Elkton, MD ­ – Unsettled weather continued on Friday for the second day of dressage at the USEF Eventing National CCI*** Championships at Fair Hill International, and Thursday’s leader Boyd Martin (Australia) staved off challenges for almost two entire days on a score of 46.1.

It wasn’t until the second to last rider of the day, Phillip Dutton, Martin’s employer, put an end to his reign. Dutton, who is riding for the first year under the American flag put in a stellar test with Ann Jones’ The Foreman and ended the day on a score of 42.4, the career best for the horse at this level.

The 11-year-old Thoroughbred has been relatively idle this year, battling a sore splint, but he is a seasoned veteran. Second at both the Rolex Kentucky and Burghley CCI****s in 2005, he showed his experience in the ring and put in a forward and accurate test.

“He hasn’t done much this year so I’m really pleased with him,” said Dutton, who won two Team Gold medals while riding for the Australian Team in 1996 and 2000, and this summer picked up Individual Silver and Team Gold at the Pan American Games for the US. “He showed a lot of maturity in there.”

The main arena had plenty of atmosphere and Dutton took his time preparing the former racehorse. Dutton is based in West Grove, PA, minutes from Fair Hill and has won the event three times previously, including in 2004 with The Foreman.

Martin’s score held on for second place and New Zealand rider, Donna Smith, riding Jackie Mars’ 8-year-old Rocket put in a dynamite test to be third. Smith has been battling migraine headaches all week.

Becky Holder, riding her husband Tom’s flashy grey gelding Courageous Comet, were the second highest placed Americans, ending up on a score of 46.7, just six tenths of a point behind Smith.

Courageous Comet is another experienced ex-racehorse having galloped confidently around Burghley CCI**** last fall. The Minnesota-based pair won the US Eventing Association’s Adequan Gold Cup Series this year at the Advanced level.

Clark Montgomery won the CCI** at Jersey Fresh this spring and thought he would have a nice Advanced horse for next year in Up Spirit. The 8-year-old Irish-bred horse (owned by Holly and Bill Becker) matured by leaps and bounds over the summer and Montgomery felt he was ready for the challenge of a CCI*** this fall. He and fellow Virginia rider Mara Dean are tied for fifth on a score of 48.3.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to death that this 8-year-old went in there and performed the way he did and got that score,” said Montgomery. “He’s still so green. He felt so good and without a two-star championship this fall, I thought we’d have a shot at it. He stepped up to the plate. There are so many things that can get better too. Down the line I think he could score really well.”

Dean recently began riding High Patriot and their partnership thrived in the dressage arena. Only nine years old, the Oldenburg gelding owned by Irish Oaks Farm didn’t disappoint his new jockey.

“Considering the partnership I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Dean. “He was better than I expected. He’s a phenomenal jumper. He’d probably be the best jumper I’ve ever had and I’ve had some good ones.“

Captain Mark Phillips, Chef d’Equipe of the US Team who commandeered a medal sweep at this summer’s Pan American Games was pleased with the quality of up-and-coming horses in the eventing program at the moment and with the return to form for some of the more experienced horses.

“It’s nice to see The Foreman back and he’s looking like he’s in good form,” said Phillips. “I think we’ve seen the nicest collection of young horses that we’ve seen at Fair Hill for a long time. They are not all right up there at the moment but you’ve got Clark and Mara and Karen (O’Connor)’s horses, there are a lot of first time three star horses in the middle to low fifties. Allison Springer’s horse (Arthur), Kristen Bond’s Three Wishes and Will Coleman’s horse (K. du Manoir) as well as seeing Becky’s horse back on form. Hopefully some of them will be there for Hong Kong but in terms of the World Equestrian Games in 2010 and the 2012 London Olympics I think we’ve had one of the best days at Fair Hill we’ve had in years.”

Cross country gets underway at 12:30 on Saturday. The newly updated track, designed by Derek DiGrazia, takes a different route through the Fair Hill Natural Resources Center than in previous years.