Elkton, MD - ­As the 2007 competition year winds down, two eventing championships will be held over the weekend of October 19-21. Many of the country's best riders will culminate their season at the USEF National CCI*** Championship at the Fair Hill International Horse Trials in Elkton, MD. Up-and-coming horses and riders will test their skills at the CCI* level at the Hagyard Midsouth Three Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.

Fair Hill International will offer the following 2007 USEF championships: National Under 25 Eventing Championship, National CCI*** Championship and the National Owner/Rider Championship. Two USET trophies are also offered, the Markham Trophy to the leading young rider and the Gladstone Trophy to the winning rider.

The hotly contested CCI*** Championship is available for the first time to Phillip Dutton. Dutton rode under the Australian flag until 2007 and has won the top honors at Fair Hill International three times (1996, 2000 and 2004). He represented the U.S. at this summer's Pan American Games picking up Team Gold and Individual Silver with Tru Luck. He hasn't been eligible for a national championship until this year. Fortunately, he'll have three chances.

Dutton rides the one and only horse to have won the competition before, The Foreman who had a banner year in 2005, placing second at both the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** and the Burghley CCI****, has been sidelined with a minor injury for much of this year.

“He's had niggling splint soreness since April,” said Dutton about Ann Jones' 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. “He hasn't had a lot of runs but he's a good horse and hopefully he'll have a good shot at it.”

Dutton also brings two horses new to this level of competition. Acorn Hill Farm's Woodburn enters his first CCI*** with back to back wins at Five Points Horse Trials and in the CIC***-W at Wit's End in Canada in September. At 11 years old, Woodburn boasts an impressive record at the two-star level with former rider Emily Beshear. Dutton looks forward to not only next weekend but to the horse's future in general.

“He's won twice now in Southern Pines and at Wit's End,” said Dutton about the New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred. “I'm very excited about him and his prospect not just for Fair Hill but for the future.”

Rounding out Dutton's trio is Matchplay, owned by August Vettorino (who also owned his 2000 winner Drizzle). The 9-year-old English Thoroughbred-cross gelding had a hiccup on the cross-country at Wit's End in his final prep, but Dutton thinks he is another strong addition to his up-and-coming string of Advanced horses.

“I'm excited about Matchplay too,” Dutton said. “He was unlucky at Wit's End but he's had a good year.”

Dutton's teammate from the Pan American Games, Karen O'Connor will be the busiest rider of the weekend. She has four rides, two of which are contesting their first CCI***.
Mandiba and Hugh Knows are both inexperienced at this level but will have one of the most experienced pilots in the world to guide them around their debut. They were second and third respectively at the Florida International CCI** in April.

Mandiba, owned by Joan Goswell, has found life very easy since he was imported from Ireland as a 4-year-old. Bred to event, by Master Imp out of High Dolly (who represented Ireland in the Young Rider Europeans on multiple occasions) Mandiba has jumped through the levels with relative ease.

Hugh Knows, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, owned by Katherine Bruenig, won his first Advanced at Richland Park over the summer.

O'Connor's veteran, 16-year-old Upstage has jumped around the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** multiple times, the Burghley CCI**** and the 2006 World Equestrian Games -he will go out first something O'Connor considers the luck of the draw.

"I got really lucky on the draw so I get to go on Upstage first and see how the course is riding," she said about riding the New Zealand-bred gelding owned by Dick and Vita Thompson. "The two first timers go at the end. When I get to ride Upstage first the important thing, if he goes well, is not let my guard down and underestimate the exercises on the other horses. Both young horses have had great lead ups and I feel like they're fully prepared."

O'Connor's fourth ride is relatively new to her, but they tested their partnership at the Jersey Fresh CCI3* in June and galloped to sixth place. Allstar, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Rebecca Broussard, was an alternate for this summer's Pan American Games.

"Allstar has had a great season," said O'Connor. "I've actually ridden him the least of all the horses but I know him better now than in the spring."

O'Connor won the Fall Championships in 2003 with Grand Slam when she was also the Silver medalist on the Pan American Championship division held concurrently that year with Joker's Wild.

75 horses will contest the eventing championship, which runs concurrently with four USEF National Driving Championships. Champions will be crowned over the weekend in the following categories: Advanced Single Pony, Advanced Single Horse, Advanced Pair Horse and Advanced Pony Team.

Almost 600 miles away at the Kentucky Horse Park, four individual National CCI* Championships will take place. The Open CCI* Championship, the Championship for riders 19-21, the Junior Championship and the Amateur Championship have attracted solid fields of horses and riders.

Held in conjunction for the first time will be Eastern edition of the Junior/Young Rider National CCI* Team Championships. This championship has attracted five teams. The West coast version will be held at Galway Downs in Temecula, CA November 1-4.