By Amber Heintzberger

Another set of divisions concluded today at the Wellpride American Eventing Championships at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, North Carolina. Intermediate and Novice performed the final phase of show jumping while the Advanced and Training levels took to the cross-country course.

22.8 time penalties cost overnight leader Mara Dean and her Nicki Henley the lead in the Advanced division. Now in third place, they sit behind Area VI rider Loreen Kay on Russian in second and new leader Kristin Bachman on Gryffindor. Of the 16 Advanced horses that ran cross-country, 11 finished the course, five horses were eliminated or retired, and no one finished inside the optimum time, which had been increased before the division started.

“I knew the course had to be really ridden today,” said Bachman, from Redmond, Washington. “It was very twisting and you were always going up and down. Listening to the other divisions I knew the time would be tight, too – I’m glad they changed it.”

Sarah Blum, 52 of Concord, Massachusetts and Brilliant Disguise jumped around clean and in the time to finish on their dressage score of 29.5 and win the Open Novice division. Blum takes home $2000 in prize money and a new Amerigo saddle as well as a long list of other prizes that included: a Mountain Horse jacket, Maui Jim sunglasses, Adequan, a cooler and $600 gift certificate from Saratoga Horseworks, a grooming tote with Wellpride Omega-3 for horses and Omega Cure from title sponsor Wellpride, a $300 Bit of Britain gift certificate, four-pack of UlcerGard, and a pair of Blundstone boots for her groom. Blum’s daughter Jessica also competed in the division, finishing 32nd on Kiss Me Kate. Second place went to Mary Jordan of Wells, Maine followed by Nancy Covert on Naubinway.

In the Novice Horse division 23-year-old Holly Payne of Oldwick, New Jersey rode Fruition’s First, a horse she found at the race track in California last year, to a narrow victory over local girl Holly Hepp of Southern Pines riding Icewine. Caroline Dowd and Ripley finished just half a point behind Hepp. All three posted double clear rounds.

The Junior/Young Rider division went to Virginia Tech freshman Shawna Berkner, 18 of Chantilly, Virginia riding Curious Cobb. Adrian Wildasin on I’m Happy As Larry followed in second, with Nicole Thomas and Top of the World in third. An impressive 70 horse-and-rider combinations competed in this division.

Emily Beshear of Madison, Virginia and Woodburn, owned by Jess Sweely of Acorn Hill Farm, performed a businesslike show jumping round to become the 2006 Open Intermediate champions. Young Riders Dana Widstrand and Relentless Pursuit and Ashley Adams on Vaunted, followed in second and third places, respectively.

As the highest placing Young Rider, Dana Widstrand and Relentless Pursuit’s names will appear on the perpetual A. Martin Simensen trophy. A working student for Mark Weissbecker, she divides her time between Southern Pines, North Carolina and Richmond, Massachusetts. She and her off-the-track Thoroughbred have come up the levels together.

Over 150 training level horses completed cross-country today in the Open, Junior/Young Rider, and Horse divisions. Currently Susan Wainwright on Hunter and local rider Susan Reynolds on Dominick are tied for the lead with Andrew Palmer on Stiletto is in third. 68 horses started in this division and all but two, who retired, completed the course.

In the Training Horse division Karen MaHaffey is in the lead on Westmoreland followed by on Kelli Temple on Money Maker and Holly Hepp on Ladyslipper. 35 horses started in this division and all but two completed the course.

Best in the field of 42 horses in the Training Junior/Young Rider division is Brooke Harlow on Fibber Magee, less than two points ahead of Retsy Holliday on Guinness V. Devon Brown and Limerick are close on their heels.

The Wellpride American Eventing Championships are made possible due to the support of its sponsors: new Title sponsor Wellpride; Presenting sponsors: Amerigo Saddlery, Bit of Britain, Nutrena and Saratoga Horseworks; Contributing Sponsors: Cover-All, UlcerGard, Adequan, The Fork Stables, and Finish Line Products; Platinum sponsor: Suncoast Bedding; Gold Level sponsors: Fleeceworks, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Stackhouse Saddle Makers, Practical Horseman, Mountain Horse, Charles Owen, and EquestrianCollections.com; Silver Level: Likit, Pegasus Design, Joz, Inc., Phoenix Performance Products, Platinum Performance, Flair Nasal Strips, and SSG Gloves; and Bronze Level: 3M, Auburn Laboratories, Mackinnon Ice Horse, Gore Trailers, Hi-Tech Horse Jumps, Spalding Labs, and Rodney Powell Body Armour.

For complete results of today’s competition, visit the Carolina Horse Park website at www.carolinahorsepark.com or go to directly to the results page at: http://carolinahorsepark.com/aec/results_wed/aec06_results_main.html.