Millbrook Horse Trials gets underway

MILLBROOK, N.Y. — The eventing season is well under way, with Riga Meadow Equestrian Center in Lakeville and Fitch’s Corner Horse Trials in Millbrook having recently wrapped their competitions. This week the Millbrook Horse Trials will take place at Coole Park Farm in Amenia Aug. 6 through 9.

In a summer where every conversation starts with an analysis of the weather, speculation is rife as to the conditions expected for this coming weekend. However, riders who compete in the sport of eventing are a notoriously hardy lot and these athletes (horses and riders) train and compete in all kinds of weather.

Eventing is a horse sport that combines three different disciplines: dressage, stadium jumping and cross-country jumping. The same horse and rider team competes in all three arenas. The winner is the one with the lowest combined score.

There are many different levels of horse trials and Millbrook has all divisions: Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced.  (Advanced-level jumps can be as high as 4 feet, with an 8-foot spread.) Olympic rider Karen O’Connor is entered to compete, which will be a big draw for eventing fans.

Of course, there are many riders from the Tri-state area competing who bring their own coterie of loyalists, mostly family and friends. Charlotte Fuss is a 15-year old Sharon resident who is new to the sport of eventing, but not to riding — she started on horseback when she was very young. Her first event was three weeks ago at Riga Meadow, where she competed on the Beginner Novice course.

“We were eliminated,†she said. “It was my first cross-country and I was nervous going into it. I had a total of five refusals — but I made it through 15 of the 18 jumps, so, I was really proud of myself.â€

Charlotte rides a 13-year-old warmblood mare called Alley Cat who used to be a school horse and according to Charlotte likes a confident rider. Despite the setbacks of jump refusals and elimination, Charlotte said she is looking forward to competing at Millbrook.

Her friend, Hope Nicyper-Meryman, has a very different story.

She’s “been riding since I can remember anything.†Since about age 3, in fact. And she’s been eventing since she was 7-and-a-half — half her life. Now 15, she will compete at Millbrook in the Training division. Her mother is Louise Meryman, a professional rider, trainer and owner of Tree Line Farm, an event-training barn in Pine Plains. (And also one of the organizers of the Millbrook Horse Trials, as is, it should be noted, this reporter.)

“Not to ride doesn’t seem possible,†Hope said. “To wake up in the morning and be able to see my horse is so great. It’s fun. It’s my all-time sport.â€

Looking ahead to the weekend, she said she’s excited about the cross-country part of the event.

“They beefed up the water this year, so my goal is to get around and feel good about it. We had a stop at the water at Groton [a horse trials in Massachusetts in June]. It’s not a big issue, but it’s not our strength.â€

With more than 450 horse and rider teams entered (and at least 350 of them stabling on the grounds), the event is a large undertaking. Temporary barns  —15 of them — are already in place. The cross-country course is set. Tents will go up for multiple functions (trade fair, food concessions and patrons luncheon). The Millbrook Horse Trials is run as a benefit to the Dutchess Land Conservancy and is held partially at Coole Park and partially on the grounds of The Millbrook School, whose land has been put under the stewardship of the conservancy.

Many volunteers are needed to make such an event run smoothly and veteran organizer Nancy Estes is coordinating that effort. Volunteers are still needed: warm-up people, bit checkers, ring stewards and fence judges.   

The Millbrook Horse Trials competition starts Thursday, Aug. 6, with dressage. Cross-country jumping will be Friday, Aug. 7, and Saturday, Aug. 8. The weekend finishes with Advanced level stadium Sunday, Aug. 9.

In addition to the competitions, there will be a trade fair for spectators and competitors alike. Breakfast, lunch and ice cream may be purchased on the grounds. Admission is free for spectators.

For more information, visit millbrookhorsetrials.com. To volunteer, contact Nancy Estes at 518-851-9980 or Chanticleerfarm@aol.com.