Fred Merriam Leads USA National Single Horse Driving Championship at Fairhill International

The Fair Hill International’s driving competition began Friday with the dressage phase and Merriam took the lead in the USA National Single Horse Championship when he finished with a score of 39.67 driving his Bronze Medal World Championship horse, Gadwood Lightwing, owned by Nicholas Mercede. Standing second is Merriam’s World Championship teammate, Nancy Johnson of Lincoln, MA, who received a score of 41.00 with her Canequin’s Look Out.

Chester Weber of Ocala, FL drove his team to a dressage score of 46.40 to take the lead in the Four-In-Hand horse division. Jim Fairclough of Newton, NJ, driving a team owned by Jane Clark, was second with a score of 48.27. Weber and Fairclough were teammates on the USET’s Silver Medal World Championship team at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain in September.

In the Pairs division, Lisa Singer of Chadds Ford, PA, who earlier this month won the USET Pairs Championship for a record sixth time, took the lead with a score of 40.80 penalties driving her pair owned by Mimi Thorington. In second with a score of 48.80 is five-time USET Pairs Champion Larry Poulin of Boxford, MA driving a pair owned by Natasha Grigg.