Saturday, March 8 - Show Jumping Day (Prelim Cross Country)

Considering that both the local radio station and the Weather Channel predicted the most dire sort of weather, including nickle size hail, The Fork was very lucky to get through the changed Saturday schedule with virtually no serious problems.

Friday night it was thought that the Preliminary Sections would be run as Combined Tests, that is just Dressage and Show Jumping. Suddenly, on Saturday morning as the Preliminary Show Jumping was taking place, there was an announcement to the effect that Preliminary riders should be prepared to go Cross Country starting at 11:00 AM. All Preliminary riders who wished to run had their chance and all Sections were finished by about 2:30 PM. Yes, it rained; but, not the entire time, and there was no nickle size hail.

Meanwhile, the CCI-W*** Show Jumping was completed in what had been the warm up area for Dressage. All of the top top seven placers from Dressage Show Jumped double clear except Mara Dean and Nicki Henley, who had been in fourth place. This pair pulled two rails for 8 faults and dropped to 9th. In some sort of Eventing Gods' quid pro quo, Mara and Good Stuff, who had been in a tie for 10th place, jumped a double clear in the stadium and moved up tosixth place.

Darren Chiacchia and Windfall (33.8) still lead by .9 of a fault from Kim Severson and Winsome Adante (34.7). (Kim and Winsome Adante are pictured at the left.)The Sunday Cross Country should tell the tale between these two. Darren has two seconds in hand going into the start box.

In total thirty CIC-W*** horses completed the Show Jumping Phase. Amy Tryon withdrew Woodstock and Canada's Carl Slezak and Foxwood Spencer were eliminated. Of the thirty who completed, nineteen horses or nearly 2/3 of the field jumped double clears over the course designed by Marc Donovan.

Results After Dressage and Show Jumping:

1. Darren Chiacchia, Windfall II - 33.8
2. Kim Severson, Winsome Adante - 34.7
3. Phillip Dutton, House Doctor - 39.1
4. Kim Severson, R0yal Venture - 40.0
5. Amy Tryon, Poggio II - 42.8
6. Jessica Heidemann, French Twist - 44.4
7. Mara Dean, Good Stuff - 45.6
8. Gina Miles, McKinlaigh - 46.8
9. Mara Dean, Nicki Henley - 46.8
10T. Heidi White, Northern Spy - 48.7
10T. Will Faudree, Antigua - 48.7
12. Kristin Bachman, Gryffindor - 49.6
13. Becky Holder, Courageous Comet - 50.3
14T Karen O'Connor, Upstage - 51.8
14T. Jonathan Holling, Lion King II - 51.8

The CIC***, a member of the US Eventing Association Gold Cup Series, was led by Stuart Black with Fleecework's Starlight after the Dressage. Stuart Show Jumped double clear to maintain hie lead. (Stuart and Fleeceworks Starlight are pictured above at the right.)

The Preliminary Sections finished their Cross Country. There were no results at press time; however, John Williams who had led the OP/B Section throughout with Sweepea Dean, very likely ended upwinning it. (John and Sweepea Dean are pictured at the right jumping the Preliminary Goose at theBB& T Opportunity Pond.)