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The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series kicked off this past weekend at the Red Hills Horse Trials in Tallahassee, FL, March 9-11. With a slew of prizes and prize money up for grabs, the nation’s top riders put in stellar performances to rack up the first points on the series leaderboard in their quests to become the 2007 “Keeper of the Cup.”

On Friday, Darren Chiacchia and Windfall II, a 15-year-old black Trakehner stallion owned by Dr. Timothy Holekamp, performed a typically lovely dressage test to earn a 43.1 to take the lead in the CIC***-W division, which served as the series’ Advanced division. The pair looked on form for 2007 after wins in three Gold Cup divisions last year, which resulted in an overall third-place finish on the 2006 Advanced Gold Cup leaderboard.

Jonathan Holling and Lion King II were hot on their heels after just a bobble or two in the canter cost them their shot at the top of the leaderboard, though the score of 45.6 and second place after Day One must have satisfied Holling's wife Jennifer, aka Lion King's owner. Phillip Dutton and Tru Luck, the USEA’s 2006 Rider and Horse of the Year respectively, were looking to give Dutton his third Red Hills win in a row, putting in a very solid test with a score of 47.5, right behind Jan Byyny and Waterfront’s fourth-place score of 46.3.

In the CIC**, which served as the Gold Cup Intermediate division, Karen O'Connor and Joan Goswell's Mandiba, last year's Wellpride American Eventing Championships Preliminary Horse division winners, took the lead with a score of 43.1. O'Connor is no stranger to the Gold Cup leaderboard, having earned the title of Intermediate division Keeper of the Cup in 2004, the series' inaugural year. O’Connor’s former student Clark Montgomery was just 0.6 penalties behind in second place with Carol and Mark Montgomery's eight-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding Up Spirit.

A Race for the Top

On Saturday morning, Windfall and Chiacchia put in the second-fastest cross-country round of the day to maintain their lead in the CIC***-W. While no one made the time on Captain Mark Phillip's twisty and hilly course, Chiacchia and the black stallion put in their best effort, adding just six time penalties to their dressage score for a total of 49.1. Dutton (last year's winner with The Foreman) and Tru Luck had the day’s fastest round to move up from third to second, adding just 2.8 time penalties to their dressage score for a two-day total of 50.3. Holling and Lion King, aka “Simba,” missed their opportunity to take the lead when they accrued 6.4 time penalties to drop one spot into third place with a score of 52. This put the win up for grabs with the top three within a rail of each other going into show jumping.

Overnight leaders O'Connor and Mandiba lost their lead in the CIC** after adding 14 time penalties to drop to fifth place on a score of 57.1. They were replaced by Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM, Cassandra Segal and Ann Glaus' seven-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding, whose clean jumping with just two time penalties moved them from fifth into the lead on a score of 47.6. Clark Montgomery and Up Spirit maintained their second-place spot, accruing six time penalties for a two-day score of 49.7.

Less Than a Rail Between Them

Sunday afternoon, Holling and Lion King were able to ride off with the win after posting one of only two double-clear show jumping rounds of the day. Dutton wasn’t able to keep up his winning streak after dropping one rail for a final score of 54.3. Chiacchia and Windfall knocked two rails to drop down into third place, with Bonnie Mosser and Jenga following in fourth, and Stuart Black and Fleeceworks Starlight rounding out the top five.

"This was Simba's first win at a three-star,” Holling said. “We were in first at Fair Hill [CCI*** Fall Championships] this fall, but a few rails in show jumping moved us a little lower in the standings. Red Hills is a tough course to make the time on because of the rolling terrain, but some new lines really helped to make it more technically challenging as well. Certainly with this win, I think the World Cup is on my mind. I went last year and it was a great experience.”

In addition to qualifying for the 2007 FEI Eventing World Cup Finals, Holling takes home a blue ribbon, prize money and a list of prizes that includes a year lease of a BMW for Holling (or rather, for his wife Jennifer) courtesy of Capital Eurocars, and for the Gold Cup Series ($500 cash, a seven-dose pack of Adequan, a pair of SCS3 boots from Mountain Horse, a fly sheet from Back on Track, Nunn Finer American Style brushing boots, Ogilvy saddle pad, grooming tote with a three-month supply of Wellpride Omega 3 fish oil, Nutrena feed, and a gift certificate for $175-worth of products from World Equestrian Brands).

The win also earns Holling and Lion King the top spot on the Gold Cup Advanced leaderboard with 240 points. Dutton and Tru Luck are next with 175, and Chiacchia and Windfall in third with 160.

In the CIC** Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM rode a clean and fast round, leaving all the colored rails in their cups to win on a final score of 47.6, with Montgomery and Up Spirit keeping their second place position on 49.7, and O'Connor and Mandiba moving up from fifth to third with a score of 57.1.

For their Gold Cup victory, Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM’s owners Cassandra Segal and Ann Glaus' took home the same list of prizes as Holling and Lion King, with one change—Davidson will be sporting a Cirrus jacket from Mountain Horse instead of a pair of SCS3 boots.

In addition, Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM stand in the #1 position on the Gold Cup Series Intermediate leaderboard with 130 points, followed by Montgomery and Up Spirit in second with 105, and O'Connor and Mandiba in third with 90.

Though Holling and Davidson are at the top of the Adequan USEA Gold Cup series standings, all this could change in a week at Southern Pines Horse Trials, in Raeford, NC, at the site of the next Gold Cup event. Two more events will round out the spring portion of the Series—Galway Downs Horse Trials in Temecula, CA, the final weekend in March, and The Fork Horse Trials in Norwood, NC, April 5-8.

Eight more events will take place from July through September to decide the Keeper of the Cup in both divisions. Then, this December, at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention in Colorado Springs, CO, a grand prize Gold Cup trophy and gift pack from World Equestrian Brands 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 will take home a check for $4,000. Both winners will also receive an additional supply of Adequan. The second-placed rider at Advanced will win a $3,500 Bit of Britain gift certificate and their Intermediate counterpart will win a $2,500 gift certificate.

The Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series is made possible through the support of its many sponsors: Title: Adequan; Legacy: Nunn Finer, Nutrena, and World Equestrian Brands; Contributing: Cover-All Building Systems, UlcerGard, and Wellpride; and Patron: Back on Track, Mountain Horse, Ogilvy Horse, and Platinum Performance.

To find out more about the Red Hills Horse Trials, including complete results, visit www.rhht.org. For more information on the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series, visit www.useventing.com/competitions.php?section=gcs.

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Final Results, Sunday, March 11th

CIC*** World Cup Qualifier:

1. Jonathan Holling, Lion King II - 52.0 (6.4 time XC) (Jonathan and Lion King II are pictured at the left jumping the Foundation Drop at the Fair Hill International CCI***.)
2. Phillip Dutton, Tru Luck - 54.3 (2.8 time XC; 4 faults SJ)
3. Darren Chiacchia, Windfall II - 57.1 (6 time XC; 8 faults SJ)
4. Bonnie Mosser, Jenga - 72.6 (13.6 time XC; 4 faults SJ)
(21 competitors, 17 finishers)

CIC***:

1. Kate Luce, Fox In Flight - 77.7 (12.8 time XC; 4 faults SJ)
2. Laine Ashker, Eight St James Place - 86.1 (2.8 time XC; 12 faults SJ)
3. Ashley Adams, Vaunted - 136.0 (40 time XC; 12 faults SJ)
(13 competitors, 7 finishers)

Advanced:

1. Amy Tryon, Le Samurai - 52.1 (20 time XC)
2. Emilee Libby, Cahir - 54.5 (13.2 time XC)
3. Bonnie Mosser, Merloch - 56.2 (16.8 time XC, 4 faults SJ)
(8 competitors, 8 finishers)

CIC**:

1. Buck Davidson, Ballynoe Castle RM 47.6 (2 time XC)
2. Clark Montgomery, Up Spirit - 49.7 (6 time XC)
3. Karen O'Connor, Mandiba - 57.1 (14 time XC)
(48 competitors, 38 finishers)

Open Intermediate:

1. Donna Smith, Call Me Clifton - 50.7 (17.6 time XC)

Open Preliminary Sections:

OP/A:

1. Matt Flynn, Hugo Boss 40.9 (7.6 time XC)
(17 competitors, 15 finishers)

OP/B:

1. Ruthie Harbison, Dun and Dusted - 51.1 (14.4 time XC)
(12 competitors, 10 finishers)

OP/C:

Laine Ashker, Keep The Change - 34.2 (FODS)
(15 competitors, 10 finishers)

* * * * * *

Friday, March 9, Dressage Day

CIC*** World Cup Qualifier:

1. Darren Chiacchia, Windfall - 53.1 (Darren and Windfall are pictured at the right.)
2. Jonathan Holling, Lion King II - 45.6
3. Jan Byyny, Waterfront - 46.3
4. Phillip Dutton, Tru Luck - 47.5
5. Jan Byyny, Task Force - 48.8
6. Stuart Black, Fleeceworks Starlight - 50.0
(21 competitors)

CIC ***:

1. Imtiaz Anees (IND), Extravagance - 59.4
2. Kate Luce, Fox In Flight - 60.9
3. Debbie Adams, Kheops du Quesnay - 61.3
(13 competitors)

Advanced:

1. Amy Tryon, Le Samurai - 32.1
2. Bonnie Mosser, Merloch - 35.4
3. Amy Tryon, In Any Event - 38.3
(8 competitors)

CIC**:

1. Karen O'Connor, Mandiba - 43.1
2. Clark Montgomery, Up Spirit -43.7
3. Amy Tryon, Coal Creek - 45.0
4. Karen O'Connor, Hugh Knows - 45.3
(48 Competitors)

Open Intermediate:

Donna Smith, Call Me Clifton - 33.1

Open Preliminary Sections:

A: Denise Rath, Carlingford MasterBrew - 32.5
(17 competitors)

B: Wendy Lewis, Mondriaan - 29.2
(12 competitors)

C: Laine Ashker, Keep The Change - 34.2
Jennifer Carter, Rainbow Chasing - 34.2
(15 competitors)