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The final leg of the spring events in the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series took place April 6-9 at The Fork Stables in Norwood, North Carolina during their BB&T Heritage Days. Owner Jim Cogdell, with his staff and cadre of volunteers, did a marvelous job of putting on a first-rate event, the site’s first CIC***-W, despite some uncooperative weather.

Darren Chiacchia and Windfall II, Timothy Holekamp’s 14-year-old Trakehner stallion, put in a wire-to-wire victory in the CIC***-W, finishing on their winning dressage score of 33.8. Due to incoming inclement weather the event’s schedule was flip-flopped, so all of show jumping and the preliminary cross-country took place on the cold and wet Saturday, with cross-country for the remainder of the divisions (OI, CIC***-W, and CIC***, and A) following on Sunday. The CIC***-W served as an FEI World Cup qualifier, as well as the Advanced division for the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series.

When they headed out to tackle Capt. Mark Phillips’ imposing CIC***-W course, Chiacchia and Windfall II had just a 0.9-penalty lead over their 2004 Olympic bronze medal winning teammates, Kim Severson and Winsome Adante. They put barely a foot wrong and finished right on the optimum time, leaving the other competitors no option except to try to keep their placings. Their performance made up for an unfortunate tack malfunction at the East Coast’s other World Cup Qualifier (and one of three Gold Cup events) several weeks before at the Red Hills Horse Trials, when in the middle of one of the water complexes one of Darren’s reins snapped in half, causing a run-out. Darren was able to hop off, “MacGyver” the rein together, and still managed to finish the event in 13th place.

Severson and “Dan”, Linda Wachtmeister and Plain Dealing Farm’s 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, also put in a stellar round at The Fork to finish in second place on their dressage score of 34.7.

Chiacchia’s and Windfall’s performances put them in the third spot on the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Advanced Leaderboard with 365 points. They are followed by Severson and Winsome Adante in fourth position with 330.

It’s the practically indomitable Aussie, Phillip Dutton, with Nina Gardner’s House Doctor, who sits atop the Gold Cup Advanced Leaderboard with 630 points. The pair won the Southern Pines Gold Cup division a few weeks ago and followed that performance with a third place finish at The Fork, on their dressage score of 39.1. (Phillip and Amazing Odyssey are pictured at the right jumping the Canada Goose in the BB&T Opportunity Pond at The Fork.)

They are followed on the Leaderboard by Heidi White and Northern Spy, her 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, in second position with 425 points accrued after a fifth place finish at Red Hills, and an eighth place finish at The Fork. Both these pairs can expect some stiff competition when the Series heats back up this summer, beginning with the Maui Jim Horse Trials in Wayne, Illinois, July 7-9.

It was relative newcomer, Kate Luce, a student of Chiacchia, who won the Intermediate Gold Cup division with her ten-year-old Hanoverian gelding Tia Lusso. This was a very competitive division, with the top six scores separated by less than two penalty points. Luce and Tia Lusso put in double clear cross-country and show jumping rounds to finish the event on their dressage score of 33.8. Tucked in behind them, also finishing on their dressage scores, were Becky Holder and Glorious Joy in second with 34.5, and Colleen Loach and Duke of Somerset with 34.8.

Luce and Tia Lusso earned the fourth position on the Gold Cup Intermediate Leaderboard, tied with Phillip Dutton and Happy as Larry with 205 points (Dutton and Happy as Larry had been previously incorrectly reported as having 235 points). Stephanie Butts and Zydeco, Gretchen Butts’ 14-year-old Thoroughbred-cross gelding, hold the top spot with 260 points after an eighth place finish at The Fork and a ninth place finish in the Red Hills CIC**. They are followed by Robyn Fisher and Lady Calido who won the Galway Downs CIC** last weekend, putting them in second position on the Leaderboard with 225 points.

After a two-month break the Race for the Cup picks back up in July, first in the Midwest at the Maui Jim Horse Trials as mentioned above, followed by the Cosequin Stuart Horse Trials in Victor, New York July 20-23 in the Atlantic Division, and The Event at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana July 21-23 in the Pacific Division.

The USEA is pleased to welcome back many of our 2005 sponsors, including Title sponsor Adequan, Presenting sponsors Nunn Finer, Amerigo, and Nutrena, and Contributing sponsors Cover-All and UlcerGard. A new Contributing sponsor, Premier Equestrian, has joined us this year, along with Patron sponsor, Mountain Horse.

Winners of the Gold Cup divisions at each event take home a seven-dose pack of Adequan, a Mountain Horse jacket with the Gold Cup logo, and front and hind pairs of Nunn Finer American Style brushing boots. The second and third place finishers at each event will receive front and hind pairs of Nunn Finer brushing boots.

This December at the 2006 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, a grand prize Gold Cup trophy and Amerigo saddle will be awarded to the rider from each division with the most points at the end of the year. In addition the Gold Cup champion at the Advanced level will receive a check from the USEA for $6,000, and the Intermediate champion receives a check for $4,000. Both winners will also receive an additional supply of Adequan. The second placed rider at Advanced wins a $3,500 Bit of Britain gift certificate, and their Intermediate counterpart wins a $2,500 gift certificate.

For more information on the Gold Cup, visit the USEA website (www.useventing.com) and click on the Gold Cup logo on the home page.

Advanced Gold Cup Standings:

1. Phillip Dutton - 630
2. Heidi White - 425
3. Darren Chiacchia - 365
4. Kim Severson - 330

Intermediate Gold Cup Standings:

1. Stephanie Butts - 260
2. Robyn Fisher - 225
3T. Phillip Dutton - 205
3T. Kate Luce - 205