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Twenty-eight horse and rider combinations completed their Dressage Tests in the CCI** at the 32nd Annual Radnor Hunt International Three Day Event, on Thursday.

Kate Ditchey travelled all the way across the United States, from Palo Cendro, California, to take a slim lead of .8 of a fault with her own and her parents, Marty and Roy Ditchey's, 9 year old thoroughbred gelding Belmont. Kate and Belmont's Dressage score was 49.0. (Kate and Belmont at pictured at the right.)

23-year-old Doug Payne, of Califon, NJ, rode his big bay Irish gelding Cornerhouse to a lovely steady test, becoming the only other competitor to break into the forties. Cornerhouse and Doug are coming off a victory in the Preliminary Section at the American Eventing Championships, in North Carolina three weeks ago. Their Dressage score at Radnor was 49.8. (Doug and Cornerhouse are pictured at the left below.)

There is a two way tie for third place after the first day of Dressage between Nadeem Noon, who resides in Bloomington, Indiana; but, rides internationally for Pakistan, and Michael Pollard, of Chatsworth, Georgia. Both gentlemen are on scores of 51.3.

Nadeem rides his wife Sherry's 8 year old Dutch bred gelding Phantom. (Nadeem and Phantom are pictured at the right below.)

Michael rides his own and Dr. Tom Latham's 10 year old Selle Francais gelding Voltaire. (Michael and Voltaire are picture at the left below.)

Sara Kozumplik, of Clifton, Virginia, rides Edith Hornberger, Chris Destino, and Carole Kozumplik's 10 year old Thoroughbred gelding Somerset. Sara and Somerset had an excellent test with a couple of green errors that clearly accounted for their drop out of the top four, for a score of 55.4.

Multiple Olympic Team Medalist for the USA, Karen O'Connor, of The Plains, Virginia, stands in sixth position with Theodore O'Connor who, at 14:2 hands high (Yes, he holds a pony card.) is the smallest horse in the CCI**.

Karen said, "He reminds me that in 1976, I rode Erin's Shamrock here at Radnor, who was 15:1 hands - he was my Young Rider's horse and he finished second. I haven't ridden a little horse since.

"Theodore O'Connor is a thoroughbred/Connemara cross who is owned and was bred by Wynn Norman, of Clayton, North Carolina. I worked with Christine Trainor, who used to ride him. He is the quality to do Radnor. There is no reason he couldn't do a Three Star. I was going to ride him at Fair Hill this year; but, we found out he wasn't qualified. I am doing it for the pleasure. He still gets a bit nervous in the Dressage."

The second portion of the CCI** Dressage begins at 10:00 AM, on Friday. Among those scheduled to compete are last year's winner Stuart Black; Karen O'Connor with both A Phar Cry and Mr. Ripley; and Lucia Strini with Addis Abba.

The Preliminary Dressage begins at 8:00 AM, on Friday.

The Weather Report for Friday and Saturday could hardly be described as perfect. There is a cold front headed in from the west and Tropical Storm Tammy lurks to the south. Stay tuned.

Interestingly, neither Tammy, nor the coming inclement weather, was the subject de jour at Radnor, on Friday. Instead it was the new calendar, Sexy Event Riders, 2006 with photographs by Shannon Brinkman. In keeping with eventingetc's mission to keep readers au courant, we forego the usual Dressage picture of the fifth place competitor, Sara Kozumplik, and show you, instead Sara's and Eric Dierks' picture from the Sexy Event Riders, 2006 Calendar.

(The caption in the calendar reads in part, "Meeting Sara Eric says is like finding the perfect ride.")