Further to speculation regarding the future of the Maryland CCI5*, the U.S. Eventing Association (USEA) has assured the eventing community that it is ‘dedicated to ensuring that the MARS Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill presented by Brown Advisory, continues to take place each year in Cecil County, Maryland’.
It was announced in November that Joanie Morris, Competition Director for the MARS Maryland 5 Star, would be taking on a new role at Aiken Horse Park Foundation as Chief Operating Officer, effective January 2026. Since then, various other personnel associated with the Maryland 5* event have also left their positions, sparking some conjecture regarding its future.
On 7th January, a statement from the USEA’s President, Molly Pellegrini and CEO, Rob Burk re-affirmed the USEA’s ongoing commitment to the 5* event and its future, saying
“Since the event’s inception, the USEA has made the Maryland 5 Star a focal point of our fall media coverage and has supported it both publicly and privately with the regulatory bodies of our sport, as well as with others in positions to positively influence the event’s long-term success.
The USEA has also annually served as a sponsor of the Maryland 5 Star by securing and funding multi-million-dollar competition liability insurance for the event. In addition, we have actively worked to bring new sponsors and partners to the event, several of which have continued to support the event since its very first year.
The USEA has further supported the Maryland 5 Star by allocating the USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships to the event. This championship is a premier showcase for the nation’s top young horses and consistently draws more than 75 horses (along with wait listed horses due to the limited number of competition spots), as well as their riders and owners each year, drawing additional international attention to the event and making it a significant and highly visible feature of the Maryland 5 Star.
We know that the Maryland 5 Star also generates substantial economic impact for surrounding jurisdictions, and we are pleased to see the Maryland Stadium Authority’s commitment to maintaining the tradition and legacy of this important international event. The state of Maryland can be incredibly proud of this event, and the work that all those involved have put in to make this a globally recognised competition in the Olympic sport of eventing”
The MARS Maryland at Fair Hill CCI5* is one of seven CCI5* events held around the world; this year it will take place from 14th – 18th October 2026.
