Escot 6 getting a cookie from Sally Morris while Colleen Rutledge walks him around the Rolex arena yesterday evening.

Escot 6 getting a cookie from Sally Morris while Colleen Rutledge walks him around the Rolex arena yesterday evening.

The 2016 Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, presented by Land Rover, officially started yesterday afternoon with all 73 presented entries passing the first horse inspection. Maryland is well represented by four riders and six horses.

Lillian Heard (VA), head trainer at Bascule Farm (Poolesville) was the first of the Maryland connections to ride this morning aboard her own Share Option. They scored a 54.6 and are currently sitting in fifth place. The pair finished 23rd at Rolex last year and more recently, won the Advanced division at Pine Top in Georgia. Lilian will also be riding her own LCC Barnaby and Vanessa Crumpley’s FYI tomorrow.

Colleen Rutledge (Frederick), owner and trainer of Turn About Farm (Damascus), originally had two entries for this year’s competition but withdrew her home-bred Covert Rights before the first inspection. She will be riding this morning Escot 6, her young Hanoverian gelding, at his first 4*. Colleen is no stranger to the 4* level, having competed two horses internationally at that level for several years. Escot 6’s best score of the season so far was sixth place in the Pine Top CIC3* (Georgia).

Although now based in Florida, Katie Ruppel spent a while here in Maryland training out of the Mt. Airy area. This Rolex she will be riding her own off-the-track Thoroughbred, Houdini. The pair have had a great start to the season, placing fourth in the CIC3* at Pine Top (Georgia) and winning the Advanced division at The Fork (North Carolina). They will also be entering the Rolex dressage ring this morning.

On Friday, Marilyn Little (Frederick), trainer at Raylyn Farm (Frederick) and Pan American gold medalist (team and individual), will be entering the dressage ring aboard her long-time 4* partner RF Demeter. Marilyn finished sixth aboard the Oldenburg mare, owned by Jacqueline Mars, Patrick Witte and Raylyn Farm, at the 2014 Rolex and more recently, they won the Open Intermediate at Rocking Horse (Florida) and placed third in the Open Intermediate at the Ocala Horse Properties (Florida).

The Equiery will be following all the action and posting updates on our homepage and Facebook page.

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