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CCI***

As in the morning's CCI** section, there was little change on the Leader Board in the CCI*** until Bonnie Masser rode Close The Deal third to last in the first rotation of Friday afternoon. Bonnie had an accurate and forward test good for a score of 51.1 and third place at the time she rode and a final placing of sixth..

Once Bonnie had broken the ice, Buck Davidson dove right in with Idalgo and scored 47.0, only the second score in the forties, good for second place at the time he rodeand a final placing of fourth.

The Press Tent is right next to the warm up ring. Watching Darren Chiacchia warm up Dr. Timothy Holekamp's Windfall II and, of course knowing Windfall's historical success in the Dressage Phase, it came as no surprise when Darren's score of 39.3 was announced and he moved ahead of Mara and Nicki Henley on the only mark in the thirties.

Darren said, "It's great to be here; however, I really am here because we had a little problem at Rolex (Three refusal at trhree differenyt fences and finally retirement.) He needed a bit of a break and I gave him a confidence builder in an Intermediate (which he won at Virginia.) With stallions you have to allow them to express themselves. (Darren and Windfall are pictured above at the right.)

Mara Dean who had led since Thursday morning with Nicki Henley until Darren's ride late on Friday and now stands second said, "I had somewhat the same problem as Darren I ended up in a ditch at Kentucky. I was pretty pissed off. He (Nicki Henley) looked distressed and they thought he was starting to colic so he was vanned off. He was bruised and was sore. Within a week he was back to himself."

Mara continued about Nicki Henley, "I bought him from Jan (Byyny) and Craig (Thompson). They called him Nicki."

Then Jan explained, "The woman we bought him through, Susie Pragnell, lives in Henley on Thames (in England) so we called him Nicki Henley."

David O'Connor warmed up Jan Byyny and Task Force. This pair had been heavily tipped to get on to the Leader Board and the tipsters were correct. Jan's score with Task Force was 45.4, good for third place. (Jan and Task Force are pictured at the left.)

Jan said of Task Force, "My last jump school before Kentucky he slipped an hyper extended has shoulder He was dead lame. We blocked him up to his shoulder. He just pulled everything. (Since then) we've done some flat work and jumped him twice and I am planning to run him tomorrow."

The weather report for Saturday is bad - 90 percent chance of rain. The CCI** Cross Country starts at 9 AM. The CCI*** Cross Country starts at 1 PM.

CCI*** Top Ten After the Dressage Phase:

1. Darren Chiacchia, Windfall II - 39.3
2. Mara Dean, Nicki Henley - 40.9
3. Jan Byyny, Task Force - 45.4
4. Buck Davidson, Idalgo - 47.0
5. Mike Winter (CAN), Kingpin - 50.2
6. Bonnie Mosser, Close The Deal - 51.1
7. Jonathan Holling, Lion King II - 51.5
8. Buck Davidson, New Moon - 51.7
9. Leslie Law, Another Garrison - 52.4
10T. Karl Slezak, Foxwood Spencer - 52.6
10T. Mikki Kapaun, Allstar - 52.6
10T. Darren Chiacchia, Gaspar - 52.6

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CCI**

None of the 17 competitors who rode their CCI** tests on Friday morning cracked the top three so that Thursday's leaders Becky Holder in first with Glorious Joy; Kim Severson and Tsunami, in second place; and Kate Ditchey on Belmont in third; move forward to the Cross Country phase on Saturday as the leaders. (Kate and Belmont are pictured nat the right.)

Kate Ditchey said, "Belmont is a ten year old Dutch Warm Blood. This is my third attempt at a CCI**. We tried him at Radnor and didn't run because it was really wet. Then at Virgin ia he was sore after Dressage I want to go this time!"

Wendy Bebie, of Round Hill, Virginia rode first on Friday morning and scored a 51.0 with Phoenix for fourth place in the CCI**. (Wendy, sans chapeau, and Phoenix are pictured at the left below.)

Denise Rath was the other Friday competitor to make it into the top six with Goodbye Cavalier, whose score was 54.0.

Nate Chambers and Rolling Stone II (55.0) slid into seventh place and Sinead Halpin and Glitterati (56.5) placed eighth.

John Strassburger, in his last east coast competition before moving to California, is in ninth place with Master Merlin. Teresa Stewart, a former runway model for Donna Karan, stands in tenth place riding Handsome Devil.

CCI** Top Ten After the Dressage Phase:

1. Becky Holder, Gloroius Joy - 43.5
2. Kim Severson, Tsunami - 44.4
3. Kate Ditchey, Belmont - 48.8
4. Wendy Bebie, Phoenix - 51.0
5. Phillip Dutton (AUS), Tru Luck - 52.3
6. Denise Rath, Goodbye Cavalier - 54.0
7. Nate Chambers, Rolling Stone II - 55.0
8. Sinead Halpin, Glitterati - 56.5
9. John Strassburger, Master Merlin - 56.7
10. Teresa Stewart, Handsome Devil - 57.7