Darren Chiacca of Ocala, FL (USA) riding the 12-year old black stallion Windfall 2 brilliantly won the second qualifier of the FEI Eventing World Cup, which was held at Red Hills, Tallahassee, FL (USA) from 12 to 14 March, with a final score of 46.5 points. He took the lead from the very beginning thanks to Windfall's noteworthy Dressage test (41.7 points); he kept it through Cross Country scoring 4.8 time penalties and, with one fence in hand, went flawless in Jumping. Windfall, on whom Chiacca started competing in 2001 and who took him to individual gold in last year's Pan American Eventing Championship at Fair Hill, was only one of Darren's five entries all of whom finished the competition. He collected World Cup points on Power Ty and Southbound, with whom he placed 9th (14 WC points) and 15th (7 WC points) respectively. Given this remarkable performance, Chiacca takes the lead in the overall FEI Eventing World Cup standings with 123 points.

The second place went to Olympian Phillip Dutton on Nova Top. Dutton, an Australian who lives in West Grove, PA (USA) and who won last year's FEI Eventing World Cup qualifier at Red Hills, was 9th after Dressage with 52.8. He performed the competition's only clear Cross Country and scored two time penalties in the Jumping test. He finished with a total of 54.8 points. Dutton had entered four horses and finished the competition with them all scoring a total of 110 World Cup points and taking the second position in the standings.

I think it's healthy competition, Chiacca said after Cross Country. We are great friends but when it comes out on the day I don't mind giving Dutton a run for his money.

Twenty-four year-old Heather Morris (USA) on Rebel Express placed third with 59.2 points.

After two qualifiers the leaderbord is as follows:

1. Daren Chiacchia (USA) - 123
2. Phillip Dutton (USA) - 110
3. Andrzej Pasek (POL) - 101
4. Marie-Christine Duroy de Laurire (FRA) - 60
5. Jan Thompson (USA) - 46
6. Karen O'Connor (USA) - 43
7. Fabio Magni (ITA) - 40
7. Heather Morris (USA) - 40
9. Alice Naber-Lozeman (NED) - 33
10. Marissa Cortesi (SUI) - 30

According to the 2004 FEI Eventing World Cup Regulations, points are awarded to all riders that have completed the competition regardless to the number of starters, with 100 points going to the winner and 1 point to all the riders after the 20th place. A rider that rides more than one horse in a qualifier will be awarded points for each result. The full Regulations are available on the FEI's website www.horsesport.org (http://www.horsesport.org/fei/pdfs/reference/03_02/CC_WC_Rules2004.pdf).

The next qualifier will take place at Temecula (Galway Downs), CA (USA).

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The FEI Eventing World Cup is the sport's first linked series consisting of 17 qualifiers culminating in a yearly Final. It is organised at the highest level (three-star) of the short Eventing format which is the new standard for Championships and the Olympic Games. The series is designed in manner to encourage the participation of the world's best riders and horses and thus promote such emblematic values of Eventing, as the constant quest for harmony between physical skills and mental balance, contact with nature, precision, stamina, agility and insightful training. The FEI Eventing World Cup is a showcase of a sport resolutely turning to the future.