Colleen Rutledge (Frederick, Md.) and her own Covert Rights were awarded a Jacqueline B. Mars Competition Grant, through the USET Foundation, to attend Burghley. She will use her experience to guide the 2006 Thoroughbred Cross gelding around his first overseas CCI4* competition. Rutledge rode Covert Rights to an 11th-place finish at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover CCI4* back in April. The pair finished third in the Land Rover Great Meadow International presented by Adequan CIC3*.
Lynn Symansky and Donner (Libby Law Photography)
Lynn Symansky (Middleburg, Va.) and The Donner Syndicate, LLC's Donner were awarded a USEF Land Rover Competition Grant to make their Burghley debut. She and the 2003 Thoroughbred gelding have racked up top performances this year. They finished 12th behind Rutledge and Covert Rights at Kentucky before improving to a second-place finish at the Land Rover Great Meadow International presented by Adequan CIC3*.
Both Symansky and Rutledge were part of the Bronze medal-winning team at the Aachen CICO3* in August in Germany.
Fellow U.S. combination, Laine Ashker and her own Anthony Patch, a 1999 Thoroughbred gelding, will also make its debut at Burghley.
Symansky and Donner will be the first U.S. pair to perform its dressage test, heading down centerline on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. BST. Ashker and Anthony Patch will begin their test on Friday at 10:02 a.m. BST, followed by Rutledge and Covert Rights at 2:32 p.m. BST.
Find out more about the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials CCI4*.
The USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported by the USET Foundation, USOC, and USEF Sponsors and Members. Without the support of these organizations and individuals, it would not be possible to support our athletes. The USEF is especially grateful to individuals who give generously of their time and money to support the equestrian teams.