Hardwick, MA—August 3, 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 at the 2003 Over the Walls Horse Trials at Great Meadowbrook Farm in Hardwick, MA.

Severson, a team Gold Medalist at last year’s World Championships 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 turned in a clean show jumping round to finish with a score of 38.38 penalties on Windfall.

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 won the Advanced Division 2. 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. Full results of all divisions are available on the Over the Walls website at www.overthewalls.com.

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.

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

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