Millbrook Horse Trials a high point of eventing season

MILLBROOK — The Millbrook Horse Trials (MHT) at Coole Park Farm, one of the main events of the equestrian season here, ran from Wednesday, July 30, through Sunday, Aug. 2.The trials are considered the equestrian version of a triathlon. They are known as an “eventing” competition, where riders compete in three separate disciplines.The first phase is dressage, an event that tests the rider’s control and the horse’s discipline as the two execute a variety of precise and difficult maneuvers.Next is the cross-country phase, which tests stamina over a large course, complete with obstacles.The final phase is stadium jumping, where a horse and rider leap over a series of bars and walls in a closed course.The MHT is attended by novices and professionals alike, though the newer riders compete in separate categories from the more experienced teams. Phillip Dutton, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, and Boyd Martin, a World Games team member, were among the participants last weekend.The event is attended by the Olympic Selection Committee, which may determine a rider’s future in the sport.Laine Ashker and her horse, Anthony Patch, took first place in the advanced competition. Dutton took second and third, with two different horses.For more information, or for more detailed results, go to www.millbrookhorsetrials.com.