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Strong and repetitive thunderstorms late Saturday evening into Sunday morning ending reluctantly after 10 AM, turned the Red Hills Horse Trials grounds at Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park, north of Tallahassee, FL, into a quagmire.

The Organizers did their very best to hold Mother Nature at bay and actually succeeded in doing so. For ecological reasons, the entrance roads are not paved. They quickly turned into deep, axel swallowing, mud. Undeterred, earth moving equipment road scrapers were brought in. Applications of golf ball sized gravel made passage in and out through a virtual swamp, possible. Police and volunteers controlled traffic so that no one trying to enter met a departing horse trailer on whta had become a one way road. Spectators parked across Miller Landing Road and were brought into the Show Jumping site on farm wagons pulled by tractors.

The Show Jumping Course, designed by Sally Ike, was kept usable and safe by judicious coverings of sand on take offs and landings.

A word must be said about the volunteers at Red Hills. They were unfailingly polite in the face of nearly impossible conditions. By Sunday morning the ladies who transported the handicapped were down to the two co-chairs, who soldiered on, driving golf carts throught the mud from the handicapped parking to the show jumping arena and back at the call of a walkie-talkie.

Red Hills is quite an operation led by Sylvia Ochs and Sallie Ausley. (See photo at right below, Jack Le Goff, President of the Ground Jury, Shannon Stimson, Owner, Phillip Dutton and Nova Top, Sallie Ausley, Organizer of Red Hills Horse Trials, and Darren Chiacchia on Windfall. ) The whole community takes part. Local businesses are sponsors and the coverage in the Tallahassee Democrat is second to none. Now if these ladies could find a way to control the weather, Red Hills would be the perfect Horse Trial!

Karen O'Connor, who stood eighth after Cross Country, with Mrs. Jacqueline Mars and Mr. and Mrs. Dick Thompson's Regal Scot, made the biggest move up ladder to sixth, on the strength of a clear Show Jumping round. Regal Scot is the former ride of New Zealand' double Olympic Individual Gold Medal winner Mark Todd, with whom he won the Punchestown CCI***, in Ireland..

All of the top five combinations after Cross Country Show Jumped clean and held their places. Darren Chiacchia and R.G. Renegade, 5th, 77.40; Heidi White with Northern Spy, 4th, 64.40; Phillip Dutton riding Mrs. Nina Gardner's I'm So Brite, 3rd, 61.55; Darren Chiacchia and Tim Holecamp's Windfall, 2nd, 59.7; and Phillip Dutton and Shannon Stimson's Nova Top, 1st, 54.75.

The question of who will qualify to ride in the inaugural FEI World Cup of Eventing, in Pau, France, in October, is up in the air. Both Australia and the United States are allowed 5 entries each, so Phillip and Nova Top, with 30 points, seem sure of qualifying for Australia. Phillip's other mount, I'm So Brite, with 20 points will be, in the vernacular of "March Madness", on the bubble. There are two other qualifiers in Australia, Wadin Park and Warwick, not to mention several European qualifiers, which could be won by Auatralians based in the UK, so time will tell. In any case, no rider may compete more than one horse at Pau.

Darren's situation looks fairly secure as Windfall received 24 points for his second place at Red Hills. The other American qualifier is Galway Downs, in California, at the end of this month. Only the winner on the West Coast can garner more points than Windfall, and the second place finisher can tie him..

The real question is, points or no points, Pau runs against this hemisphere's major 2003 International Competition, the Pan Am Games, to be held at Fair Hill, MD. (Well done FEI!) This presents a Hobson's Choice - Pan Am Games or FEI World Cup? Stay tuned!

Others placed in the top 10 of the CIC-W*** at Red Hills were:

7th: Bruce Davidson, on his and Joan Bergman's Little Tricky, 82.95

(Pictured at left, Bruce Davidson on Little Tricky, and Holly Hepp on Lester Piggott, Victory Gallop, Red Hills Horse Trials, CIC-W***.)

8th: Holly Hepp and Lester Piggott, 84.65

9th: Nadeem Noon (PAK) and Greystone V, 88.95

10th: Caroline Dowd and Raw Deal, 89.50

Official Report on the Death of The Native

"At approximately 11:05 a.m., Saturday, March 8, 2003, the horse, The Native, a 14 year old thoroughbred owned by Mrs. Jacqueline Mars and ridden by David O'Connor in the CIC-W*** World Cup Qualifier, had a collapse at Fence # 15, the Windmill Pond.

"The FEI independent committee composed of Mr. Jack Le Goff, President of the Ground Jury; Mr. Jim Graham, Rider Representative of the competition; Mr. Chris Volk; and Mr. Russell Lowe, Jr; Chair of the United States Eventing Association Safety Committee, conducted an inquiry relative to the incident.

"Dr. Stephen Fisch, Treating Veterinarian, issued a written statement concerning the incident. His report is attached.

"After the Committee inquiry, it is evident the collapse of the horse, after landing in the water, was not related either to the construction of the fence, or the footing before or after the jump. Numerous witnesses attested that thecollapse of the horse could not be attributed to the riding of the competitor. The horse had a run out and refusal earlier on the course. The rider decided to continue. The President of the Ground Jury, and several other witnesses, saw the horse jump the three (3) fences preceding the incident, and the horse and rider appeared to be performing normally.

"The Emergency Crew and Safety Committee of the organization was very efficient and handled the situation in a calm and very professional manner.

"The owner of the horse and the rider were grateful to the organizers for the way this unfortunate incident was handled.

"A necropsy has been requested."

Signed: Jack LeGoff, President of the Ground Jury

Russell Lowe, Jr., Chair, USEA Safety Committee

Jim Graham, *Appointed Member

Chris Volk, Appointed Member

The photo at right of David O'Connor and The Native was taken on the Cross Country Course at Red Hills at Fence # 12, Fort San Luis, three fences before Fence # 15, The Windmill Pond, where The Native died.

Report of the Treating Veterinarian:

"At approximately 11:05 a.m. I saw "The Native" a fourteen (14) year old thoroughbred gelding ridden by David O'Connor fall into the Windmill Pond. He did not immediately get up so I drove my mobile veterinary unit, which was less than 100 yards away, directly to him. Upon examination, he was down, his breathing was shallow and his mucous membranes were white. He died shortly thereafter. My tentative diagnosis is that he died of a heart attack. His body is being taken to the University of Florida college of VeterinaryMedecine for a complete necropsy to verify the cause of death.

"In my opinion the incident was handled very well by the crew that we had on call for such incidents. The jump appears to be safe and well built. He has all the signs of a horse that died of a heart attack."

Signrd: Stephen D. Fisch, DVM

Red Hills Horse Trials

Leaders of other Divisions, after Cross Country, are listed below.

Advanced A:

1. David O'Connor, Texas Pride, 58.90

2. Gayle Molander, Jumbarlara, 58.90 (Tie broken by time on XC)

3. Graeme Thom (CAN), Arrow, 67.20

Advanced B:

1. Virginia Jenkins, Always A Lady, 60.20

2. Mike Winter (CAN), Balista, 60.50

3. Marcia Kulak, Horton Who, 61.83

CCI**:

1. Stuart Black (CAN), Sailing, 58.30

2. Corinne Ashton, Dobbin, 67.10

3. Nathalie Bouckaert, Pinnacle Way, 67.55

Open Intermediate:

1. Becky Douglas, Courageous Comet, 58.60

2. Clark Montgomery, Silent Faith, 59.20

3. Will Faudree, Trustworthy, 60.50

Intermediate:

1. Elena Weeks, Wolftown, 50.90

2. Jocelyn Kriss, Mystical Illusiion, 56.70

3. Wendy Lewis, Rampant Lion, 59.20

Open Preliminary:

1. Stuart Black (CAN), Pacific Storm, 37.00

2. Vicki Baker, Fine China, 40.20

3. Carol Kozlowski, Liffey Star, 41.60

Preliminary:

1. Andrina Calder, Herz Prinz, 41.70

2. Meredith Jane-Webb, Danny Blue Eyes, 42.60

3. Maley Coombs, Orion X, 46.50

Red Hills CIC-W***

Australia's Phillip Dutton brackets Darren Chiacchia

In a remarkable show of horsemanship, Australia's Phillip Dutton, who had been tied for first place on Hannigan after the Dressage phase, was able to set aside Hannigan's refusal early on the course to guide Shannon Stimson's Nova Top from fifth place after the Dressage phase (46.35), to the lead on a score of 54.75. Phillip and Nova Top collected only 8.40 time faults over Red Hills' twisty, hilly Cross Country Course, which presents barely a flat place, and virtually no place to make up time to get up on the clock. (Phillip and Nova Top are pictured at left in the water at the Appalachee Bay complex.)

Darren Chiacchia, not normally noted for rapid Cross Country trips, though he has certainly been the "King of the Horse Trials" this spring, rode Tim Holekamp's 10 year old Trakehner stallion to second place, up from third after Dressage (44.1), for a score of 59.70, while picking up 15.60 time faults. (Darren and Windfall are pictured at right in a mighty leap out of the water at the Apalachee Bay complex.)

Phillip stands third with I'm So Brite, a nine year old thoroughbred gelding who belongs to Phillip's patron, Mrs. Nina Gardner. Brite came from out side of the top ten after Dressage, to third place on the strength of a strong Cross Country run that landed him on a score of 61.53. (Phillip and I'm So Brite ar pictured below left jumping out of the water at the Apalachee Bay complex.)

Phillip's protege, Heidi White, is in fourth place with Northern Spy on 64.40; Darren dropped to fifth place after rolling up 25.6 time faults with his over night leader, R.G. Renegade; and Peter Green, the USET's Chairman of Selectors for 2003, placed sixth riding Ralph and Leda Fletcher's 14 year old Irish Thoroughbred gelding Mind the Gap.

The death of David O'Connor's long time partner, The Native, on course at Red Hills, over shadowed the accomplishments of others on Saturday. The Official Statement from the President of the Ground Jury will appear in a later edition. Everyone who loves eventing and admires brave horses joins David in mourning The Native. Ave atque vale.

Chiacchia and Dutton Dominate Dressage Phase, Between Them They Hold the First 5 places.

Darren Chiacchia of Ocala, FL, with Coleen Hofstetter's 12 year old Selle Francais gelding R.G. Renegade, and Australia's Phillip Dutton, who resides in West Grove, PA, riding Bruce Ducchossois' 10 year old Hannigan, are tied for the lead of the Red Hills CCI-W***, on identical scores of 43.6, after the Dressage phase.

Phillip said of Hannigan, who also led after the Dressage phase at Pine Top last weekend, "I was really please with him. He didn't quite get it right in the trot work," but, that he was better in the canter movements. "The athmosphere gets him up."

Darren compared R.G. Renegade's (See photo below right of Darren and R.G. Renegade) test to that of one of his other rides, Windfall, who currently lies third on 44, a mere .4 adrift of the leaders. "Windfall was not quite as forward as usual. He was more effected by the weather. (It poured down rain the night before Dressage and most of the morning. The grounds and the dressage rings were very muddy.) I warmed him up too long. The footing is sticky. Reggie was the opposite. He was very good today." Windfall showed signs of resistance throughout his test swishing his tail an once actually kicking out during the extended canter.

Phillip is fourth with August Vettorino's Drizzle on 46.05 and 5th with Shannon Stimson's Nova Top (See photo left of Phillip and Nova Top.) on a score of 46.35. Peter Green, of Upperville, VA is in 6th place.

The weather report for Saturday is 20% chance of showers. As the access roads are so muddy that they are virtually impassable to anything but a 4 wheel drive vehicle, dry weatherover night and Saturday would be most desirable!