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Corinne Ashton, Becky Holder and Will Faudree entered the Show Jumping arena with scores within one fault of each other. Ashton, riding Dobbin, and Holder, riding the gray Courageous Comet, each jumped double clears. This meant that Corinne held on to the lead and Becky moved from third to second when Will and Antigua had two rails down for eight faults and dropped to fourth place. (Corinne and Dobbin are pictured at the right during their Victory Gallop.) (Becky and Courageous Comet are pictured at the left below in the Show Jumping phase.)

Kristin Bachman and Griffindor, who pulled one rail, slid into the third spot on a score of 48.5.

Ashton commented, regarding Dobbins Show Jumping round, "He knows his stuff and he knew today was stadium. I told him to pick his feet up and he did!"

In the CIC**, Phillip Dutton had two rails in hand after Cross Country with Mrs. Nina Gardner's Loose 'N Cool. He only needed one of them to hold on to the lead on a score of 52.2. (Phillip and Loose 'N Cool are pictured at the right below in the Show Jumping phase.)

Holly Hepp, who had been second after Cross Country jumped a double clear with Benwald to hold on to the runner up slot.

The Carolina Horse Park at Five Points, where the Southern Pines Horse Trials are held, has added ninty-six permanent stalls set in four twenty-four stall barns. This is a great improvement in the facility, particularly for those fortunate enough to be stabled in them.

Gwen Parkins, Executive Director of the Horse Trials said, "We got a $240,000 loan from the Lumbee River Electrical Membership Co-op, in Hoke County." That was the budget for the permanent barns. None of the bids came in at that level so the Horse Park executives decided to become their own general contractors and were able to bring the project to fruition within budget.

Final Results Advanced:

1. Corinne Ashton, Dobbin - 39.6 (0 faults SJ)
2. Becky Holder, Courageous Comet - 40.6 (0 faults SJ)
3. Kristin Bachman, Gryfffindor - 47.7 (4 faults SJ)
4. Will Faudree, Antigua - 48.5 (8 faults SJ)
5. Boyd Martin, Neville Bardof - 51.4 (0 faults SJ)
6. Ashley MacVaugh, All's Fair - 53.3 (4 faults SJ)

Final Results CIC**:

1. Phillip Dutton, Loose 'N Cool - 52.2 (4 faults SJ)
2. Holly Hepp, Benwald - 56.3 (0 faults SJ)
3. Bobby Costello, Alcibiades - 68.0 (0 faults SJ)
4. Ashley Brown, Patmos Bentley - 71.4 (0 faults SJ)
5. Danielle Quinn, Culcairn - (8 faults SJ)

* * * * * * * * *

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Cross Country Day

Saturday produced more extraordinary weather for the Southern Pines Horse Trials! This time it was COLD! - 43 degrees and windy when your reporter left the grounds at noon time. Nonetheless, the footing for Cross Country was excellent. The sandy soil managed to absorb 2.99 inches of rain as measured at Raleigh/Durham Airport Friday evening.

Scores are very tight at the top of the Advanced Section - so close that only one fault separates the three leaders. Corinne Ashton and Dobbin and Will Faudree riding Antigua ran identical fastest times for 9.2 time faults each. (At the right, Dobbin puts in a big one for Corinne Ashton at the skinny in the water.)These two leap frogged over the Dressage leader Becky Holder and Courageous Comet to claim first and second places. Corinne moved from second to first and Will moved from a post Dressage standing tied for fourth place to second place. (Will and Antigua are pictured at the left below jumping the corner after the water.)

Becky and Courageous Comet dropped from first place after Dressage to third place, when this pair picked up 15.2 time faults over the John Williams designed course.

Gryffindor and Kristin Bachman rose from sixth place after Dressage to fourth place after Cross Country with 12.0 time faults.

* * *

In the CIC**, the top three finishers after the Dressage phase maintained their standings after Cross Country. Phillip Dutton increased his lead by picking up only .8 of a time fault for two seconds over the time, while second placed Holly Hepp and third placed Colleen Loach added 9.2 time faults and 10.4 time faults respectively. (Phillip and Loose "N Cool are pictured at the right jumping the revetted bank out of the water.)

Two competitors, Erin Sylvester and Dana Cannon, had hard falls at the revetted bank to log skinny after the big water. Dana was conscious; but, was removed by Medical Services,(Dana's fall from Majestic Falcon is pictured at the bottom of this article in the center.) while Erin re-mounted and retired after jumping the alternate fence. (At the left below, Erin Sylvester demonstrates the "extreme forward seat" prior to a fall from Landsear at the skinny after the water.")

The Advanced Show Jumping phase begins at 9:00 AM on Sunday morning, followed by the CIC** Show Jumping.

Advanced Results After Cross Country:

1. Corinne Ashton, Dobbin - 39.6 (9.2 time faults XC)
2. Will Faudree, Antigua - 40.5 (9.2 time faults XC)
3. Becky Holder, Courageous Comet - 40.6 (15.2 time faults XC)
4. Kristin Bachman, Gryffindor - 57.0 (12.0 time faults XC)
5. Kurt Martin, Wood Work - 46.7 (10 time faults XC)
6. Ashley McVaugh, All's Fair - 49.3 (16.0 time faults XC)

CIC** Results After Cross Country:

1. Phillip Dutton, Loose 'N Cool - 48.2 (.8 time faults XC)
2. Holly Hepp, Benwald - 56.2 (9.2 time faults XC)
3. Colleen Loach (CAN), Longfield Dougal - 58.7 (10.4 time faults XC)
4. Robert Costello, Alcibiades - 68.4 (11.6 time faults XC)
5. Ashley Brown, Patmos Bentley - 71.9 (10.4 time faults XC)
6. Danielle Quinn, Culcairn 14 - 73.2 (15.6 time faults XC)

* * * * * * * * *

Friday March 16, 2007

Dressage Day

Over the past forty-five years your reporter has been to a great many rainy competitions. Southern Pines Dressage Day ranks right up there with the very worst of them. Cross Country Day at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964 was a real doozer! The odd rainy Badminton Cross Country Day has been a soaker. Occasional serious thunder storms can be drenchers. Friday morning was just a rainy day - a VERY rainy day - with occasional downpours.

The footing in the Dressage rings was as good as possible - all six rings are on the same sand pad and the footing does hold up. Will Faudree commented, "It's a mess in there." When asked, "Is it slippery?" He answered, "No. It's just deep." There was standing water everywhere and streams in places where there are never streams.

In typical Southern Pines style, the time schedule was adhered to and scores were promptly posted. Oh! If only this were true at other competitions!

Becky Holder's Dressage test with the gray Courageous Comet was outstanding! His performance was accurate and forward with lovely self carriage. No wonder he leads the entire pack by 5 faults heading for Cross Country on Saturday.

Those in second through sixth places are separated by only 1.3 faults.

Holly Hepp, who competes out of the Southern Pines area with Benwald, leads the CIC** on 47.1. Phillip Dutton and Loose 'N Cool are.3 of a fault behind on 47.4.

Fortunately, the weather report for Saturday's Cross Country is much better - partly cloudy and no rain. The going should be good - no course absorbs water like the sandy soil of Southern Pines.

Advanced Dressage Scores:

1. Becky Holder, Courageous Comet - 25.4
2. Corinne Ashton, Dobbin - 30.4
3. Allison Springer, Arthur - 30.8
4T. Holly Johnson, Dances With Wolves - 31.3
4T. Will Faudree, Antigua - 31.3
6. Kristin Bachman - Gryffindor - 31.7
(31 competitors)

CIC**:

1. Holly Hepp, Benwald - 47.1
2. Phillip Dutton, Loose 'N Cool - 47.4
3. Colleen Loach, Longfirld Dougal - 48.3
4. Megan Correia Bittner, Mata-Riki - 52.8
5. Robert Costello, Alcibiades - 56.4
6. Ian Roberts (CAN), Tang - 56.7
(13 competitors)

* * * * * * * * *

Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series Continues at Southern Pines

Ashton and Dobbin take the Advanced, and Dutton wins CIC**
on the Appropriately Named Loose ‘N Cool over the Frigid Weekend

Over 300 eventers competed March 16-18 at the Southern Pines Horse Trials II, battling not only each other, but also freezing cold, howling winds, and pouring rain—often all at the same time. Competitors from training level through advanced braved this unseasonably miserable weather, with temperatures dropping into the 20s on Sunday at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina, which also hosted the second Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series event of 2007.

Phillip Dutton and Nina Gardner's Loose 'N Cool rode off with the win in the CIC**. The pair started off in second after dressage, added just 0.8 time penalties in cross-country (the fastest ride of the day), and went into show jumping with two rails in hand. They dropped just the second-to-last fence to win the class, which served as the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series Intermediate division, on a final score of 52.2. Local trainer Holly Hepp and Anne Hennessy's Benwald had taken the early lead after dressage, just 0.3 points ahead of Dutton, but 9.2 time penalties on cross-country dropped them into second place, where they finished on a final score of 56.3. Robert Costello and Bobby Stephens' Alcibiades were third on a score of 68. (Bobby and Alcibiades are pictured at the right junping the revetted bank out of the water.)

It was a tight race in the CIC*** with Corrine Ashton and Dobbin winning on their score of 39.6, and Minnesota’s Becky Holder (last year’s Gold Cup champion with Ann Bower’s Rejuvenate) and Courageous Comet hot on their heels in second with 40.6. Ashton and her talented chestnut gelding took the lead after cross-country, and then left all the rails in their cups in show jumping to capture the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series trophy, and narrowly beat out Holder, who had initially taken the lead after a stellar dressage ride that scored 25.4. Though Holder and her lovely gray gelding had more time faults on cross-country than they would have liked, their clear round in show jumping bumped them from third into second place on a final score of 40.6. 2006 World Equestrian Games veterans and Southern Pines natives, Will Faudree and his Antigua lowered two rails to incur eight faults and fall from second to fourth place with 48.5, while Middleburg, Virginia-based Kristin Bachman and her Gryffindor, who won the 2006 Wellpride American Eventing Championships Advanced division at the same location, slid into third place after dropping just one rail to end on 47.7.

Thanks to the generosity of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series sponsors, Ashton will go home with $500 cash, a seven-dose pack of Adequan, pair of SCS3 boots from Mountain Horse, fly sheet from Back on Track, Nunn Finer American Style brushing boots, saddle pad from Ogilvy Horse, grooming tote with a three-month supply of Wellpride Omega-3 fish oil, Nutrena feed, and a gift certificate for $175 worth of products from World Equestrian Brands.

Dutton received all of the above for his CIC** win, but instead of the SCS3 boots will receive a Cirrus 3-season jacket from Mountain Horse.

Both Hepp and Holder received a pair of Nunn Finer brushing boots, No Bow wraps from Back on Track, and a gift certificate for $75 worth of products from World Equestrian Brands.

Southern Pines was just the second of 12 events on the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series calendar, and already the points for the nation’s top horses and riders are adding up on the leaderboard. After Red Hills and Southern Pines, Ashton and Dobbin are tied for first place on the Advanced leaderboard with Red Hills CIC***-W victors, Jonathan Holling and his wife’s Lion King II with a score of 240. Becky Holder and husband Tom’s Courageous Comet are close behind with their score of 215. Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM, owned by Cassandra Segal and Ann Glaus, hold the top spot in the Intermediate leaderboard with a score of 130, with Laine Ashker and Anthony Patch in second with 110.

Several changes have been made to the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series Leaderboard that should make the “Race for the Cup” even more competitive in 2007. For more information on the point changes, as well as the complete leaderboard, visit the Gold Cup web page on the U.S. Eventing website.

Two more events remain in the spring portion of the Series—Galway Downs Horse Trials in Temecula, California the final weekend in March, and The Fork Horse Trials in Norwood, North Carolina April 5-8. Eight more events will take place from July through September to decide the Keeper of the Cup in both divisions. Then, this December, at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in Colorado Springs, Colorado, a grand prize Gold Cup trophy and gift pack from World Equestrian Brands will be awarded to the rider from each division with the most points at the end of the year. In addition, the Gold Cup champion at the Advanced level will receive a check from the USEA for $6,000, and the intermediate champion will take home a check for $4,000. Both winners will also receive an additional supply of Adequan. The second placed rider at Advanced will win a $3,500 Bit of Britain gift certificate and their Intermediate counterpart will win a $2,500 gift certificate.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Title: Adequan; Legacy: Nunn Finer, Nutrena, and World Equestrian Brands; Contributing: Cover-All, UlcerGard, and Wellpride; and Patron: Back on Track, Mountain Horse, Ogilvy Horse, and Platinum Performance.

For more information on the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, click on the Gold Cup logo on the USEA website homepage.

For more information on the Southern Pines and Red Hills Horse trials, visit www.CarolinaHorsePark.com and www.rhht.org.