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William Fox-Pitt (GBR) added the Saumur CCI*** title to his list of 2004 victories. The Saumur red ribbon will be added to the one from the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI**** and to his fourth place finish at the Rolex-Kentucky CCI****. William's ride, Tom Cruise II Show Jumped double clear to finish on his Dressage score of 47.0. (William and Tom Cruise II's Victory Gallop is pictured at the right. Photo courtesy of the Saumur Web Site.)

Fourteen of the top twenty finishers Show Jumped Double clear and those who had rails down did not have time faults. The Show Jumping Phase was neither difficult nor influential.

Ingrid Klimke (GER) also Show Jumped double clear to hold second place with the grey Sleep Late, as did Karen Donckers (BEL) with both Nikkita and Palmyra to hold on to both third and fourth places. (Saumur ribbons are pictured at the left below. Photo courtesy of the Saumur Web Site.)

Abigail Lufkin remained fifth with Better I Do It (58.4) and Robyn Fisher remained 10th with Le Samurai (66.4).

Carl Bouckaert (BEL) riding Mr. Mullins moved up five places, from 19th to 14th, on his clean Show Jumping round.

Phillip Dutton (AUS) and Connaught moved up three places from nineteenth to sixteenth on his clean Show Jumping round, while he dropped three places from fourteenth to seventeenth with The Foreman, who had one rail down.

Jean Teulere, the reigning World Champion and a member of the french Squad for thr Athens Olympic Games, moved up three places from twenty-fourth to twenty-first, when Espoir De La Mare Ecoli Show jumped clean - not, perhaps, his happiest Saumur result.

The three highest placed French riders were: Gilles Pons on Daguet Du Rochau HN - sixth on 58.6; Gilles Viricel riding Gipsy De Voisin Mili - seventh on 61.8; and Thierry Messonnier with Helicine - eighth on 62.2. None of these three is currently named to the French Olympoc Squad.

Final Team Standings:

1. Great Britain - 192.6
2. France - 202.2
3. Belgium - 262.0
4. Australia - 264.6
Eliminated - USA

Virginia Horse Trials CCI*'s

Linden Wiesman led from gate to wire in the CCI*. Although she had one rail down, in the Show Jumping, with On a Tear, her final score of 48.4 was good enought to hold on to the winner's place. This would not have been the case if the over night second place, Allison Springer with Avatar, had jumped clean. They, however, gave Linden some breathing space by having four rails down and dropping to 14th place on a final score of 64.3.

Sharon White, who had been seventh after Cross Country Show jumped a double clear with McGinty II to rise five places and finish on their dressage score. The pair claimed second place on a score of 51.7. Sharon also placed seventh on Kaliedescope (59.1). Liza Horan and Johnny McCarthy, who had been third throughout, held on to that spot with one rail down for a score of 52.7.

Only seven competitors out of the forty-four finishers Show Jumped clean.

The top ten placings in the CCI*were:

1. Linden Wiesman, On A Tear - 48.4
2. Sharon White, McGinty II - 51.7
3. Liza Horan, Johnny McCarthy - 52.7
4. Holly Hepp, Epic Leap - 53.6
5. Lisa Starr, Sportz - 55.3
6. Liza Horan, Sundroft Sandal - 57.6
7. Sharon White, Kaliedescope - 59.1
8. Suzanne Kloud, I'm Happy As Larry - 59.3
9. Randy Ward, Gem Lion - 62.2
10. Dorothy Crowell, El Guapo - 63.4

In the CCI/YR*, the over night leader Ralph Holstein withdrew LaVengro before the Final Veterinary Inspection.

Lucia Strini, of Scottsville, VA, is the daughter of Linda Wachtmeister, the owner of Plain Dealing Farm. She had been third thoughout until she Show Jumped with one rail down to finish on a score of 53.6. When Kate Ditchey and Phenomenon pulled two rails, they dropped to second place, leaving the winners slot open for Lucia.

Alexandra Zavoyna, of Unionville, PA, was one of only two young riders to Show Jump clean. She and Merloch rose from eighth after Cross Country to third place, finishing on her Dressage score.

The top six in the CCI/YR* were:

1. Lucia Strini, Pandora - 53.6
2. Kate Ditchey, Penomenon - 55.4
3. Alexandra Zavoyna, Merloch - 56.7
4. Kathleen Dingus, Springcroft Cricket - 59.2
5. Wendy Masemer, Regent's Park - 59.9
6. Alexandra Wikstrom, LeQuel - 63.0

Jane Sleeper and New Moon won the CCIYH*. This pair Show Jumped clean to hold on to their over night leadership position on a score of 47.6

Bonnie Mosser riding Happy Valley also Show Jumped a double clear to retain second place on 48.7.

Former Olympian (Barcelona, 1992) and Burghley CCI**** winner, Stephen Bradley Show Jumped faultlessly, riding JJ, to rise from fifth place to third place on a score of 51.1.

The top six finishers in the CCI/YH* were:

1. Jane Sleeper, New Moon - 47.6
2. Bonnie Mosser, Happy Valley - 48.7
3. Stephen Bradley, JJ - 51.1
4. Rumsey Gilbert Keefe, Gailic Marriage - 52.2
5. Kristen Bond, Are You Ready - 54.2
6. Amy Tyler Louthen Childs, Berolina ML - 58.0

* * * * * * * *

Saturday, May 22 - Cross Country Day

Saumur CCI***

William Fox-Pitt (GBR), the reigning Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials Champion, was the only competitor, from 53 starters, to make the time on the Cross Country at the Saumur CCI*** today. This feat gave him and Tom Cruise II, who had been fifth after the Dressage phase, the lead by 7.8 faults, on his Dressage score score of 47.0. (William is pictured at the left on Tom Cruise II. Photo courtesy of the Saumur Web Site - Les Garennes.)

(A view of the Water Jump at Saumur, below at the right, courtesy of The Saumur Web Site, Celine Baudet.)

Ingrid Klimke (GER), with the Thoroughbred Sleep Late, maintained her second place position, with 4 time faults on the steeplechase and 12 time faults on the Cross Country, for a final score of 54.8. Ingrid's other horse, Robinson's Concord, the over night leader, had two refusals at the 27th fence, for 60 faults and added 79.6 time faults for a final score of 120.2 and 34th place.

Karen Donckers (BEL) stands third with Nikita on 56.8 (6.8 time faults XC) and fourth with Palmyra on 57.8 (5.6 time faults XC).

Abigail Lufkin moved up from 16th to 5th with Better I Do It, on the strength of a clear Cross Country only 7 seconds over the Time Allowed for 2.8 time faults and a score of 58.4. This quick run tied Ab for the third fastest time of the day with Thierry Meyssonnier (FRA) and Helicin. The latter pair stand 9th on 62.2. (Ab and BetterI Do It are pictured at the left, courtesy of the Saumur Web Site, Les Garennes.)

Robyn Fisher and Le Samurai II, 30th after the Dressage Phase, had the second fastest Cross Country time, just 4 seconds over the Time Allowed for 1.6 time faults and 10th place on 62.4. Robyn and Le Samurai won the World Cup Qualifier at Galway Downs, in Temecula, CA, last March.

Phillip Dutton (AUS) and The Foreman picked up 3.6 time faults and moved from 36th to 14th with Mrs. Annie Jones' Thoroughbred. Phillip's other ride, Connaught added 2.4 time faults on the 'Chase and 10.4 on the Cross Country for a final score of 70.2 and 19th place.

Carl Bouckaert (BEL) had a good run with Mr. Mullins, picking up only 4 time faults, having been 10 seconds over the time, for a final score of 68.0 and 17th place.

Jean Teilere (FRA) and Espoire De La Mare Ecoli, the reigning World Championship pair, had a stop at Fence # 14, The Ski Jump, for 20 jumping faults and 37.2 time faults and a final score of 81.6 and 24th place.

Mara Depuy had a fall at the same fence, The Ski Jump, and retired.

(Ingrid Klimke (GER) and Sleep Late, who are in second place, are pictured at the right, courtesy of the Saumur Web Site, Les Garennes.)

The team Scores are as follows:

1. Great Britain - 184.6
2. France - 202.0
3. Belgium - 210.2
4. Australia - 235.6

The USA was eliminated.

Virginia Horse Trials CCI*'s

Linden Wiesman, the over night leader of the CCI*, is still in first place on her Dressage score of 44.4, having ridden a double clear with On A Tear. Allison Springer stands second with Avatar on 48.3, and Liza Horan is third on Johnny McCarthy with a score of 48.7. Linden Wiesman is .1 of a fault short of having a rail in hand heading into Sunday's Show Jumping.

In the CCI/YR*, the top three remain the same. All three ran faultlessly on the Endurance Phase. Ralph Holstein, the overnight leader, is in first place on 45.9. Kate Dichy and Phenomenon (47.4) are second and Lucia Strini, riding Pandora, is third on a score of 49.6. Less than one rail separates the top three.

Jane Sleeper, second over night, moved into the leader's spot on a double clear Cross Country with New Moon (47.6) in the CCI/YH* Division. Bonnie Mosser moved from third to second riding Happy Valley (48.7) and Kristen Bond moved from fourth to third with Are You Ready, whose score is 50.2. Less than one knock down separates the top three.

Darren Chiacchia, who was the over night leader, with Tim Holekamp's Huronia, picked up 9.6 time faults on the Steeplechase and 7.2 time faults on the Cross Country for a two day total of 59.9 faults, which dropped the pair to ninth place.