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Thursday morning 19 horses from the Bayer Modified Four Star Three Day Event did their Dressage Test before the Ground Jury, Barry Roycroft (AUS) President, Mr. Wayne Quarles (USA), and Ms. Cara Witham (CAN). Mr. Roycroft is a last minute replacement for Mrs. Angela Tucker who broke her leg last weekend and was operated on today..

The weather was, quite frankly, appalling! It started raining before dawn and continued, "heavy at times" throughout the day. The grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park are already torn to pieces.Trucks loaded with stone dust and crusher run are skurrying hither and thither trying to put bandaids on yards and yards of "chocolate pudding mud" sometimes eight to twelve inches deep.

Amy Tryon, a recent winner at the North Georgia CIC***, scored 68.0 from Wayne Quarles, at "H", 75.6 from Wayne Roycroft at "C", 75.6, and from Cara Witham, at "B", 72.4, for a penalty score of 42.0. Amy Rode My Beau, a 14 year old Canadian bred Thoroughbred gelding, who had placed 11th with Amy at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton CCI****, in 2002. (Amy and My Beau are pictured at the right.)

Amy resides in Duvall, Washington, and made her annual four day trailer trip east earlier this spring. Amy was a member of the USET's Gold Medal Team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, in Jerez, Spain, in 2002.

Amy said, "I was really pleased with the test. The conditions were difficult. It was deep in the ring. The test was better than two weeks ago, at North Georgia."

Holly Hepp, of Middleburg, VA, riding Lester Piggott, a 13 year old German bred Trakehner gelding who is owned by Marie and Bernardo Piskorz, also of Middleburg, is tied for second place on a score of 50.2. (Holly and Lester Piggott arePicturedat the left.)

Jessica Heidemann, of Bellingham, WA, with her own French Twist, a 13 year old Thoroughbred/Belgian Warmblood cross, bred in France, is tied with Holly also on a score of 50.2. Jessica won the Silver Medal at the 2001 North American Young Riders Championships. Both Holly and Jessica received 2 points off on their Dressage Tests for one error of course.

Holly is truly a Middleburger between two west coast riders from the State of Washington.

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Thursday afternoon the first 22 of the entries in the Rolex-KentickyCCI**** did their dressage tests in front of the same Ground Jury as the Modified.

William Fox-Pitt, of Newton, Dorset, England, the fifth CCI rider into the rain soaked arena, impressed the judges, who gave him marks of 66.8, 73.6 and 72.8 for a final score of 43.4. William's ride Thursday was Coastal Ties, an 11 year old Australian Thoroughbred, owned by Lady Kelvedon. In 2002, Coastal Ties placed 11th at the CCI*** at Pau, France and, in 2003m he places 7th in the CCI*** at Saumur, France. (William and Coastal Ties

Abigail Lufkin, of Middleburg, VA, riding her and Team Lufkin's 11 year old Australian Thoroughbred gelding Kildonan Tug, scored 45.8 for second place.

The penultimate rider, Donna Smith, of New Zealand, riding Call Me Clifton, scored 46.6 to slide into third place. Donna is based in The Plains, VA, with David and Karen O'Connor. She and Call Me Clifton completed both the Foxhall CCI*** and the Fair Hill International CCI***, in 2003.

Twice Individual World Champion and multiple time Olympian Bruce Davidson, of Unionville, PA, rode his and Joan Heymann-Bergmann's and Debbie Furnas' 13 year old Thoroughbred gelding, by Babamist, to a score of 48, only the fourthpair in the CCI**** to break 50.

Wednesday, April 21, The First Veterinary Examination

44 horses trotted up this afternoon at the Kentucky Horse Park, for the Rolex-Kentucky CCI****. The weather was not particularly cooperative as it rained lightly on and off during the entire Veterinary Examination. Whoever decided to move the trot up an hour, could get a job with The Weather Channel! Just before the only horse to be held was re- presented, it began to rain significantly harder and by 5:00 PM, it was pouring.

Those in with a chance in the CCI**** include all the Brits - William Fox-Pitt, with Coastal Ties, who placed 30th at the Fontainebleau CIC***, in France this spring, and Ballincoola, who was 13th in an Advanced Section at Belton Park this spring and last fall finished 28th at the Burghley Masterfoods CCI**** (William is pictured at the right.); Polly Stockton on Word for Word, a former ride of Mark Todd's, who recently placed 7th in the Advanced at Witton Castle; Sarah Cutteridge riding Future Perfect, who won the OI at Lincolnshire this spring and finished 25th at the Thirlestane CIC***, in 2003 (Sarah and Future Perfect are pictured below at the left.); and Polly Stockton with Limestone Rise, who was most recently 11th in an Advanced Section at Belton and last year placed 35th at the Burghley Masterfoods CCI****.

For Australia, Phillip Dutton presented Connaught and Nova Top (Phillip and Nova Top are pictured below at the right.). Heidi Antikatzidis rides Fairfax for Greece, this summer's host country for the Olympic Games. Fairfax won the OI at Aston-le-Walls last year and finished 19th at the Burghley Masterfoods CCI****, in 2001.

US stars include Bruce Davidson, twice Individual World's Champion and multiple time Olympian, with Little Tricky; Karen O'Connor riding Grand Slam; David O'Connor, winner last week of the Foxhall CCI*** riding Outlawed, brings Courting Danger; and Kim Severson, a previous winner at Rolex, riding her World Equestrian Games Gold Medal Team mount, Winsome Adante.

Earlier in the afternoon the candidates for the Modified Three Day Event presented their horses to the Ground Jury. Approximately 35 horses are entered in this Olympic format preview.

The big names in this Horse Trial include Amy Tryon with My Beau and Poggio II; John Williams riding his World Equestrian Games Team Gold Medal mount Carrick as well as Sloopy, a finisher at the Burghley Masterfoods CCI****, in 2003; David O'Connor and Tigger Too; Gina Miles with McKinlaigh, her Bronze Medal ride from the first Eventing World Cup at Pau, France, last fall; Bobby Costello a former Olympian; and Darren Chiacchia, riding his Dressage super star stallion, Windfall II.

At the Veterinary Inspection, only one horse was sent to Holding - Jessica Shuler's The Alchemist. He was passed upon re-inspection.

The test ride for Dressage will be at 8:00 AM Thursday. The first horse in competition will ride at 8:30 AM. Scattered showers and thunder storms are predicted for Thursday. Thunderstorms are predicted right through Sunday. So get out your Barbour or your plastic garbage bag and come to the biggest Eventing party in the United States.