United States Eventing Association

Jacqueline B. Mars Competition Grant Recipient Heard Shines at Millstreet International Horse Trials CCI3*

Millstreet Town, Co. Cork, Ireland – A small but mighty field contested the Millstreet International Horse Trials CCI3* this weekend with Jacqueline B. Mars Competition Grant recipient Lillian Heard giving a stellar performance to finish in fourth place.

Heard (Poolesville, Md.) and her own LCC Barnaby, a 2006 Irish Sport Horse gelding, had a respectable test to start the competition off with a dressage score of 58.7 and sit in 12th place. They made light work of the tough cross-country track, collecting just 2.8 time penalties, moving up to eighth. The pair excelled in the show jumping round with zero faults, moving them up the ranks to finish in fourth place on a score of 61.5.

“My experience at Millstreet was spectacular. The venue was top-notch and the people were wonderful and welcoming,” said Heard. “My horse performed very well in all three phases. I had hoped for a better dressage score, but it gave me all the more motivation to claw my way back up the leaderboard to finish in fourth after two great jumping phases. I can't thank Ms. Mars, the USET Foundation, and the USEF enough for the experience!”

Two other U.S. combinations also competed at Millstreet. Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville Syndicate, LLC’s Manoir de Carneville and Kylie Lyman and Joan Nichols’ Lup The Loop competed in the CIC3* division. Halpin (Oldwick,
N.J.) and the 2000 Selle Francais gelding had a great dressage test to score a 45.80, prior to tallying four jumping penalties in the show jumping phase and four time penalties in the cross-country phase to finish on a score of 53.80 in sixth place. Lyman (White River Junction, Vt.) and the 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding performed a solid dressage test to score 52.00, had a double-clear show jumping round, and collected 6.40 time penalties in the cross-country phase, to finish on a score of 58.40 in seventh place. Both combinations are preparing for upcoming European competitions. Halpin and Manoir de Carneville aim for the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials CCI3* with the help of a Land Rover/USEF Eventing Competition Grant, and Lyman and Lup the Loop received a Jacqueline B. Mars Competition Grant through the USET Foundation to compete at the Military Boekelo-Enschede CCIO3*.

The Irish contingent swept the top three placings in the CCI3* division, with Michael Ryan and Dunlough Stricker taking home first, Austin O’Connor and Kilpatrick Knight finishing second, and Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua earning third.

Find out more about Millstreet International Horse Trials and view results.