries, with 18 completing.
New to the weekend last year was the Real Rider Cup, a charity show jumping competition to benefit Thoroughbred aftercare. Thirty-five horses competed last year. The organizers have yet to announce their 2026 locations.
This is a developing story and we will update it as information becomes available.
