Champagne corks were popping in Douglasville, Georgia after Karen O'Connor and her veteran event horse Prince Panache won the second annual MBNA Foxhall Cup CCI*** May 6th. Galloping away with $60,000 prize money and a huge silver trophy, O'Connor said, "It's a celebration!" As her brother-in-law Brian announced from the tower, "You go, girl!"

The O'Connors were already in a celebratory mood following the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** where David won on Giltedge, also an old campaigner. At Foxhall David was also in the picture, placing fourth on Tigger Too (53.4), behind Kim Vinoski on Winsome Adante (47.6) and Phillip Dutton on Hannigan (52.6).

At seventeen, Prince Panache may be in the twilight of his eventing career, but this go-getter isn't giving up any time soon. In 1998 he suffered an atrial fibrillation of his heart at the 1998 World Championships in Rome, and since then has placed no less than third every time he has been entered, adding the 1999 Rolex Kentucky CCI**** to his list of victories, now crowned by Foxhall.

Karen took it easy with "Nash" on the cross-country, realizing that she could have a few time penalties and still have room for a rail on Sunday. After all was said and done, she questioned whether she was too confident and should have given herself more room for error; especially when Vinoski put in a flawless round with Winsome Adante. But Nash went around clean -- leaving no room to spare, but never touching a rail on the typically twisty Richard Lamb course.

"It's a roll of the dice. When you're trying to win, you have to play a strategy, and that's the one I chose. Clearly, it was Nash's weekend," said Karen. "It's exciting to be a part of this extraordinary life."

By Amber Heintzberger

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