Darren Chiacchia Wins USET Three Star Spring Championship at Foxhall Cup

Gladstone, NJ—April 22, 2003—As the top finishing U.S. rider at the fourth annual Foxhall Cup, Darren Chiacchia won the 2003 U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) Three Star Spring Championship on April 17-20 at Foxhall Farm near Atlanta.

Chiacchia, of Ocala, FL, and Windfall, the black Trakhener stallion owned by Dr. Timothy Holekamp, actually finished second overall to Australian rider Phillip Dutton and Nova Top. Chiacchia, who was in second place after the dressage phase of competition, picked up 5.2 time faults on the cross-country phase to sit third as he went into the jumping phase on Sunday. Chiacchia picked up eight jumping and three time faults in jumping, putting him just behind Dutton, the two-time Olympic team Gold Medalist who had moved up after placing 11th in dressage.

Hometown favorite Nathalie Bouckaert of Chatsworth, GA, daughter of Belgium Olympic team rider Carl Bouckaert, and her horse Westfarthing placed second in the USET Championship and third overall in the Foxhall Cup after leading following both the dressage and cross-country phases. She and her bay English Thoroughbred gelding picked up a heart-breaking 16 jumping and three time faults during the final jumping phase.

The son of another Olympic rider, Bruce “Buck” Davidson Jr. of Unionville, PA, finished third in the championship and fourth overall aboard Twist and Shout, a gray Thoroughbred-cross gelding. They had moved up from 21st place after dressage.

Finishing fourth in the championship and fifth overall was Jessica Heidemann of Bellingham, WA, riding French Twist. Corinne Ashton of Boxboro, MA, and Dobbin were fifth in the championship and sixth overall.

More than 90 horses competed in the 2003 Foxhall Cup CCI***. The championship helps determine who will ride for the United States in the 2003 Pan American Championship that will be held in October at the Fair Hill International

The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent our country in major international competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this, the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers and horses - and provides the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org