Classic Eventing Nation

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Ysieux at Bromont 2018. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Caroline Martin are recovering following their falls yesterday on Advanced cross country at Millbrook Horse Trials in Millbrook, New York.

Sara and Rubens D’Ysieux won Millbrook last year and were leading going into cross country this year. They fell at fence 18, a wagon; the fall was not rotational. Rubens D’Ysieux, a 13-year-old Selle Francais owned by The Rubens D’Ysieux Syndicate, did not sustain any injuries.

Sara sustained multiple fractures in her spine, as well as disc and ligament damage. She was transported by ambulance to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York, and will undergo surgery this morning.

“My dear friend is absolutely fine, was going like a dream, and deserved to win. As long as he is OK, life is good. There is always another day,” Sara said. “The doctors and nurses have been taking excellent care of me in the ICU at MidHudson Regional Hospital, and I’m very lucky that I received such quick and thorough help onsite at Millbrook.”

Caroline Martin and Cristano Z at Stable View 2017. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.

Caroline Martin and Cristano Z had a rotational fall at fence 4, a table. The 9-year-old Zangersheide gelding was uninjured in the fall.

Caroline was also transported by ambulance to MidHudson Regional Hospital and is now resting comfortably at home in Pennsylvania. She told EN she is sore but doing well and awaiting further evaluation with her doctor.

We wish both Sara and Caroline speedy healing and would like to send a special thank you to the medical teams at Millbrook, who were with both riders as soon as possible and provided excellent care.

Click here to read all of EN’s coverage from Millbrook.

Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Following the decision to move Advanced cross country to Sunday in order to ensure good going for the horses at Millbrook Horse Trials, we saw beautiful conditions and perfect footing for the finale here in Millbrook, New York — a welcome change from the stormy weather that plagued much of the weekend.

Time always proves tricky across Tremaine Cooper’s Advanced course, and even with the sun drying the saturated footing to provide fast ground, riders still had to be very clever with their lines to shave precious seconds. A new loop on the front of the track and a change of direction with fewer downhill stretches also created a scenario in which the time proved easier to catch this year. Three pairs ultimately bested the optimum time of 6 minutes, 21 seconds, and we saw a number of speedy rounds.

Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam crossed the finish 1 second over the time to rise up from third place following show jumping to take the win on 26.1. Emily would be the first to say that she didn’t expect “Sammy,” an 11-year-old Trakehner (Sonset Seiger X Aerial, by Starman), to win this weekend, as his record has been a bit “hit or miss” since he stepped up to the Advanced level in April.

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to give him the right ride on cross country. I came to Millbrook wanting to execute a new plan,” Emily said. “He’s a little bit of a quirky horse. When I moved him up to Advanced I fell into the mode of being defensive because he’s a little careful. If I sit up and prepare a lot (before jumps) then he questions things even more. I had to work through that and decide that instead of sitting up and protecting him I am going to give him a really positive ride.”

It’s been a bit over a year since Sammy’s owner, Jennifer Ward, asked Emily to take the ride. Jennifer purchased Sammy as a 3-year-old from his breeder, Ami Howard of Olney Farm in Maryland, and produced him to the CCI* level. When Jennifer’s job as an underwriter in real estate finance left her with little time to continue competing, Emily was the obvious choice to campaign Sammy.

“It’s been a lot of fun for all of us,” Emily said, “and it’s rare for the weekend to come together like this. As for her thoughts on the course: “I was thrilled that (Tremaine) gave us a bit more room to get galloping in the beginning, especially with this horse because he can come out of the box a little too careful. It certainly was a big benefit for all of us that the organizers decided to push cross country back a day. The footing was great and I thought everything on course was quite fair.”

Sammy’s big goal for the fall is the CCI3* at Fair Hill, and Emily also plans to run him in the CIC3* at Plantation Field next month.

Doug Payne and Getaway. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Doug Payne and Lisa Wall’s Getaway, an 11-year-old Oldenburg by Contendro, added 1.2 time penalties to their dressage score to finish in second place on 26.6. Doug and “Flynn” were the only pair in the division to take the gutsy inside line at the water complex, which saved a substantial amount of time.

“He’s getting better and better,” Doug said. “There are still some jumps where he runs past the distance and doesn’t stay as well balanced, so you still need to spend a little time to make sure it’s right. But overall it’s just easy for him. He’s remarkable in that way.”

Doug and Flynn received a Jacqueline B. Mars International Competition Grant from the USET Foundation to compete at Boekelo CCIO3* in the Netherlands in October. The horse will continue competing in pure show jumping in preparation for Boekelo, and Doug also plans to run at Stable View before Flynn ships overseas.

“He just needs to get stronger and more comfortable in a big environment,” Doug said. “The more places we can find the better.”

Allison Springer and Lord Willing. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Allison Springer and Lord Willing jumped clear with 8.8 time penalties to finish in third place on 34.0. It was the exact confidence-boosting round she wanted for “Liam,” a 9-year-old Holsteiner (Lord Z X Legende IX, by Coriano) owned by the Lord Willing Syndicate.

“I didn’t start my watch with either of my horses,” Allison said, explaining that she wanted to focus on a smooth round rather than go for time. “He started out a little nervous, but after the first combination he jumped every fence out of stride. … The goal is to get him ready to be competitive for Fair Hill CCI3*.

Boyd Martin and Long Island T, a 12-year-old Oldenburg/Thoroughbred (Ludwig von Bayern x Haupstsbuch Highlight, by Heraldik xx) owned by the Long Island T Syndicate, led after dressage but slipped to fifth after having a rail down over Marc Donovan’s show jumping course this morning. Adding 8.4 time penalties on cross country saw them finish fourth on 35.3.

Boyd Martin and Long Island T. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Canada’s Brandon McMechan and his own Oscar’s Wild were one of three pairs to catch the optimum time, which moved the 9-year-old Thoroughbred up from 21st after dressage to finish in fifth on 36.1 — the only pair to finish on their dressage score in the Advanced division.

Boyd Martin finished three of his rides in the top 10. Christine Turner’s On Cue, a 12-year-old Anglo European mare (Cabri d’Elle X On High, by Primitive Rising), delivered a solid performance in her Advanced debut, jumping clear in show jumping this morning and adding 5.6 time penalties to finish sixth on 36.5.

Ariel Grald and Annie Eldridge’s Leamore Master Plan, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Master Imp X Ardragh Bash, by Cavalier Royale), delivered a clear show jumping round and added 6.4 time penalties on cross country to finish seventh on 37.7.

Buck Davidson and Maya Simmons’s Archie Rocks, a 10-year-old Thoroughbred (Le Monde X Unbridled Diva, by Unbridled Jet), had two rails down and 1 time penalty in show jumping, but a clear cross country trip with just 0.4 time penalties as the first pair on course boosted them up to finish eighth on 40.5.

Jules Ennis and her own Cooley O, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse (Caricello, by Lady Glebe, by Kildalton King), added 1 time penalty in show jumping and 6 time penalties on cross country to take ninth place on 41.4.

Boyd Martin and Steady Eddie had one rail down and 4 time penalties in show jumping, and added an additional 4 time penalties on cross country to complete on 41.5 in 10th place. The 15-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred (Jetball X Tudnela) owned by George and Gretchen Wintersteen and Denise Lahey and Pierre Colin is preparing to return to Burghley next month.

Cornelia Dorr and Louis M. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Click here to view final scores. Time penalties were the major deciding factor on the leaderboard. While 81% of starters jumped clear rounds, only 8% made the time. In addition to Brandon McMahon and Oscar’s Wild, Cornelia Dorr and Louis M (11th, 44.4) and Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise (12th, 44.7) also beat the clock.

We unfortunately saw two horse falls back-to-back very early on in the division. Caroline Martin and Cristano Z had a rotational fall at a table at fence 4. Last year’s winners Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Ysieux led after show jumping but fell at the wagon at fence 18. Both horses were uninjured and on their feet right away. Both Caroline and Sara were transported by ambulance to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie for treatment. We are wishing them both speedy healing.

Millbrook is a special event for a lot of reasons, and the team behind the scenes who run the show are second to none. Thank you to the organizers, officials and volunteers, all of whom kept smiling amidst the rain and mud. Keep checking back for more photos. Until next year … Go Eventing.

#Millbrook: Website, Final Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam. Photo by Jenni Autry.

Good morning from Millbrook Horse Trials! Following the decision to move cross country to Sunday in order to give the saturated ground adequate time to dry following a series of severe thunderstorms, I am delighted to report that the footing looks beautiful this morning. The going should be just about perfect for Advanced cross country.

After this morning’s show jumping, Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Ysieux lead the way and head to cross country to defend their 2017 title. Boyd Martin and Long Island T had one rail down to drop out of the top spot. Doug Payne and Getaway moved up to second with a clear round, and Allison Springer and Lord Willing added one time penalty to sit fourth. Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam went double clear to move up to third.

The first horse leaves the start box at 12:10 p.m. EST. The optimum time on Tremaine Cooper’s course is 6 minutes, 21 seconds. Click here for a fence-by-fence preview. EN will be running live updates here and our friends at RNS Video Media are live streaming the action at the main water complex, which you can watch here. Keep refreshing for the latest news.

#Millbrook: Website, Schedule, Ride Times, Live Scores, EN’s Coverage, EN’s Twitter, EN’s Instagram

12:13: Our trailblazers Buck Davidson and Archie Rocks are on course.

12:20: Caroline Martin and Cristano Z had a rotational fall at the table at fence 4. The leaders after show jumping, Sara Kozumplik Murphy and Rubens D’Ysieux, have also had a horse fall at fence 18, the Wagon. Both horses are up and OK. The medical team is tending to both riders and the course is held.

12:45: We are still under a hold as the medical teams are with Caroline and Sara. We have been told to expect a 45 minute to 1 hour hold.

1:03: Both riders have been transported off course in ambulances. We are expecting to restart at about 1:30 p.m.

1:16: We are preparing to restart.

1:29: Colleen Rutledge and Confidence Game are home clear as our first pair back on course following the hold.

1:31: Boyd Martin and Steady Eddie are home clear! They delivered the fastest round here last year and we are anxiously awaiting their time!

1:35: Jules Ennis and Cooley O are home clear.

1:36: Jorgen Olijslager and Northern Quest Lady’s Man picked up 20 jumping penalties early on course. Daniela Moguel and Cecelia are home safely.

1:38: Chelsea Kolman and Dauntless Courage gave us an exhibition at the water. The horse left a leg jumping in and she never took her eyes off the brush at B. Super safe. She is home clear.

1:42: We aren’t getting any information on time penalties for those that have completed. We will bring you updates on time as we have them.

1:46: Lillian Heard and LCC Barnaby have completed.

1:55: Daniel Clasing and MW Gangster’s Game have completed.

1:59: Boyd Martin and Long Island T have completed. We aren’t getting much intel from the announcer so I apologize for the lack of detail!

2: Doug Payne and Getaway just took a very tight onside line at the water to save valuable seconds. Very clever. They are home clear.

2:04: Lindsay Beer and Kennystown Frankie have completed.

2:06: Fylicia Barr and Galloway Sunrise have also completed.

2:10: Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam are home.

2:14: Lindsay Kelley and Cooley Cruise Control and Alexa Ehlers and Amistoso are also home.

2:23: Jenny Caras is walking home with Fernhill Full Throttle. We could not hear if she has been eliminated or retired on course.

2:26: Sara Gumbiner and Polaris have completed the course.

2:32: Allison Springer and Business Ben and Nita Sanfilippo and Alarmabull have completed.

2:36: Boyd Martin and On Cue have completed.

2:37: Cornelia Dorr and Louis M are home.

2:44: Mia Farley and BGS Firecracker are home safely. This mare is a super little pocket rocket.

2:47: Lindsay Beer has retired El Paso after a runout at the triple brush coming out of the water complex.

2:53: Alexandra MacLeod and Newmarket Jack had multiple runouts at the water and we believe also crossed their tracks.

2:58: Laura Welsh and Galactic and Tracey Bienemann and Geoni have both completed.

3:03: Emily Hamel and Corvett are home.

3:07: Allison Springer and Lord Willing are home clear. They are the only pair who can beat Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam so we are anxiously awaiting their time.

3:10: Boyd Martin and Ray Price and Cary Chavis and Game On are both home. That completes the division. We are waiting on final scores.

3:55: Emily Beshear and Olney Uncle Sam are your winners! Doug Payne and Getaway finish second, with Allison Springer and Lord Willing finished third. Stay tuned for the full report!