United States Eventing Association

One of the final horses to go in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Advanced division, Kim Severson on the Cross Syndicate's Cooley Cross Border stole the dressage lead with a score of 25.7 at the Millbrook Horse Trials at Coole Park Farm. Courtney Cooper and her homebred Who’s A Star are second on 26.9, and Laine Ashker on Anthony Patch is tied for third with Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville on 27.10.

Severson is also ranked in sixth on a 28.4 with her more seasoned four-star campaigner, Fernhill Fearless, in a tie with Doug Payne and Vandiver. This is the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse's first Advanced since he competed at the Fair Hill CCI3* last fall, and Severson is hoping that it will set the tone for a successful fall season. Severson competed Cooley Cross Border in his first Advanced at Millbrook last year, but withdrew after dressage. He later won the Advanced Gold Cup division at Richland Park in Michigan.

Millbrook is traditionally a warm-up event for the fall three-day events and the pastoral countryside, moderate climate and top notch facilities draw top riders from up and down the east coast. This year a number of riders are using Millbrook as their last run before they head overseas to compete, including Halpin, who will compete at Millstreet in Ireland on a Land Rover/USEF competition grant.

Courtney Cooper and Who's A Star, currently sitting in second. Amber Heintzberger Photo.

“Millbrook has a great track for this time of year – most of it looks straightforward, and I think the horses should go well tomorrow.” Halpin said she’s been fine tuning her horse's training with her eye on her trip to Ireland, and was happy with Tate’s test today. “Sometimes when you’ve been teaching your horse new things, it takes a while for what they’ve learned to sink in,” she said.

Elisa Wallace made the trip up from Georgia as she is gearing up for the trip to the Burghley CCI4* in September. “There’s plenty of good terrain to play with here, and it’s a good course to keep my horse sharp. I think it’s a well balanced course, Tremaine [Cooper] did a great job building it.”

Kurt Martin of Middleburg, Va. received a Land Rover/USEF travel grant to compete at the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, and is also competing at Millbrook on Delux Z. He plans to head over early to watch Burghley. “It’s a great opportunity to better myself and my horse,” he said. “He’s a big horse and the course tomorrow could be tough for him because he’s suited to more open, galloping terrain, but I think it will be a good test of our communication.”

The members of Team USA skyped in from Rio to Millbrook. Amber Heintzberger Photo.

The event also offers a number of social events, including a competitor’s party tomorrow evening and the Edmiston hospitality tent at the water complex on the cross-country course. This evening the cocktail party sponsored by Taylor Harris featured a Skype session with the U.S. Olympic Team, with a number of team member Boyd Martin’s horse Blackfoot Mystery’s syndicate members in attendance, as well as Phillip Dutton’s daughters Olivia Dutton and Lee Lee Jones. Everyone enjoyed wishing all of the team members well from Millbrook as the Olympic dressage takes place tomorrow in Rio.

Live scores available here. Keep up with cross-country tomorrow by following the USEA Instagram.

About the Adequan USEA Gold Cup

Qualifying for the 2016 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Championship began last fall with the Richland Park Advanced & CIC3* (Mich.), Aspen Farms Advanced (Wash.), Plantation Field Advanced & CIC3* (Pa.) and the Woodside International Advanced & CIC3* (Calif.) and features 11 qualifying competitions throughout the United States at the Advanced Horse Trials and CIC3* levels. The final will take place at the Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships, August 31- September 4 in Tryon, North Carolina. Riders who complete a qualifier earn the chance to vie for $40,000 in prize money and thousands of dollars in prizes in the Adequan Advanced Division and the title of Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion.

The 2016 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many loyal sponsors: Adequan, Standlee Forage, Nunn Finer, Nutrena, Merck, Broadstone Equine Insurance Agency, and FITS.