Phillip Dutton and Possante Lead the Advanced Division at Millbrook Horse Trials – Eventing Nation
The 2024 Millbrook Horse Trials kicked off yesterday with lower-level dressage at Riga Meadow Equestrian Center at Coole Park in Millbrook, NY. There are more than 400 total entries competing at Millbrook, from Beginner Novice to Advanced level. Today the upper level horses cantered down the centerline, while the lower levels headed out on cross country.
In the Advanced division, veteran Olympian Phillip Dutton of West Grove, PA and Possante, a 2013 KWPN gelding owned by the Possante Group, took a solid lead with a fluid, accurate test to lead the division of 39 starters on a 25.5. Irish rider Michael Nolan, riding the 2015 Irish Sport Horse Carrabeg Hulla Balou, owned by Susan Martin, is second (28.2) and Meghan O’Donoghue is third with her own Thoroughbred gelding, Palm Crescent.
Dutton also rode Denim, owned by Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran, Annie Jones and Neill Sites, to 11th after dressage (31.1) and his daughter Olivia and Sea of Clouds, a 2011 Thoroughbred gelding owned by the Sea of Clouds Partnership, are currently 16th (31.8) in the Advanced division.
“We’ve had Possante for a bit over a year and a half,” said Dutton. “I had a slow start with him but he’s kind of coming into his groove now and shaking out to be a really top horse. He’s got a lot of charisma, a bit of bling, and carries himself well. He’s a good jumper, still a work in progress like all of it, but I hope he’ll have a good, educational day tomorrow on the cross country.”
