by Joshua Potts, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Springfield, IL — Birminghim, a 4-year-old Striking Sahbra mare out of the Garland Lobell mare Buckinghim, has racked up many frequent flyer miles in her day. Owned by a Norwegian, Torkil Pedersen, the Kentucky-bred won a prestigious race in Sweden back in May, and is racing in suburban Chicago this weekend, coming off a race in Canada. We can only hope she likes airline oats.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

In her first start in 2007, Birminghim scored in 1:57.2 in a conditioned trot at Pompano Park with Trevor Ritchie in the bike.

Birminghim was purchased as a yearling by Harald Lunde. Soon thereafter, Lunde sold her to Pedersen of Trondheim, Norway. Pedersen then retained Lunde to train his new trotter.

Tor Hegmann, Lunde’s second trainer, said his boss wasn’t looking for anything in particular when he purchased the Striking Sahbra miss.

“(Harald) was just looking at different horses. He liked the look of the horse. She was very good looking,” said Hegmann.

Back on May 5 of this year, Birminghim won the prestigious Queen’s Trophy at Aby Racetrack in Gotherburg, Sweden. She won the 1-5/16th mile event in 1:58.3 (mile rate).

Hegmann says that the mare has no preference between going a mile, or going the longer distances they often race in Europe.

“She can either go a mile or longer. She’s an all around horse. In Sweden, they use them pretty good in the first quarter of a mile and in the final quarter of a mile, with a little rest in the middle. In America, there is no rest in the middle. But she can race either way.”

Birminghim’s most recent race was a fifth place finish in the Armbro Flight at Mohawk on June 30. This Saturday, July 21, she will face eight rivals, seven males and one other mare, in the $82,000 Erwin F. Dygert Memorial Open Trot at Hawthorne Racecourse in Stickney, Illinois.

But Hegmann was not concerned about the time off.

“A couple weeks is good for her. (The time off) is not really a concern. She can go with them,” he said.

He noted that in Sweden, it is more common for horses to take a few weeks off between starts.

Trevor Ritchie will be piloting Birminghim in the Dygert Memorial.

“We never give Trevor instructions,” said Hegmann. “He knows more about what to do. She has good gate speed, which is good since she is coming from the nine hole, so she’ll have to get out of there.”

When asked if he was concerned about starting from post position nine, Hegmann said, “It is always a concern, but we’ll do the best we can.”

The Dygert Memorial Open Trot will be the 10th race on Hawthorne’s card this Saturday night. Birminghim isn’t the only big name in the race, as she’ll take on the likes of Blue Mac Lad, Muscles Marinara, and last week’s Dygert Preview winner, Two Weeks Notice.