Wind substituted for four days of relentless rain for the finale of the 2009 Dansko Fair Hill International but Boyd Martin was not to be blown off the top of the leaderboard. In an impressive performance with Neville Bardos, Martin had one rail down, but landed his first USEF National CCI*** Championship on the strength of the only double clear cross-country round on Saturday.

“I just wanted the horse to jump pretty well,” said Martin who finished on a score of 55.0. “He was full of life in the warm up and making a good shape in the air. I wasn’t that worried about having rails down I just wanted him to jump well.”

The Australian expatriate began riding under the American flag just this year and is a welcome addition to the U.S. program. Martin (West Grove, PA) was the Leading Foreign Rider in 2008 riding Remington XXVI – who also placed fifth this year.

Neville Bardos, owned by Windurra LLC, is a nine-year-old Australian Thoroughbred. He was bought initially by Martin to re-sell, but the chestnut gelding never ended up leaving the barn, so he made the move to the U.S. with Martin and his wife Silva instead. “Neville” was ninth in his first CCI**** in 2008, had two minor injuries after that but returned with a vengeance for Martin, who picked up his first CCI victory in the U.S.

The show jumping proved difficult and clear rounds were very valuable. Karen O’Connor (The Plains, VA) also had one rail down with 10-year-old Mandiba (owned by Joan Goswell) to stay in second place and take home the Leading Lady Rider title for the Beale Wright Morris trophy.

On the strength of a winning dressage mark, O’Connor was then tied with Phillip Dutton going into the jumping. She finished on a score of 59.2 and had her confidence restored after an uncharacteristic performance in September at the Burghley CCI**** and then breaking her shoulder in a motorbike accident five weeks ago. Mandiba went to school with David O’Connor and Phillip Dutton while Karen O’Connor went into recovery.

Dutton had two down with Kheops de Quesnay to drop to fourth so Kelly Sult (Erie, PA) and 17-year-old Hollywood jumped up the placings on the strength of a double clear show jumping round to finish third. Her score of 60.0 put her in some very experienced company. The 23-year-old won multiple other honors including the top Owner Rider Trophy, the USEF Under 25 National CCI*** Championship, and the Top Young Adult title.

Sult trains mostly on her own, but she spent the winter with Bobby Costello in Southern Pines. She and Hollywood have completed the Rolex Kentucky CCI****, but this was her best CCI finish to date.

Hannah Sue Burnett made plenty of people sit up and take notice with her mature, professional performance over the weekend in the USEF National CCI** Championship, but it was the last fence in the show jumping that really caught everyone by surprise.

After a foot perfect cross-country round on Saturday, Burnett continued her flawless performance with Dick Thompson’s St. Barths around a very chilly show jumping course – until the final jump. The eight-year-old Thoroughbred and Burnett missed the distance to the last and crashed through it, adding four faults to their score. Luckily Burnett managed to hang on and get through the finish flags, she had the rail in hand so she won on a final score of 55.9.