Elkton, MD ¬– The temperatures dropped overnight but the competition continued to heat up at the 2008 Dansko Fair Hill International which is playing host to the 2008 USEF National CCI** and CCI*** Eventing Championships. The second day of dressage unfolded without a change to the top of the leaderboard in the CCI**. Local rider Molly Rosin and Havarah’s Charly staved off a charge from the Californian combination of Kelly Prather and Ballinakill Glory to hold on to the top spot. Prather put in a very strong performance but fell .4 short to finish on 46.6.

Rosin and the Hungarian Warmblood had put in an immaculate performance on Thursday, which was much appreciated by her local supporters. The pair recently won the CIC** at Plantation Field Horse Trials, another event local to their Oxford, PA base. This is the first time the USEF National CCI** Championship has been held at Fair Hill International.

Rosin, who is originally from California, is looking forward to the task at hand on Saturday. She is a big fan of course designer Derek DiGrazia.

“I love the course,” she said. “I think very highly of Derek and I think it is a good, bold course. Its challenging but it asks good questions.”

Kelly Prather rode a very active test on Ballinakill Glory. She brought the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare back to the CCI** level after attempting the CCI*** here last year.

“I’m really green at this level and I dropped her back down to get confident,” said Prather.

She is looking forward to being really competitive this year after pulling up early on course in 2007. The landscape of the Fair Hill Natural resource center is foreign to many of the riders from the West Coast.

“We jump a few of Derek’s courses at home, so the feel of the course is a Derek course,” said Prather. “But the terrain is different: both fitness-wise and jumping a lot up and down hills. Even the fly fences – the terrain is part of it. Everything is a little bit different. I’m really excited to run it.”

Great Britain’s Leslie Law held on to his third place spot on Liz Milliken’s catch-ride Quintus 54. The two star standings remain close with less than four points separating the top seven places.

The Individual Gold and Silver medalists from the 2004 Olympic Games are back in familiar spots in the CCI***. Leslie Law leads narrowly from Kim Severson on new stars for both riders. Law is on 43.5 and Severson is on 43.9. Will Coleman is third on Tivoli Farm’s Twizzel on 45.9.

Law has been riding the 8-year-old Selle Francais gelding, Fleeceworks Mystere du Val, for less than a year for Beatrice and Guy Rayherme. He was pleased with his horse’s effort today as the flashy chestnut has been consistently winning horse trials all season.

Fair Hill International is an annual proving ground for up-and-coming horses and this year, Law feels like he will learn a lot about his horse on tomorrow’s cross country course.

“Tomorrow will tell me a lot,” said Law. “Depending on what he does tomorrow will tell me if he is going to continue at the CCI*** level or go to Rolex next year. I’ve never ridden here before but those that have say the terrain takes its toll.”

Kim Severson and the giant grey Tipperary Liadhnan (who is owned by the Friends of Kim Severson Syndicate) put in a customary Severson test, very accurate and error free. They sit just behind Law and Fleeceworks Mystere du Val on 43.9 but are best of the US riders vying for the USEF National CCI*** Championship. Severson is pleased that the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse continues to improve.

“I think this horse has a big future,” said Severson of ‘Paddy’. “He’s so much more rideable. I can do the changes when I want, I can be more accurate. Just in general he’s becoming a lot more rideable.”

The pair was sixth at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** in the spring but Severson thought that coming to this CCI***