Millbrook, NY – With one of only three clear rounds in the final phase of competition, Olympic veteran Boyd Martin, Cochranville, PA, claimed victory in the Advanced division of the of the Millbrook Horse Trials riding Bonnie Stedt’s Miss Lulu Herself (44.9). A light rain was falling as onlookers cheered from the VIP tents, many of them with connections to Martin and his horses. The spicy, 12-year-old chestnut Hanoverian mare (Stolzenfels x Noisette) looked eager to jump around and had no problem leaving the rails in their cups.

Ten horses out of 19 starters completed the competition in the advanced division.

Martin said, “This is a very, very special mare, Miss Lulu Herself. We bought her as a four-year-old, sight unseen, and Bonnie was the only owner crazy enough to buy one off the video. Usually that technique doesn’t work, but we’re very fortunate that it came off with Lulu. She’s a great jumper and tries hard, and it’s a great victory here at Millbrook.”

He said, “She’s an energetic chestnut mare and she sort of pranced out of the stables this morning. I did a bit of flat work with her and she felt like a million bucks, so deep down I knew she’d jump well, but in show jumping, you know, anything can still go wrong. It was a good track, and there’s always a bit of pressure when you jump in reverse order of standing, but there was a great crowd here cheering us on.”

Read the full story by Amber Heintzberger, here.