Lauren Chumley's small tour horse Millennium has passed away at age 23. The Dutch warmblood stallion was a career making horse for Silke Rembacz and Lauren Chumley.
Millennium was born on 29 April 1994 and passed away on 22 July 2017. He went peacefully on his own in his field turned out with a companion.
"He gave me exactly what I prayed for and it still hurts so very much. This was no tragedy and I know I am the lucky one. I was able to spend ten years of my life with this beautiful soul and he was healthy and fit and strong when he departed. He never retired. He never faced the slow decline of health we all fear. Never forced me to make the dreadful awful decision of when to help him pass away," said Millennium's owner Chumley.
Millennium was by Nimmerdor out of Diona (by Formateur) and was bred by GJ van der Helm in The Netherlands.
He was imported into the U.S.A. by Laura Freeman as a 5-year old and under German born American Simke Rembacz the impressive dark bay gelding made is claim to fame.
Millennium was first competed by Anne Hornbeak up the levels to small tour from 1999 till 2002. At the end of 2002 Silke Rembacz took over ride and campaigned the horse on a regular basis at small tour level until 2007. They showed at CDI's in Devon and Palm Beach between 2005 and 2007. They were 11th in the kur to music at the 2006 U.S. Small Tour Championships.
In 2009 he was partnered with Lauren Chumley who extensively competed him at small tour level until the spring of 2013. In june 2013 junior rider Donna Jo Hendrickson got Millennium to ride as a schoolmaster. They did one CDI together at Junior level in Welllington in 2014. In 2015 he further served as a schoolmaster for Jessie Hayes and Kimberly Adelberger. He still competed at age 23 in 2017! Under his last rider Jessie Spracklin he did his final Prix St Georges test in May at Dressage at The Bucks County Horse Park.
"He was so full of life and happiness and then it was time to go.I met him in 2007 when he came launching off of Kevin L Hennessy's truck during my first year in Florida, completely leaping over the ramp. I thought he was the most gorgeous crazy psychotic animal I had ever seen. I was completely terrified to ride him because he loved to rear and leap and launch every ride. Not to be naughty, but because he was just so damn excited to be alive. And I loved him to pieces.
His FEI career spanned eleven years with his first CDI at 9 years old in 2003 and his last was in 2014 in the FEI Junior division. He competed in 18 CDIs, 6 of which were Dressage at Devon."
"He was never an easy horse to ride," Chumley continued. "He did what he wanted when he wanted to and his favorite trick was to passage when you wanted literally anything else to happen. I think he spent most of his tests trying to determine where he was going to throw in his trademark fabulous one tempis, whether you were at PSG or Third level. This horse made me. He was the happiest and brightest soul I've ever met."
Photo © Sharon Packer
Related Links
Scores: 2014 CDI-W Wellington
Scores: 2007 CDI Palm Beach Dressage Derby
Scores: 2006 U.S. Dressage Championships
Scores: 2005 CDI Devon