Sunday, October 8th - Show Jumping Day for the CCI*
and the Advanced
Cross Country Day for the Advanced


Skyeler Icke Wins Morven Park CCI*, Division 1

Twenty-two year old Skyeler Icke, who lives in Vienna, Virginia and is a full time working student of Stuart Black's, won the Morven Park CCI* Division 1, riding her six year old mare Tika. (Skyeler and Tika are pictured at the right below in the Show Jumping phase.)

This pair finished fourth in the Dressage, on Friday, on a score of 52.5. Skyeler and Tika had one rail in Show Jumping to finish on a score of 56.5. The Dressage winners Clark Montgomery with Up Spirit had a stop and 6 time faults on Cross Country and a double clear Show Jumping to drop to fifth place in the final standings.

Skyeler's mentor Stuart Black, who had stood second after Dressage, had 11.2 time faults on the Steeplechase, 1.6 time faults on Cross Country and a double clear Show Jumping to finish on 69.6 which was good for sixth place. It is important to remember that the conditions were extremely difficult on Saturday with "rain heavy at times" making the tests of Endurance day even more difficult for both horses and riders.

Molly Hooper Bull, who had been third after Dressage, had a couple of horrid days picking up a refusal at the first fence into the water and 5.6 time faults on Cross Country, dropping to eleventh spot in the standings, and then pulled three rails in the Show Jumping to drop well out of the prizes.

Skyeler said of her mare Tika, "I have had her since Christmas. Stuart Black and R. & H. Equine helped me get her. She is a Dutch Warmblood bred in France. She just ate up the Cross Country!" Skyeler, plans to move Tika up to Intermediate in the spring, wears her initials "SI" on the bronze buttons of her jacket. When asked about them, she answered, "That is a Stuart thing." (Skyeler and Tika are pictured at the left during their victory gallop.)

Beth O'Rourke maitained her second place standing after Cross Country with a double clear Show Jumping round to finish second over all.

Gayle Molander, who lives in Maryland placed third with the gray mare Lizzie who jumped ecceptionally well in the Show Jumping.

Final Standings CCI*, Division 1:

1. Skyeler Icke, Tika - 56.5 (4 faults SJ)
2. Beth O'Rourke, Daxtra-Ordinaire - 58.3 (DCSJ)
3. Gayle Molander, Lizzie - 59.5 (DCSJ)
4. Bruce Davidson, Sr., Rouge - 62.9 (4 faults SJ)
5. Clark Montgomery, Up Spirit - 69.2 (DCSJ)
6. Stuart Black, Fleeceworks Mystere du Val - 69.6 (DCSJ)
(25 competitors)

Emily Beshear Wins Morven Park CCI*, Division 2

Emily Beshear who lives in Somerset, Virginia, North of Charlottesville, has been riding Acorn Hill's homebred Baileywick for a year and a half. Morven was Baileywick's second CCI* as he had run at a very wet Bromont, in Canada, earlier this year. (Emily and Baileywick are pictured at the right on the Show Jumping phase.)

"He is at the stage where I can put pressure on. I thought to myself, 'There are a lot of good riders and horses here. I'm going to put my best foot forward!' Emily said. And put her best foot forward she certainly did. Emily and Baileywick won the Dressage on a score of 36.4 and never looked back, continuing through a double clear Cross Country and a double clear Show Jumping to finish on their Dressage score of 36.4. One is reminded of the old race track expression, "Go to the front and improve your position!"

Emily continued, "He was awesome on the Steeplechase - he sees the fences and sets himself up. I could see it was deep; but, it didn't feel deep. The crew did a great job keeping up the take offs and landings. He's very good; but, he's still green. I have to make sure I don't over face him."

Emily and Baileywick finished as Reserve Champion in the DeBroke Preliminary Championships at the American Eventing Championships, in Southern Pines, two weeks ago.

Emily's husband Jeff Beshear rode Blue Devil in the same Division as Emily where he ran a double clear Cross Country. Emily said, "We thought they would separate us so we could help each other; but, we were actually only fifteen minutes apart on Cross Country so we had to scramble around to get together a crew for the ten minute box."

Clark Montgomery, who had finished fifth in Division 1, improved on that placing by finishing second behind Emily in Section 2, this time riding the grey Raconteur.

Emily and Baileywick won the Erskine Bedford Memorial Trophy for the best score in the CCI* Divisions. (The presentation of the Erskine Bedford Trophy to Emily Beshear and Baileywick is pictured above at the left

1. Emily Beshear, Baileywick - 36.4 (FODS)
2. Clark Montgomery, Raconteur - 54.4 (DCSJ)
3. Maya Studemund, Annie Oakley III - 57.5 (FODS)
4. Alexandra Tatham, My Security Blanket - 59.7 (4 faults SJ)
5. Stuart Black, Lissandro - 59.8 (DCSJ)
6. Katie Willis, Polar Storm - 60.7 (FODS)
(25 competitors)

Hadley Warner Wins Morven Park CCI* Young Riders

Hadley Warner and No Secrets won the Morven Park CCI*/Young Riders by finishing on their Dressage score of 54.3. (Hadley and No Secrets' Victory Gallop is pictured at the right.)

Lucia Strini, who had led throughtout the competition with Liste de Folie, did not have a rail in hand entering the Show Jumping. They needed a double clear to stay in first place. One rail down in the final phase dropped them to second behind Warner and No Secrets.

Hadley lives in Vermont; but, is a senior at The Foxcroft School, in Middleburg, Virginia. No Secrets stays in Rainey Andrews' barn in Middleburg and Rainey trains Hadley.

Hadley bought the ten year old mare No Secrets, whose barn name is Gabby, last March, in Florida from Mike Huber. "We just clicked in jumping," Hadley commented. (Hadley and No Secrets are pictured below left while talking to the Press.)

The Organizers cancelled the Steeplechase for the Young Riders. The course was getting very cut up. The fences had been moved once out of the original track between Division 1 and Division 2 and there was no further place to which to move them. "I was bummed we didn't get to do the 'chase," Hadley said.

Brett Handy and Promising Sportsfield finished third after a double clear Cross Country and 3 time faults in the Show Jumping, for a final score of 58.0.

Final Standings Morven Park CCI* Young Riders:

1. Hadley Warner, No Secrets - 54.3
2. Lucia Strini, Liste de Folie - 54.3
3. Brett Handy, Promising Sports Field - 58.0
4. Charlotte Freeman, Roo - 59.4
5. Holly Bleck, Robinson - 66.8
6. Caitlin Romeo, Spirit of the Outback - 68.7
(31 competitors)

* * * * *

Area II Advanced Championships


Due to the terrible weather on Saturday, the Advanced Cross Country was resched- uled to be run on Sunday afternoon at Morven. The Advanced Show Jumping took place on Sunday morning at 8:30 AM as previously scheduled.

Peter Adkins, who rides Figjam for Australia, won the Area II Advanced Championships. He was 10th after Dressage on a score of 34.2, was one of only two Advanced competitors to run a double clear on the Cross Country - the other person was Dorothy Crowell with Radio Flyer in the regular Advanced Section - and had 8 faults for two rails down in Show Jumping. Peter's final score was 42.2. (Peter and Figjam are pictured at the right jumping into the water.)

Will Faudree and Don't Dali placed second on a score of 43.8, just 1.6 faults adrift of the winners. Don't Dali finished the Dressage in a tie for 7th added 10 time faults on the Cross Country and Show Jumped double clear.

William Coleman III and Twizzle slid into third place on 44.2. They were eleventh after Dressage added 9.6 time faults on the Cross Country and jumed a doublw clear in the Stadium.

Final Standings Morven Park Area II Advanced Championships:

1. Peter Adkins (AUS), Figjam - 42.4 (DCXC, 8 faults SJ)
2. Will Faudree, Don't Dali - 43.8 (10 time XC; DCSJ)
3. William Coleman III, Twizzle - 44.2 (9.6 time XC; DCSJ)
4. Sharon White, Ronaldo - 45.5 (8 time XC; DCSJ)
5. Jonathan Holling, Direct Merger - 48.2 ( 9.2 time XC; 4 faults SJ)
6. Loreen Kay, Russian - 49.8 (12 timw XC; 4 faults SJ)
(22 competitors - 11 did not run XC)

Advanced Division

Kristin Bachman and Gryffindor won their second Advanced Division in just two weeks. They won in September at the American Eventing Championships in Southern Pines, North Carolina. (Kristin and Gryffindor are pictured at the left. The Morven Park mansion is in the background.)

Kristin and Gryffindor were second after Dressage on a score of 31.3. They picked up 5.2 time faults on Cross Country and Show Jumped double clear for a final score of 36.5.

Laura Vandervliet and Warrie Hill placed second on a score of 43.1. Warrie Hill came from a tie for eighteenth after Dressage, through a double clear Show Jumping on Sunday morning, to second on the strength of 6 time faults on Cross Country - the second fastest Cross Country run behind the winner Kristin Bachman, and behind the third place finisher Dana Widstrand, both of whom scored 5.2 time faults. The Advanced Cross Country was run on Sunday afternoon because of the rainy weather on Saturday.

Relentless Pursuit, ridden by Dana Widstrand, also came from a tie for eighteenth after Dressage and four faults Show Jumping to a final score of 46.3.

Kurt Martin and Woodwork also had a final score of 46.3; however, they were placed fourth as Widstrand and Relentless Pursuit came closer to the Optimum Time. Martin was 16 seconds off the Optimum time on Cross Country, while Widstrand was 13 seconds off the Optimum Time on Cross Country.

Final Standings Morven Park Advanced Horse Trials:

1. Kristin Bachman, Gryffindor - 36.5 (DCSJ; 5.2 time faults XC)
2. Laura Vandervliet, Warrie Hill - 43.1 (DCSJ; 6 time faults XC)
3. Dana Widstrand, Relentless Pursuit - 46.3 (4 faults SJ; 5.2 time faults XC)
4. Kurt A. Martin, Woodwork - 46.3 (4 faults SJ; 6.4 time faults XC)
5. Darren Chiacchia, Better I Do It - 51.0 (4 jumping faults and 1 time fault SJ; 16.8 time faults XC)
6. Melissa Hunsberger, Expedience - 51.9 (DCSJ; 15.6 time XC)
(25 competitors - 10 did not run XC)