Kim Severson Wins National Advanced Horse Trials Championship for the Jack Le Goff Trophy To Culminate Successful Over the Walls Horse Trials

Hardwick, MA—August 6, 2003—United States Equestrian Team (USET) veteran Kim Severson of Scottsville, VA won the National Advanced Horse Trials Championship for the Jack Le Goff Trophy, the featured competition at the 2003 Over the Walls Horse Trials at Great Meadowbrook Farm in Hardwick, MA.

Severson, a team Gold Medalist at the 2002 Eventing World Championships held at last year’s World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, turned in a clean round in the final show jumping phase to claim the title on Royal Venture, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, owned by Plain Dealing Farm. She finished the Championship with a three-phase score of 26.92 penalties after scoring 22.92 in dressage and adding just four time penalties over the cross country course designed by 1984 U.S. Olympic team Gold Medalist Torrance Watkins.

Placing second in the Championship was Darren Chiacchia of Springville, NY, winner of the Advanced Division 1 at Over the Walls in 2001. Chiacchia also turned in a clean show jumping round and finished with a score of 38.38 penalties on Windfall. Heidi White rode clean with just one time penalty on Northern Spy to jump from 5th to 3rd place with a final score of 42.53. She won the highest placed owner/rider award in the Championship Section.

Finishing fourth was Will Faudree, winner of the USET’s top Young Rider Awards last year, claiming the Markham Trophy as the top finishing Young Rider at both Foxhall and Fair Hill and also the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Award for overall excellence. Faudree had one rail down in show jumping for a final score of 42.62 with Antigua.

Severson also finished first in the Advanced Division 1 competition, completing the three phases with a score of 30.57 on her 2002 World Championship mount, Winsome Adante. Two-time North American Young Riders Championship individual Gold Medalist Nathalie Bouckaert placed second with a score of 35.08 on West Farthing. Two-time Olympic team Gold Medalist Phillip Dutton of Australia had the only perfect jumping round to finish third on Cayman Went with a score of 38.22.

Dutton won the Advanced Division 2 after he finished with a score of 33.42 penalties on Dusky Moon. Bouckaert’s father, Carl, a Belgian Olympic veteran, placed second with a score of 42.52 on The Boomer.

Three-time U.S. Olympic veteran Karen O’Connor of The Plains, VA won the Advanced Division 3 aboard Grand Slam with a score of 45.95 penalties, barely edging her husband, David, the 2000 Sydney Olympic individual Gold Medalist, who finished with a score of 47.97 on Clifton Shiraz.

Besides the four Advanced Divisions, the 2003 Over the Walls Horse Trials also hosted three Open Preliminary Divisions and a Junior/Young Rider Open Preliminary Division. Winners in these divisions included Darren Chiacchia and San Salvador (31.60) in the Open Preliminary 1; Linden Wiesman and her 2000 Sydney Olympic mount Anderoo (34.00) in the Open Preliminary 2; Carol Kozlowski and Toblerone (26.50) in the Open Preliminary 3; and Canadian Andrina Calder and Herz Prinz (33.40) in the Junior/Young Rider Preliminary. Full results of all divisions are available on the Over the Walls website at www.overthewalls.com.

Despite heavy rains on Dressage Day, the magnificent grounds at Great Meadowbrook Farm held up beautifully to offer world-class eventing competition. The grass field used for dressage allowed the horses to perform at their best and the breathtaking cross country course provided the perfect setting for the thousands who turned out to see the sport’s biggest names compete for championship honors.

In addition to witnessing top-level horses and riders galloping over green fields overlooking the pristine Central Massachusetts Town of Hardwick, spectators at the 2003 Over the Walls Horse Trials enjoyed shopping at the event’s trade fair which featured gifts for home, people and pets, horse supplies, tack and equipment, and everything for the horse enthusiast.

Sponsors who played a key role in the success of the 2003 Over the Walls Horse Trials included Berkshire Blanket; Crop & Carrot Tack Shop, Inc.; Incentive Advertising; Taylor Harris Insurance Services; Yered Trailers; Bigelow Nurseries; Charles Owen; InterLeather at Round the Bend Tack; Equilite; Higgins Motorsports; Horsemen’s Yankee Pedlar; Morningfield Farm; Dunroamin County Club; Equine Journal; Padula Bros./John Deere; Cosequin®; Lameroux Ford; Leather Therapy; Stancills; SmartPak Equine; Harbor Sweets; Hyland Orchard & Brewery; Salem Cross Inn; Eagle Hill School; Hardwick Vineyard & Winery; Der Dau Custom Made Boots and Shoes; Tally Ho Products; Newbury Stable Services; Blundstone Boots; Equinesite.com; Pepsi; Tide; Fleece Works; Agway Feed & Nutrition; the Ware Big-Y Supermarket; Horse Whisperer; Practical Horseman; Salute to Horses and White Spruce Farm.

For more information, please visit the Over the Walls website at www.overthewalls.com.

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