Will Faudree and Pfun, winners of the Advanced division at Millbrook H.T. in 2019. Photo by Abby Powell.
We’ll have to wait until 2021 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Millbrook Horse Trials. The event’s Board of Directors announced this morning that this year’s event, scheduled for July 30 through Aug. 2 in Armenia, NY, has been canceled.
From Millbrook’s Facebook page:
“The Board of Directors unanimously decided today that it cannot proceed with this year’s competition. While several weeks ago we took hope from improving conditions in our area and a broadly positive spirit in the country, recent events have led us to the conclusion that the interests of the communities we support will not be best served by holding the event this year. All of our efforts to this point have been directed toward hosting a safe and successful competition, but the recent increase in the spread of the coronavirus, related new regulatory restrictions, and the impact this has had on support within our communities has convinced us that we should not proceed.
“This is a great disappointment to us individually and as organizers of the event, as we know it will be to many who have been looking forward to Millbrook, with its full slate of competitive divisions, especially this year. We are determined, however, that the support and energy that was to have gone into this year’s event will be turned to making MHT 2021 even better, as we proceed with our plans to begin making substantial upgrades in the coming years.
“We are thankful especially to all who have so generously contributed to our effort this year. While we have incurred expenses in preparation for this year’s event, we have decided to refund all paid competitor entries in full (minus credit card fees), to refund or make applicable to MHT 2021 all sponsorship payments, and to refund contributions. Should you wish to do so, we will gratefully accept any amounts contributed as fully tax deductible donations for this year’s expenses.
“With our thanks for your support and in anticipation of 2021,
The Millbrook Horse Trials Board of Directors”
On Tuesday of this week, HITS Saugerties received a cease-and-desist order from the state health department for its Vermont Summer Special horse show scheduled to take place this week. New York has stated that horse shows are not restricted starting July 6, providing that this COVID-19 protocol is followed.
Executive Order Number 205, which went into effect June 24, requires a mandatory quarantine for those arriving from states with high infection rates. This order imposes a 14-day quarantine for, “All travelers entering New York from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate, over a seven day rolling average.”
New Jersey and Connecticut have similar executive orders. This travel advisory currently affects sixteen states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Nevada
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
