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Tropical Storm Tammy won round one with the Radnor Hunt International CCI** this Saturday. It poured buckets Friday night/Saturday morning - so bad that the Brandwine River over flowed it's banks between your Editor's home and the Radnor Hunt Club and, yes, she "drove into standing water", fortunately not being swept away, shortly before that road was closed for the day.

The Cross Country was cancelled for the day. The Show Jumps were moved from the usual field in front of the Club House to the all weather Dressage ring, and the Show Jumping phase was held for both Divisions of the Preliminary as well as for the CCI**. (Phillip Dutton and his twin daughters walk the Show Jumping course in the rain. Phillip later jumped one of less than ten double clears with Handyman Hughie, thanks to the good advice of the girls.)

After the two Preliminary Divisions jumped, the Ground Jury and the Organizers announced that the Preliminary would be run as a Combined Test and both Divisions were pinned immediately - and still it rained!

Mark Weissbecker, riding Tatham, won the Preliminary Division "A" Combined Test on a score of 33.0, from Susie Beale and Isabella II (37.0), and Megan Montague with It's Otto (37.5).

Kendal Lehari with Understudy won the Division "B" Combined Test on a score of 26.0, from Teresa Stewart and Noblesse Oblige (30.0), and Leahona Rowland riding "R" Romeo (31.0) - and still it rained!

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Lisa Jacquin was the Course Designer of the original Show Jumping course, which was never used. Tremaine Cooper, the Cross Country Course Designer, took over in Saturday's emergency and designed an excellent course which was quite influential as the Leader Board changed throughout the CCI** Show Jumping phase.

The overnight leader Missy Ransehousen jumped a double clear with her mother's Carlingford Taldi to remain in first place. (Missy and Carlingford Taldi are pictured at the left.)

Stuart Black, who said at Friday night's Press Conference that he would have to "... claw his way back," after forgetting the Dressage test on Friday, moved up one slot on the strength of Fleeceworks Pacific Storm's Show Jumping double clear, while the overnight second place competitors, Kate Ditchey and Belmont, had 8 jumping faults and 14 time faults to drop off the Leader Board with a score of 66.0. (Stuart and Fleeceworks Pacific Storm are pictured at the left below.)

Sinead Halpin, riding Tommy II (48.9), and Bonnie Mosser, with Happy Valley (52.3), each jumped double clears to climb into third, from fifth place and to fourth place, from below 11th place. (Sinead and Tommy II are pictured at the right below.)

Karen O'Connor pulled one rail with both A Phar Cry (54.4) and Mr. Ripley (54.8) and finished in 5th and 6th place.

Stuart Black commented on the Show Jumping course, "It was a little holding in there. It was a very big course and a very square course. I'm glad they could keep the same difficulty moving from the grass to the flat.

"The horses were a bit fresh and the warm up ring was very watery; but, Missy wasn't giving an inch." Stuart continued. "Tremaine (Cooper, the Cross Country Course Designer) has gone to tremendous trouble to make this thing work. I've got a horse that I trust... if I ride him well, he'll be more of a champ because of the rain. Because it's a Short Format, we don't train any less. We've got to listen to our horses."

The Ground Jury and the Organizing Committee announced that they would try to run the Cross Country on Sunday, if the weather permitted, and would announce their decision on the Radnor web site (www.Radnor3day.org) between 8 AM and 9 AM on Sunday.

If they are able to run on Sunday, the Cross Country will be run as a Short Format at 12 noon, and the course would be shortened so as not to cross Goshen Road.

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Editor's Note: After dining at eventer, Luke Allen's restaurant, The Whip, where we ran into Becky Holder, here for the Fair Hill International CCI*** next week, it was still absolutely pouring at 9:00 PM. Stay tuned. Cora C. Cushny