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John Williams, a member of the Bronze Medal Olympic Team at Athens, in 2004, as well as the Gold Medal Team at the WEG, in Jerez, Spain four years ago, leads the CCI** with Sweepea Dean.

John commented that Sweepea Dean was among the least experienced horses in the CCI** as he had only run twice before at this level - Pine Top and The Fork, both last spring. Sweepea Dean was bred by Doug Dean (hence his name) in Priceville, Ontario, Canada, the same man who bred John's Olympic mount Carrick. (John and Sweepea Dean are pictured at the right.)

John spoke of his Dressage ride, "I noticed yesterday that the judges were rewarding forward rides. I made an effort to be a little bit forward."

Regarding Saturday's Cross Country course designed by Tremaine Cooper, John, a course designer himself, most recently at the American Eventing Championships in North Carolina, said, "The course is busy and tricky and nit picky. It's more technical than the Olympics." He continued regarding the warm up for the Short Format (no Steeplechase - no Roads and Tracks), " I am hoping they come up with a good Cross Country warm up. They had a area that didn't get prepared properly. They are hoping to take out some split rail fencing to give us a good warm up area; but, they won't be able to do it until the Preliminary (Cross Country) is finished."

John continued that it was difficult to warm up for a Cross Country course like this without any Roads and Tracks and suggested that three minutes of Steeplechase at a reasonable speed and a Roads and Tracks would be preferable to the Short Format. Regarding Sweepea Dean on the Cross Country, John said." He's fairly level headed. He can be heavy in the hand." and that the latter was his biggest draw back.

John is sponsered by ERS (English Riding Supply) which provides him with an ANKI (Anki Van Grunsven) Dressage saddle. This explains the names "ANKI" as well as "Ovation", another ERS brand, which appeared on John's saddle cloth in the Dressage phase.

New Zealand's Donna Smith, who is based here in Virginia with David and Karen O'Connor, rides Mrs. Jacqueline Mars homebred Rocket, a seven year old who Donna has been riding since he was four, stands in third place. (Donna is pictured at the left after the Friday Press Conference.)

Donna is recently home from her first big international competition - she rode as an individual for New Zealand at the WEG, in Aachen, Germany, in August.

Donna and Rocket did their Dressage at 7:46 AM Friday morning. She commented, "It was very cold and there was frost. I did my warm up under the stars at 5:45 AM. It was very romantic!" Regarding the Cross Country course Donna said, "There's a lot to do out there" and added that she had not yet seen the new warm up area.

Phillip Dutton is in second place with Rebecca Broussard's 11 year old Thoroughbred gelding Lucky Stripe on a score of 43.5, just .2 of a faults behind John and Sweepea Dean. Phillip did not come to the post-Dressage Press Conference. (Phillip and Luckey Stripe are pictured at the right below.)

Friday, the thirteenth, was a good day for both Emily Beshear and Kim Severson who have each placed two horses in the top ten.

Emily is tied for fifth with the ten year old New Zealand Thoroughbred Woodburn, the overnight leader, and tied for ninth with the twelve year old grey Irish Sporthorse Stallion Carrig View. Both are owned by Acorn Hill Farm.

Kim who rode on the US Team at the WEG, in Germany, and is an Individual Olympic Medalist from Athens, is tied for fifth with the seven year old thoroughbred mare Tsunami and is sixth with the grey nine year old Irish Sporthorse gelding Tipperary Laidhnan. The former is owned by Plain Dealing Farm and the latter is owned by Elizabeth Anne Wachtmeister.

Tracy Economidis, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and who is grooming for Kim this weekend, imported Tipperary Laidhnan. She said, "I bought him off the side of a mountain in Tipperary. His sire is Registered Irish Draft horse named Fast Silver. Anne Wachtmeister (his present owner) and I were High School friends." (Kim aqnd Tipperary Laidhnan are pictured at the left below.)

Dressage Results for the CCI**:

1. John Williams, Sweepea Dean - 43.3
2. Phillip Dutton (AUS), Lucky Stripe - 43.5
3. Donna Smith (NZL), Rocket - 44.6
4. William Coleman III, Kiki de Manoir - 46.2
5T. Emily Beshear, Woodburn - 47.1
5T. Kim Severson, Tsunami - 47.1
6. Kim Severson, Tipperary Laidhnan - 47.3
7. Allison Springer, Arthur - 48.8
8. Wendy Lewis, Galway Blazer - 50.0
9T. Stephanie Baer, Letida - 50.6
9T. Emily Beshear, Carrig View - 50.6

Dressage Results Preliminary Section "A":

1. Denise Rath, Carlingford Master Brew - 30.8
2. Buck Davidson, Ballynoecastle RM - 31.3
3. Cathy Wieschhoff, Pantera - 33.3
4. Elizabeth Ferber, Janraffole - 33.8
5T. Gillian King, Kildonan Tug - 35.0
5T. Megan Montague, It's Otto - 35.0
5T. Whitney Weston, Royal Heights - 35.0

Dressage Results Preliminary Section "B":

1. Debbie Adams, Ludwig - 30.0
2. Susie Beale, Petra - 31.3
3T. Karen Schlingmann, Elwood - 31.7
3T. Lisa Horan, Rapport - 31.7
5. Lisa Horan, Specs - 33.8
6T. Paul Ebersol, Traveller's Tale - 34.2
6T. Sarah Cousins, The Robber Baron - 34.2

The Preliminary Cross Country starts at 9:00 AM on Saturday. The CCI** Cross Country is scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM.