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Bonnie Mosser and Jenga, former winners at Foxhall, were the only "survivors" from Thursday, as they still remain at the top of the Leader Board in the CCI*** at Foxhall, on Friday. Their leading score was 51.0. It takes them into Saturday's Cross Country with a lead of 1.2 faults.

Leigh Mesher, who travelled all the way from the state of Washington to ride her own My Beau, formerly the international ride of her friend and mentor Amy Tryon, stands second, after an accurate, and steady Dressage which scored 52.2.
(Leigh and My Beau are pictured at the right.)

Leigh, who was riding in her first ever CCI*** said, "My legs are hurting. He's a hard horse for me to ride. I'm very excited! I have ridden him Cross Country twice, since I rode him in a Young Riders One Star, in 1999. He's the horse who is going to teach me how to ride. I'm on him to have a good time."

Denise Rath, of Great Falls, Virginia, stands third with her own and her husband's good moving grey Just A Diplomat. This pair turned in a flashy Dressage ride, with excellent extensions, for a score of 54.8 and third place. They stand 3.8 faults adrift of the overnight and two day leaders, Mosser and Jenga. (Denise and Just A Diplomat are pictured at the left.)

Denise commented, "We finished here last year. I have been working with the Canadian Show Jumper Jay Hayes and have had a few (Dressage) lessons with David O'Connor." Regarding Saturday's Cross Country Course Denise added, "There's a lot to do out there. We'll give it our best go!"

The Top 10 After the Dressage Phase:

1. Bonnie Mosser, Jenga - 51.0
2. Leigh Mesher, My Beau - 52.3
3. Denise Rath, Just A Diplomat - 54.8
4. Jan Thompson, Waterfront - 55.2
5. Stephen Bradley, Brandenburg's Joshua - 55.2
6. Darren Chiacchia, San Salvador - 55.8
7. Kim Severson, Maguire - 56.0
8. Ralph Hill, Reprint - 59.0.
9T. Phillip Dutton (AUS). Amazing Odyssey - 59.2
9T. John Williams, Sloopy - 59.2

* * * *

Darren Chiacchia leads the CCI** with Gaspar on a score of 50.2. Darren commented, "This is our first Two Star Short Format. I am going to use the same warm up proceedure as I do for a Three Star(Short Format). Both my horses, (Gaspar and Huronia, whose Dressage score was 61.4) are very green. Huronia had a great year last year at Preliminary. This is a big jump up. The Dressage is a whole new game. Each has just one green moment in each competition, though they are learning by leaps and bounds in every competition."(Darren is pictured at the right on Huronia. A picture of Gaspar will be available on Saturday.)

The Top Ten After the Dressage Phase:

1. Darren Chiacchia, Gaspar - 50.2
2. Bonnie Jenkins, Always A Lady - 52.2
3. Kelli Temple (CAN) , Paris - 53.0
4. Amy Tryon, Smoke Signal - 54.2
5. Phillip Dutton (AUS), Handy Man Hughie - 55.0
6. Buck Davidson, May I Tell Ya - 56.0
7T. Kristen Bond, Diablo Centimo - 58.0
7T. Sara Hickie, Polaris - 58.0
9T. Ashley Adams,Vaunted - 58.4
9T. Nicole Shinton (CAN), O-Topia - 58.4

* * * * *

Here's a "skinny" for you! How do you like this "Shaving Brush" for the CCI***, on the Captain Mark Phillips designed Country Cross course??? There should be a pool for how many times the flags are knocked down!

The "Shaving Brush", which is situated right after one of several water crossings, has a Black Flag option which is a rather large corner.

The Cross Country starts on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM with the CCI**.

* * * * *

Thursday, April 14th - the First Day of Dressage

"If you don't like the weather just stick around ... " is usually a saying associated with locations on the east coast, where storms pass through violently and quickly. Well, it applied to the Foxhall CCI **, in Douglasville, Georgia, on Thursday morning.

When Amy rode Leigh Mesher's Smoke Signal at 9:16 AM Thursday, in the CCI** Dressage, it was dark, grey and rainy. By 10:30 the same morning, it was sunny and so windy one had to hold on not to end up in Kansas! One hesitates to wonder what the Weather Gods may have in store next!

In any case, Amy happily ended up in fourth place, with the gray Smoke Signal, on a score of 54.2. Amy is riding Smoke Signal for Leigh because Leigh will ride her own My Beau, formally an international ride for Amy, in Leigh's first CCI*** tomorrow - a sufficient undertaking for one competition.

Other top finishers in the first half of CCI**(25 of 50 competitors have completed their Dressage) were:

1. Darren Chiacchia, Gaspar II, 50.2
2. Virginia Jenkins, Always a Lady - 52.2
3. Kelli Temple, Paris - 53.0

Thursday afternoon saw 18 of the 35 CCI*** competitors perform in the Dressage ring before the Ground Jury of Wayne Quarles (USA), President; Sandy Phillips (GBR); and Ulrich Schmitz.

Bonnie Mosser and Jenga, winners here in 2002, lead the pack after the first day on a score of 51.0. (Bonnie and Jenga are pictured at the right above.)

This pair is followed by Jan Thompson and Waterfront, who, but for a glitch on their final flying change, might have been closer to Bonnie and Jenga. Jan stands second on a score of 55.2. (Jan and Waterfront are pictured at the left above.)

John Williams, a member of the USEF's 2004 Athens Olympic Games Bronze Medal Team, rode Sloopy (59.2) to third place. (John and Sloopy are pictured at the right below.)

Buck Davidson stands fourth with Hyperlite (60.0) and Canada's Mike Winter, the highest placed Canadian at the 2003 Pan American Games, is in fifth place with Kingpin (60.2). Mike and Kingpin had a super test until the last two movements, when the wheels came off. Watch out for Mike and Kingpin when they get their acts totally together!

The second half of both the CCI** (9:00 AM) and the CCI*** (2:00 PM) take place on Friday, April 15th.