Dressage win gives U.S. early eventing lead

Chiacchia has top score at Pan Am competition

Horse Racing

FAIR HILL - The U.S. equestrian team took the early lead in the Pan American Eventing Championship at the Fair Hill International Festival in the Country.

The four-rider U.S. team scored 170.0 in dressage to stand first ahead of Canada (186.2) and Brazil (196.2). Individually, U.S. rider Darren Chiacchia (43.60) of Springville, N.Y., leads on Windfall 2. He is followed by Tim Collins (44.40) of Bermuda, on Delton Magna, and by Nathalie Bouckaert (47.0) of Chatsworth, Ga., on West Farthing.

Eventing was not held at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, earlier this year, and the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) decided to hold the Pan American Eventing Championship in conjunction with the Fair Hill meet. Olympic berths are also at stake for those countries not yet qualified for 2004.

In the separate equestrian competition, Donna Smith of New Zealand stood first after dressage with a score of 47.6 penalties on Call Me Clifton.