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The latest rumor around Southern Pines was that the Horse Trials would be changing their name, in the spring of 2007, to The Phillip Dutton Horse Trials.

Phillip took home two US Eventing Association Gold Cups - one in Advanced with Mrs. Nina Gardner's House Doctor and one in the Intermediate with Happy as Larry. Beyond this Phillip also finished second in the Advanced with Bruce Duchessois' Hannigan and fifth with Amazing Odyssey. (Phillip and House Doctor are pictured at the right.)

Phillip said of the Southern Pines Cross Country course, "This is a great prep course. I would advise any of my students to come here." He added, "I thought the corner out of the water was not very fair. It was (off) a hard right turn."

Phillip mentioned that House Doctor's owners, the Gardners, ". . . flew in from Ireland Friday night. It doesn't always work out that way. (- that an owner should make a special effort to be present and then that their horse would win.) House Doctor went to Spain (the WEG, in 2000). He was sore on the last day." House Doctor has been in light work until this year. He's done three horse trials this spring - Pine Top, an Intermediate; Pine Top, an Advanced: and Southern Pines. "We'll take it one event at a time," Phillip said.

Regarding the USEA's Adequan Gold Cup Series, Phillip said, "It rewards consistency. It adds prestige to an event and a little more prize money."

Phillip's plans for his other Advanced horses are that The Foreman and Amazing Odyssey will go to the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, and Hannigan is aimed at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI****, in England. "Amazing Odyssey is a freak of a jumping horse," Phillip commented. "This (Southern Pines) is his first run since Burghley."

Becky Holder, who finished in fourth place with the gray Courageous Comet, said,"I've been working on Dressage with Robert Dover and Mark (Captain Mark Phillips). I am still putting the pieces together. Laura Kraut has been helping with Show Jumping. I am still trying to tie up the loose ends. (Becky and Courageous Comet are pictured at the left above.)

" I love the American Thoroughbred, Becky continued. "The speed is still necessary," particularly towards the end of a big FEI competition.

Boyd Martin, the new Aussie in town who is based with Phillip, finished in tenth place with one rail down and 5 time faults.

Advanced:

1. Phillip Dutton, House Doctor - 36.1 (DCSJ)
2. Phillip Dutton, Hannigan - 37.4 (DCSJ)
3. John Williams, Sloopy - 47.7 (DCSJ)
4. Becky Holder, Courageous Comet - 49.0 (4 faults SJ)
5. Phillip Dutton, Amazing Odyssey - 53.6 (4 faults SJ)
6. Leslie Chelstrom, Sara - 55.7 (DCSJ)
7. Kurt Martin, Wood Work - 56.1 (8 faults SJ)
8. Wendy Bebie, Phoenix - 57.2 (4 faults SJ)
9. Beth Perkins, GHF Sterling Spirit - (4 jumping, 1 time SJ)
10. Boyd Martin, Ying Yang Yo - 81.3 (4 jumping, 5 time SJ)
(25 competitors)

Open Intermediate:

1. Phillip Dutton, Happy as Larry - 36.90 (FODS) (Phillip and Happy As Larry are pictured at the right receiving the Gold Cup Trophy from John Nunn.)
2. Nate Chambers+, Rolling Stone II - 37.50 (DCSJ)
3. Christy Price, Barber's Berber - 40.80 (4 faults SJ)
4. Carol Kozlowski, Take Time - 40.90 (DCSJ)
5. Ashley Brown+, Patmos Bentley - 42.80 (FODS)
6. Ashley Adams+, Vaunted - 43.50 (FODS)
( 37 competitors)
(+ means Young Rider)

Open Preliminary, "A" Section:
1. John Williams, Sweepea Dean 30.70 (FODS) (John and Sweepea Dean are pictured at the left jumping into the water.)
2. Paul Ebersole, Twisted Fate 35.90 (FODS)
3. Tracy McRae, Larkrullah 45.00 (8 faults SJ)
4. Mark Weissbecker, Tatham 45.10 (4 faults SJ)
5. Carol Kozlowski, Utah 46.00 (DCSJ)
6. Phillip Dutton, Clean Slate 47.10 (4 faults SJ)
7. Will Faudree, Mr. McWhinney 47.8 (FODS)
(22 competitors)

Open Preliminary, "B" Section:

1. Amy Tryon, Leyland - 32.3 (DCSJ)
2. Mary Clare, Caledonia 32.60 (FODS)
3. Megan Correia-Bittner, Anyway 35.60 (FODS)
4. John Strassburger, Master Merlin - 38.40 (DCSJ)
5 .Gilles Brouillette, Merlin de Sabligny - 39.40 (DCSJ)
6. Adrienne Classen, Rafferty's Rules - 41.70 (DCSJ)
7. Dornin Anne North, Jimminy Cricket 45.60 (DCSJ)
(25 competitors)

The "B" Section was the last competition for Michele Lobsinger's Able Sportsfield. Able has always been a Cross Country machine and the pair were in third place after a double clear Cross Country run on Saturday. Ave Atque Vale. (Michele and Able Sportsfield are pictured at the right above at the Midsouth Horse Trials in 2004.)

Open Preliminary, "C" Section:

1. Kim Severson, Wall Street Whisper 21.50 (FODS) (Kim and Wall Street Whisper are pictured at the left in the Dressage Phase.)
2. Jennifer Goebel, Berkley 25.60 (FODS)
3. Amy Tryon, Reveille III 26.70 (FODS)
4. Gina Fiore, Remington 29.60 (4 faults SJ)
5. Erin Renfroe, De Cordova 30.70 (FODS)
6. Phillip Dutton, SeeMore - 35.10 (4 faults SJ)
7. Becky Holder, Can't Fire Me 35.50 (4 faults SJ)
(22 Competitors)

* * * * * * * * *

Can Anybody Stop Phillip Dutton?
Hans Gerling Reports from Southern Pines Horse Trials

Southern Pines, NC – Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Just one week after capturing the CIC*** and CIC** divisions at the Red Hills Horse Trials, in Tallahassee, Florida, Phillip Dutton continued his winning ways at the 15th annual Southern Pines Horse Trials.

Warm sun and clear skies were a welcome sight for competitors, who in previous years had been forced to contend with rain and plummeting temperatures. John Williams took over as the course designer from Mark Phillips and redesigned the courses at the training through the advanced level.

Although the courses followed the same traditional left-handed track, Williams made a definite effort to ease riders onto the courses with big, straightforward, galloping fences. Interestingly, Williams completely avoided the bank complex in the front field, which was the sight of last year’s overly difficult corner combination.

The first test for advanced riders came at fences 6a-6c, where horse and rider combinations faced a big downhill bounce on a forward distance before making a left handed turn to a narrow log. Riders on the advanced course then jumped several let up fences before tackling the sunken road, which this year was made slightly bigger, but still involved bouncing down onto the streambed, taking one big stride and bouncing back up and out.

Course builder Eric Bull created a new corner over a ditch following the sunken road. The corner itself was beautifully built, however Technical Delegate, Pat Maykuth, made the odd decision to suggest using a flimsy bicycle flag in place of a real red flag. Despite concerns from the riders, the fence jumped reasonably well throughout the day.

After several let up fences, riders had a fun time jumping into the water over a rounded rail, before taking three strides and jumping up and on an island in the water and bouncing back in over another rounded log. After hopping out of the water up a bank, riders made a sharp right turn to a big left-handed corner. Unfortunately this turn to the corner did not ride particularly smoothly, and several combinations picked up a frustrating glance-off at the corner.

Riders then made a fast loop around the infield of the racetrack over several galloping fences before facing a second, relatively simple water complex and then a long gallop to the finish line.

Williams challenged riders at the lower levels with a variety of questions including: a sunkenroad for training level riders, which caused many stops for the green horse or rider, a big bounce out of the water at the preliminary level, and a tricky table to a corner line at the end of the intermediate course.

Ultimately, Williams’ courses jumped well, and although riders picked up numerous frustrating, but innocuous run-outs and refusals throughout the day, both the horse and person ambulances remained stationary for the first time in many years at this event.

The indomitable Aussie, Phillip Dutton, won both the advanced and intermediate divisions as well as placing second in the advanced. Dutton’s victory in the advanced section aboard his Sydney Olympic mount, House Doctor, was especially significant, as the horse has been making a slow recovery after several years of being plagued by injuries. Dutton placed second in the same division riding the experienced, Hannigan.

Third place finishers, John Williams and Sloopy, looked impressive, but still finished more than 10 points adrift of Dutton and Hannigan.

Dutton captured the intermediate section riding Happy As Larry, while Young Rider, Nate Chambers slipped into the reserve spot after the overnight leaders, Christy Price and Barber’s Berber, had an unlucky rail. (Nate and Rolling Stone II are pictured at the right.)

Kellie VanPelt and the aptly name Sir Real, and Coren Morgan riding Early Achiever both produced professional performances to capture the Young Rider Preliminary Divisions.

United States Equestrian Team Veterans, John Williams, Amy Tryon, and Kim Severson each won a section of Open Preliminary.

Overall, the quality of the horses and the riding was encouraging as the eventing season heats up as the big spring three-days approach.

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