Robin Walker and SBT Barolo. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.
Robin Walker and his 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse SBT Barolo, (Loughehoe Guy x Tentore Flight), took the lead in the Advanced division when they scored 29.8 on their dressage test at Millbrook Horse Trials in New York. Walker, 60 of Lexington, KY and Ocala, FL owns the horse in partnership with Alston Kerr and Roger Schramm and the pair have competed to the four-star level. The horse was purchased as a youngster at the Goresbridge Go for Gold sale in Ireland.
This year is the 40th Anniversary of the Millbrook Horse Trials. The event kicked off yesterday with lower-level dressage at Riga Meadow Equestrian Center at Coole Park in Millbrook. There are more than 350 total entries competing at Millbrook, from Beginner Novice to Advanced level. Today the upper-level entries competed in the dressage phase, while the lower levels went cross country.
Katie Lichten and HTS Jensen R. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.
Katie Lichten of Hamilton, Massachusetts and now based in Virginia, is placed second after dressage in the Advanced division riding HTS Jensen R, a nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse by Tolan R with 30.7 penalties. She is also ranked 9th riding Hickstead Musterd, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Stakkato out of Saleria M.
This weekend is HTS Jensen R’s first Advanced and Lichten said that he got a bit excited going into the ring today, as a storm was rolling through the area just as she started her test.
“I looked around and saw lightning in the distance and just thought, ‘I need to focus’,” she said. “He’s a pretty good boy and he tries hard, so he tried to stay with me.” Lichten said that the cross country course looks like fun, but noted that there are a few tricky combinations on course, especially the corners. “They will be challenging, especially at his first advanced, but everything looks very fair,” she said.
Lichten is a student of Allison Springer, who is placed just behind her in third place on the Connemara cross Crystal Crescent Moon, (31.1), owned and bred by Nancy Winter, as well as tied for sixth with Irish Sport Horse Monbeg Zebedee, (31.8), owned by the Zebedee Group LLC.
Boyd Martin and Fedarman B. Photo by Amber Heintzberger.
In the Intermediate divisions, Boyd Martin and Fedarman B, owned by the Annie Goodwin Syndicate, are winning Division A with a score of 25.5, and Martin is also second riding Fetiche Des Rouges, (30.5), owned by the Barney Rubble Syndicate. Katie Lichten riding Fast Company is tied for third with Canadian Lindsay Traisnel riding Bacyrouge (31.6).
Martin also has the lead in Intermediate B riding Cooley Nutcracker, owned by Liz’s Nutcrackers, on a score of 30.2.
The competition continues tomorrow with the schedule as follows:
Saturday, July 26
- 6 am to 6 pm — Simply Gourmet Concession Tent open
- 8 am to 4:30 pm — Stadium Jumping (Training, Novice, Beginner Novice)
- 9 am to 4 pm — Cross Country (Intermediate, Advanced, Preliminary)
- 8 am to 4 pm — Yellowframe Farm Waterview Tent open to ticket holders
- 9 am to 5 pm — Trade Fair open
- 10 am to 5 pm – Millbrook Market open
- 11 am to 3 pm — Two by Two Animal Haven Petting Zoo open
- 11 am to 6 pm — Food Trucks open
- 6 pm to 8 pm — Competitors’ and Volunteers’ party sponsored by Purina
Millbrook H.T. (NY): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring]
