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It had been pretty windy on the Thursday and Friday of Dressage at North Georgia so competitors and others present were getting used to it. Sunday's wind made it look as though the other days had been "blowing practice!" It blew so hard that the plank fence in the Show Jumping kept blowing down. After several crashes, including one when a competitor was four or five strides away, a member of the Jump Crew was stationed at the fence to hold it in place until the next horse came near.

By comparison to the Fair Hill International Horse Trials, in Maryland, North Georgia's weather was paradise. Fair Hill first delayed the Cross Country until Sunday and then were forced to cancel entirely due to heavy rain and soft going. It looks as though Georgia is the place to be inearly April!

Approximately 50 CIC*** Show Jumped Sunday between noon and 3:00 PM.
All of the top six placed horses, with the exception of, two jumped double clears. Will Faudree and Antigua and Phillip Dutton (AUS) riding Hannigan both finished on their Dressage scores for scores of 53.5 (6th place) and 53.2 (5th place) respectively.

Next came Karen O'Connor, riding Mr. and Mrs Richard Thompson's Upstage. Upstage placed 4th after Cross Country on a score of 52.7. eventingetc owes Karen and the Thompsons an apology for not having included Upstage in the top ranked horses after Cross Country. As was stated in Saturday's XC article, the final scores were "unofficial", nonetheless the mistake was ours and we are sorry. Karen and Upstage scored 46.3 in the Dressage for 5th place; added 6.4 time faults Cross Country for 4th place; and Show Jumped double clear to retain 4th place. (Karen and Upstage are pictured at the right.)

William Coleman riding Fox-in-Flight, 3rd after Cross Country, had a rail down in the Stadium for a final score of 52.4, just barely staying ahead of his mentor Karen O'Connor. (William and Fox-in-Flight are pictured below at the left.)

Amy Tryon and My Beau show jumped a double clear and the line in the sand was drawn for the over night leaders, Kim Severson and Winsome Adante, who only had 1.8 faults in hand.

All went well for Kim until the plank fence, which was set at the end of the arena, just before a 180 degree switch back to a triple bar. "Dan" had the plank fence down and victory belonged to the pair that travelled the furthest to compete at North Georgia - all the way from the state of Washington - Amy Tryon and My Beau.

Kim and Winsome Adante finished second. Kim also finished two other horses - Upper Register (62.0) placed 11th, there was prize money through 12th, and Maguire (71.0) finished 17th. There were 47 finishers from 70 starters in the CIC***.

Amy spoke about her trip east and talked about her victory:

"The joke is that I have run out of family members who will drive (east) with me. I had a great guy I work with named Dan Evinger come with me. He is not a horseman; but, he was great company. We made the trip in four days.

"I have been staying at Foxhall Farm. It's been absolutley fantastic. There is a place to do dressage and to gallop. It's been great and Jim and Julie have been wonderful to me.

"I was thrilled with My Beau's Dressage. We have been working very hard with Mark (Captain Mark Phillips, the USET's 3-Day Coach). We've been getting consistently 8's and 9's instead of 7's and 8's. When he went into the ring he stayed soft inspite of the wind. He has bucked me off in the Dressage Ring!" (Amy and My Beau are pictured at the right.)

Regarding the CIC*** Cross Country course designed by Captain Phillips, who will also design the course at the Foxhall CCI***, Amy said, "You need a horse that is very rideable, particularly at (fence numbers) 9 and 10. (10 the "tooth brush skinny" is pictured below, the the Friday/Dressage section of these reports.) For instance, I did the direct three (strides) with Poggio and the bending four with My Beau. It's a question of knowing what your horse is going to do. Beau is nimble and quick on his feet. A lot more technical course requires a horse to be more rideable.

"We had a systematic plan to go a little bit faster at each horse trial - 15 seconds over at Pine Top; 7 or 8 at Southern Pines and a couple of seconds here."

Amy said about the Show Jumping, "I think I got a bit lucky jumping through the triple. He was very good and trying really hard."

"His owners, Leigh and Bob Mesher, have been great, They were not here; but they will be coming to Rolex.

Amy did not show jump Poggio II who had stood 16th after Cross Country. "At the table (near the end of the course) a shoe went flying off. When we found it, one side was covered with dried blood. I felt terrible. He had stepped on a toe clip. Stacy, Brendan Furlong's assistant (Furlong is the USET Team Vet) put him on anti-biotics. We were happy to be able to treat it. Poggio will (be able to) do the Dressage at River Glen.

"There were lots of good horses here. It gives your confidence a boost. I couldn't be more pleased!

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Darren Chiacchia and San Salvador (50.24) won the Advanced "C" section (5 finishers from 20 starters) from William Coleman (57.59) and Second Hope.

William Coleman riding Ratzi (45.45) won the Advanced "D" Section (10 finishers from 13 starters) from Adrienne Iorio-Borden and Show of Heart (47.1).

Kristin Schmolze riding Surprise Party (36.67) won the OI/A Section (15 finishers from 27 starters) from Penny Rowland (CAN) and Windswept (43.4).

Kelli Temple (CAN) and Paris (31.67) won the OI/B Section (17 finishers from 28 starters) from Will Faudree and Landlord (39.58).

Darren Chiacchia and Huronia (25) won OP/A Section (19 finishers from 24 starters) from Randy Ward riding Are You Ready (29).

Julie Richards riding Felix (29) won the OP/B Section (18 finishers from 23 starters) from Wendy Lewis and High Ideal (29.5).

Lisa Barry with L'Cedric (33.5) won the YR/OP Section ( 14 finishers from 16 starters) from Samantha Taylor and Livewire (38.5).

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Saturday, April 3rd - Cross Country Day

Wake up calls were the theme of Cross Country Day at North Georgia! Captain Mark Phillips, the Course Designer, featured a series of accuracy questions which caught a more than a few in the CIC*** Section, as well as a heavy percentage of the competitors in the Advanced Sections and more than 50 % in the Intermediate Sections. North Georgia is the last major run for many prior to the Foxhall CC I*** and the Rolex-Kentucky CCI**** and Modified.

Kim Severson rode one of only four double clears Cross Country, from more than 70 entries, with her Gold Medal Ride from the World Championships, in 2002, in Jerez, Spain, Winsome Adante. "Dan" made it all look easy as his ground eating stride and easy jumping style made making the time appear to be a canter in the park. (Kim and Winsome Adante are pictured at right jumping the "skinny" in the water.)

Amy Tryon had a fault free round with My Beau to hold on to second place, adding only 1.2 time faults to her score of 38.8 to finish on 40.0. As many readers know, Amy and Kim were teammates on the USET's Gold Medal Team at the WEG, in 2002. (Amy and My Beau are pictured below left jumping the vertical log into the water.)

William Coleman with Fox-in-Flight stands third on a score of 48.4, having added only .8 of a fault to his Dressage score of 47.6. William and Fox-in-Flight won the Junior/Young Riders Competition at the Bramham Horse Trials, in England, last June. (William and Fox-in-Flight are pictured below at the right jumping the fourth from home.)

Australia's Phillip Dutton rode one of the four double clear Cross Country rounds with Bruce Duchessois' Hannigan. This faultless performance moved Phillip and his Australian Olympic Team candidate into 4th place on 53.16.

Will Faudree, who lives in Southern Pines, NC, and rides with Phillip also turned in a double clear with his Pan American Games Gold Medal Team ride Antigua. This pair's score of 53.5 puts them in 5th place.

Canada's former Olympic and World Championship Team member, Stuart Black, rode his and Elkins Wetherill's Midnight Magic to 6th place on a score of 58.9. they picked up 6.4 time faults over the Mark Phillips course.

The fourth double clear of the day belonged to Laine Ashker and Eight Saint James Place.

Wake up calls did not spare the famous and successful. David O'Connor had a horrid day. Outlawed, who had stood second after the first day of Dressage, breasted the Cod Dock and fell for Mandatory Retirement. Apparently, neither David nor Outlawed were injured. Courting Danger, who had been leading the Individual competition at the Pan Am Games with David, last fall, fell victim to the first accuracy question on the CIC*** course, a big corner at Fence 4. When he had a second run out later on the course, David retired him. David did not start Persistant Rain.

David's wife, Karen, also had a run out at Fence # 4 with Lourdes Peralta's Grand Slam, though she did go on to finish. Phillip Dutton's new ride Connaught, 11th after the Dressage Phase, fell victim to one of the accuracy questions and was eventually retired.

Kim Severson completed with both Maguire and Upper Register, as well as the current leader Winsome Adande; but, retired He's Got Rhythm after a run out at the "tooth brush skinny' before the water and another problem in the water.

North Georgia was not spared the epidemic of scoring errors which have plagued so many top flight competitions, including the Red Hills CIC-W***, this spring. A corrected error in Windfall's Dressage score temporarily put Darren Chiacchia's ride into first place. The correction was all for naught when Darren decided not to run the Holekamp's Trakehner stallion Cross Country. Now, his fans will have to wait for Rolex-Kentucky, where Windfall is scheduled to attempt his first four star level Modified competition.

The Leader Board looks like this after Cross Country:

1. Kim Severson, Winsome Adante - 38.2
2. Amy Tryon, My Beau - 40.0
3. William Coleman, Fox-in-Flight - 48.4
4. Phillip Dutton (AUS), Hannigan - 53.16
5. Will Faudree, Antigua - 53.5
6. Stuart Black (CAN), Midnight Magic - 58.9

All Scores are courtesy of Brian O'Connor, the Announcer at North Georgia and are not official. eventingetc and our readers are greatly in Brian's debt for the information supplied.

"Oh, he flew through the air with the greatest of ease . . ." and - - -

- - - landed on his feet!!!

This incomparable athlete is Michael Pollard "dismounting" gracefully from On The Bottom at the "tooth brush skinny" on the hill above the water.

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Leaders in the Intermediate Sections are:

Section "A":

1. Kristin Schmolze, Surprise Party - 36.6 (Double Clear XC)
2. Nathalie Bouckaert, Royal Bart - 37.5 (Double Clear XC)
3. Rebekah Simmons, Guinness - 38.75
4. Buck Davidson, Ampney Park - 41.28

Both competitors tied for the lead in Sction "A", Marcia Kulak with Mr. Glitz and David O'Connor riding Dunstan Celtic had problems. Marcia was eventually eliminated for five refusals on course and David had a run out at the bug-a-boo fence, # 10, a "tooth brush skinny" on a bending line from an oxer.

Section "B":

1. Kelli Temple (CAN), Paris - 31.67
2. Karl Slezak - Foxwood Spencer -32.08
3. Kyle Carter, Right About Now - 37.9
4. Will Faudree, Landlord, 39.5

Kristin Schmolze had a hard fall at the second to last fence in Section "B" and was apparently winded. She was able to get up and walk away after refusing medical assistance.

Your intrepid reporter and your intrepid photographer will be travelling from North Georgia to Lexington, KY, Sunday evening. The top three from the CIC*** will be posted Sunday night. The full story with pictures will be posted as soon as possible on Monday.

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Friday, April 2nd - The Second Day of CIC*** Dressage

It's tight at the top! In fact the top three finishers after the Dressage Phase are within .7 of a fault of each other. Amy Tryon and My Beau, the overnight leaders are now in second place .6 of a fault behind the new leaders, Kim Severson and Winsome Adante, yet another pair from the USET's Gold Medal Team at the 2002 WEG, in Jerez, Spain.

Kim and "Dan" turned in their normally lovely test with the slight exception of the halt and back at "X", which was not up to their usual standard. Kim, of Scottsvile, Virginia, also stands 11th with He's Got Rhythm. Both "Dan" and "Jazz" are owned by Linda Wachmeister's Plain Dealing Farm. (Kim and Winsome Adante are pictured at the right.)

Kim compared the two horses: "Dan is more broke. He is more rideable; but, Jazz' over all picture is better - he's a better mover. I am still not as focused as I need to be," Kim continued, blaming Dan's slight glitch on herself.

Moving on to Saturday's Cross Country course, Kim said, "It's hard. The fences are different than former years though reminiscent of the way they were." Kim mentioned that going down to the lake, there is a turning line from a spread to a "toothbrush skinny" through trees, which is going to require a lot of accuracy. (Please see the photo at the bottom of today's article with its further explanation.)

Darren Chiacchia stands third with Tim and Cheryl Holekamp's Windfall. This is not a regular spot for the Trakehner stallion, Windfall, who displayed unusual uneveness in the half pass right. Nonetheless his final score was 38.9, .1 of a fault behind Amy and .7 of a fault behind Kim. (Darren and Windfall are pictured at the left.)

The above mentioned three horses, Winsome Adante, My Beau and Windfall, were the only ones to score in the 30's.

The rest of the top ten after Dressage have scores in the 40's. David O'Connor and Outlawed, second over night, have dropped to fourth, on 45.3. Karen O'Connor stands fifth with Upstage. Karen said, "My smile of the day was Upstage. He was awesome!"

The other top ten placings are:

6T. Heidi White, Northern Spy - 46.6
6T. David O'Connor, Persistant Rain, 46.6
8T. Holly Hepp, Lester Piggott - 47.6
8T. William Coleman, Fox-in-Flight, 47.6
10. Bobby Costello, Dalliance - 48.3
11. Phillip Dutton (AUS), Connaught - 49.2

11 faults separate the top elevenplacings.

(On the CIC*** course, pictured at the right, is the "tooth-brush skinny" at the top of the hill before the water. Down the hill is a tall vertical log drop into the water.This is followed by another "skinny" in the water.)

Cross Country begins on Saturday at 8:00 AM with the Intermediate Section.
Intermediate will be followed by the Advanced Section, then the CIC*** and then the Preliminary Sections.

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Thursday, April 1st - The First Day of CIC*** Dressage

To the immense relief of your intrepid reporter and your intrepid photographer, who arose with the chickens in order to reach North Georgia in time for the first horse in Dressage, a few minutes before 1 PM, as promised,Kim Severson and Maguire entered the Dressage arena in front of the Bouckaert Farm main stable. It was not an April Fool's Day joke!

24 horses later, Amy Tryon, who once again has made the long trek across the USA, from the state of Washington, had turned in a beautifuly steady, accurate and forward test with her second ride of the day, My Beau, to take a commanding lead on a score of 38.8. My Beau was the only horse to score in the 30's. (Amy and My Beau are pictured above left.)

Amy's fellow Gold Medal Team member from the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, in 2002, David O'Connor, slipped into second place riding Jennifer Taxay's Outlawed, a New Zealand bred gelding. Jennifer, who lives in Agua Dulce, California, was on hand to cheer for Outlawed, the horse she had ridden in two CCI**'s, before sending him to David. Outlawed and David won a Section of Rocking Horse earlier this spring. It was two for two for the West Coast interests. (David and Outlawed are pictured at the right.)

Two long time associates of Phillip Dutton's Heidi White and Holly Hepp placed third and fourth. Heidi and Northern Spy posted a 46.6 to beat her barn mate, Holly Hepp and Lester Piggott by a mere .4 of a fault. (Heidi and Northern Spy are pictured below at the left.) Holly and Lester Piggott, named for the famous English flat racing jockey, scored 47.0. Both these horses, Northern Spy and Lester Piggott, performed immaculate flying changes, the best of the afternoon. It's the old Phillip Dutton magic! In fact Phillip taught them so well they both bested the maestro's own score of 53.2, which he attained with Hannigan.

Hannigan was the ride of Abigail Lufkin before she took two years off to earn a Master's degree in Sociology at UCLA. Ab is back now with a new mount, Kildonan Tug and is riding with Phillip.

Michael Pollard is in 5th place with On The Button on a score of 51.5.

The CIC*** Dressage resumes at 8:00 AM on Friday.

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Preview

Due to the large number of entries in the CIC***, at North Georgia, the Dressage, for that level only, will begin at 12:57 PM, on Thursday, April 1st, 2004. (We at eventing.etc have every reason to believe that this is not an April Fool's joke.)

68 horses are entered in the CIC***. 26 are scheduled to do Dressage on April 1st. The first in the arena will be Kim Severson riding Maguire. Kim has entered four horses - Maguire, Upper Register, Winsome Adante and and He's Got Rhythm.

Others with multiple CIC** entries are:

Imtiaz Anees (IND) - Freetown and Spring Invader

Stuart Black (CAN) - Fleeceworks Pacific Storm and Midnight Magic

Carl Bouckaert (BEL) - Mr. Mullins and The Boomer

Darren Chiacchia - Ahlerich, Windfall and San Salvador

Sonya Crampton (CAN) - Smooth Sailing and Shindig

Phillip Dutton (AUS) - Hannigan, Nova Top and Connaught

Holly Hepp - Damien and Lester Piggott

Abigail Lufkin - Better I Do It and Kildonan Tug

David O'Connor - Courting Danger, Outlawed, and Persistant Rain (David and Persistant Rain are pictured at right jumping the corner in the water at Pine Top, in March.)

Karen O'Connor - Ballymar, Grand Slam, Joker's Wild and Upstage.

Michael Pollard - SS Jett, On The Bottom, Psalm XXIII and Roses Merlin

Julie Richards - Hyde Park Corner and Jacob Two Two

Amy Tryon - My Beau and Poggio II

North Georgia, along with a USEA Gold Cup Event, the Fair Hill International Horse Trials, which run in Maryland on the same weekend, as well as Plantation Field, which will take place on Easter weekend, are the final preps for the Foxhall CCI*** and the Rolex-Kentucky CCI**** and Modified.

Fair Hill has attracted 27 Advanced horses including Stephen Bradley (Brandenburg's Joshua and From); Abigail Lufkin (double entered with North Georgia - Kildonan Tug); and Jan Thompson, (Shared Dreams and Task Force).