Lynn Symansky and Donner. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Kim Severson and Fernhill Fearless held onto their day one lead in the Millbrook Horse Trials Advanced division at the conclusion of dressage, but their winning score of 26.2 doesn’t give them much breathing room. Less than a rail separates the entire top 10 in this 55-horse division, and every second is going to count on cross country tomorrow.
That’s good news for “Sparky,” a 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Kim owns, as she said after her test yesterday that she couldn’t ease around the course tomorrow even if she wanted to, as the horse only has one gear on cross country — fast. “I just try to bring him in for the jump, and then he does rest,” she said.
Aside from her halts — “I couldn’t halt straight to save my life!” — Kim said she was very pleased with yesterday’s test: “He was happy and relaxed and content and rideable.” And, of course, she’s thrilled to have him back out at this level after his lengthy rehabilitation period following a coffin bone injury at last year’s World Equestrian Games.
Overnight leaders Kim Severson and Sparky enjoy a morning hack. Photo via EN’s Instagram.
“I tried bringing him back at Southern Pines earlier this year, and we withdrew because he just wasn’t quite right,” Kim said. “I’m very glad to have him back out now. It’s taken a long time. Some horses at that age after a long layoff will tell you they don’t want to go on, but I believe that Sparky has every intention of going on.”
With that in mind, Kim said Sparky will target the CIC events at Richland Park and Plantation Field for the rest of his fall season, so tomorrow’s cross country is an important prep to get the horse on his toes. “I think the course is certainly big enough. I like how Tremaine turned around the first part, and I like the new combination at fence 4. It would have been nice to have more rain, but I’ve seen them aerating, and they’re doing what they can.”
Lynn Symansky and Donner are sitting in second place on 27.9 after delivering a polished test. A lot of horses have struggled with the atmosphere in the ring at Millbrook over these past two days — with the sides of the white VIP tent flapping and a strong breeze blowing — and while Donner did spook at a sprinkler head during the test, he held it together very nicely overall.
“This year he has really impressed me,” Lynn said. “Last year I don’t think he would’ve handled the atmosphere as well. Now I think he goes in and accepts it, and I’m starting to be able to trust him more, so I can push for a bit more. He always puts in an accurate test now. Last year I was trying not to give points away on accuracy, and now I can focus on his gaits. He’s stronger and starting to understand his job, so now we’re putting polish on the actual quality of the work.”
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Lynn has been working with both dressage coach extraordinaire Jacquie Brooks and Team USA coach David O’Connor in regards to polishing Donner’s performance in the little white box. “We’ve focused on getting him to be more in self carriage so he’s not hiding and holding himself,” she said. “We also have been working on having him take me a bit more. I think he’s getting a lot better on taking me. It’s getting him to a point where he can be more confident in his work.”
The 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by The Donner Syndicate will face the biggest test of his career at Burghley CCI4* in September, and Millbrook will service as his penultimate prep run, with his final prep event coming next month at Richland Park Horse Trials. With that in mind, Lynn said she intends to set out tomorrow to give him a good run. (Click here for a fence-by-fence preview of the course.)
“I’m not planning to go out for the win, but I’m not planning to canter around,” she said. “I want to save his legs for when it’s going to count in another month or so, but for him to have a good run, he needs to go somewhat quick. It’s a good course and will suit him well. A lot of people think it’s a move-up course. I think it’s a good test and will be good prep for Burghley.”
Ryan Wood and Woodstock Bennett. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM sit in third place on 28.1, which is the best dressage score they’ve ever had at this event. “Reggie,” a 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Carl and Cassie Segal, has won Millbrook three times — in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and now the U.S. All-Time Highest Scoring Horse returns to see if he can do it once more.
Aside from a small bobble when Reggie was late behind on the first change, this combination delivered their usual consistent performance. “He was definitely more up today in warm-up with all the cross country going combined with the fact that he hadn’t been doing anything for awhile,” Buck said. “When he went in the ring he perked up, and then before we went down centerline he was back to normal.”
Reggie has never had more than 4 time penalties on cross country at this event, and he made the time in 2011. But no horse has made the time in the past two years at Millbrook, though Buck and Reggie didn’t compete here either of those two years. As to whether he plans to go for the optimum time of 5 minutes, 54 seconds tomorrow, Buck said he’ll leave that up to the horse.
Kim Severson and Cooley Cross Border. Photo by Jenni Autry.
“At Millbrook I take care of him down those last hills at the end, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I was a little bit slower,” Buck said. “This is not the end all be all; it’s the beginning of his fall season. It’s building up to what’s next. He’s been around enough, so I’ll let him tell me, and then I’ll look after him going down that last hill.”
Buck said he thinks this year’s course is designer Tremaine Cooper’s best one yet. “It flows much better. We don’t have that slide at the end, and we don’t have to keep turning and twisting back on ourselves,” Buck said. “I think he’s done a great job. The rain helped the footing yesterday. I’ll be trying to give all my horses the best ride I can.”
As Buck said, Millbrook is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s next for Reggie this year. He is entered at Richland Park and will then compete at Plantation Field, and then Buck said he and owner Carl Segal are considering taking Reggie to the Dutta Corp Fair Hill International, an event he’s somehow never competed at in an FEI career that spans 41 starts.
Mikki Kuchta and Rubens D’Ysieux. Photo by Jenni Autry.
Looking down the rest of the leaderboard, Colleen Rutledge and her own Covert Rights, who did their test yesterday, now sit in fourth place on 28.4. (Click here to read comments from Colleen on her test if you missed them yesterday.) Holly Payne and Bethann Groblewski’s Santino, who also went yesterday, now sit in fifth place on 28.8.
As for other notable tests, Curran Simpson’s Woodstock Bennett, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, made an impressive Advanced debut with Ryan Wood in the irons, scoring 29.4 to sit tied for seventh place with Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch after dressage. Bennett is competing for the first time since Bromont in June, where he finished seventh in the CCI2*.
The Cross Syndicate’s Cooley Cross Border also made his Advanced dressage debut today — definitely a highly anticipated test considering this 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding’s prowess on the flat; he scored a 30.9 in the Ocala Horse Properties CCI2* in April. Sans a few green moments, he delivered a very respectable test with Kim Severson to sit in 11th place on 30.0.
There’s a lot going on here at Millbrook, and I snapped some photos of Novice cross country this afternoon before going in search of wifi. A Novice Rider Edition of Who Jumped It Best? is coming your way next, so stay tuned for much more from #MillbrookHT. Don’t forget to check out the Advanced course preview here if you missed it this morning.
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