The predicted storms held off for the first schooling horse trials of the season May 31 at Mel Wyatt's Foxtrack Training Center. Fifty-eight riders put their horses through the paces of dressage, cross country and stadium jumping under a canopy of pecan trees on Valley View Road in Southern Pines.

The Senior Novice Division proved the old saying "It ain't over until it's over." Diana Hoberecht was sitting pretty after dressage when judge Chris Hamilton awarded her a score of 33, one of the best scores of the day. Unfortunately, in the cross country phase, Hoberecht got a little exuberant and incurred two speed penalties riding Roxanne for owner Nancy Henson. Hoberecht went clean in stadium to end up with a score of 35, which was one point off of Cricket Gentry's winning score.

"We smoked," said Hoberecht. "We were a little too fast. This is only Roxanne's third event and she won the other two so I screwed up her perfect record by going too fast. I've moved her up a division at each horse trials so I'll move her up to Novice at Lumber River next weekend."

Gentry rested on her dressage score of 34 to win the Senior Novice Division riding her 6-year-old grey Appendix Registered Quarter Horse Never Better Magic. Magic, an athletic jumper, always provides some amusing antics in between fences.

"After the jumps, he likes to play," Gentry said. "But as soon as he sees a jump, he's on radar. The course rode beautifully. I love Mel's events because the course is so inviting. She tries to make it a positive experience for everyone."

Magic's sire is a 17.2 hand thoroughbred named Never Been Better.

"All his progeny are good jumpers," Gentry said.

First place in the Junior Novice Division was a tie between Kailyn Mangrum and Jordan Lemmond. Both finished with a score of 37.5. Mangrum had the closest time to the optimum cross country time so she took home the blue ribbon riding Jim and Diane Westbrook's horse Sea K.

Fourteen-year-old O'Neal student Sarah Brown also came in closest to the optimum cross country time to win the Junior Beginner Novice Division riding Tricia Hill's 8-year-old quarter horse McAuley.

Brown went clean in cross country and stadium to rest on her dressage score of 35.8.

"Dressage was the most important part," Brown said. "I wanted him (McAuley) to do well in that phase since it's important to do well in dressage for the big shows."

The Junior Maiden Division winner was also determined by the cross country time. Laura Lindamood, riding Selena, started her new eventing career with her quarter horse by taking first place with a score of 35.5 over Rebecca Mahaffey riding Cookies 'N' Cream also earning a 35.5.

Andrea Ruting had the best dressage score of the trials (31) and went clean in the jumping phases ending up with a score of 31 overall to win the Senior Maiden Division riding Trigger.

None of the horses were fazed by the new red caboose train jump, sponsored by Joanie Bowden, on the cross country course. The "Little Pal Caboose" jump has a bevy of horse shoes welded to the front to serve as a cow catcher. So far, no cow has wandered onto the tracks.

Besides new jumps, there were some new volunteers at Foxtrack. The ever-important cross country timer job was taken over by Shane Adams, who is just back from a tour in Afghanistan. On a sad note, Bob Marietta, who held the timer job since the first horse trials offered at Foxtrack, died peacefully in his sleep May 10 at the age of 84.

"I couldn't do these shows without all the support I get from volunteers," Wyatt said. "I think it all went very well. I was very pleased with the caliber of horses."

RESULTS

SR. NOVICE: 1.Never Better Magic (34) Cricket Gentry 2.Roxanne (35) Diana Hoberecht 3.Skedaddle Fast (38) Jennifer Holder 4.Odessa Momenta (45)Amie Collins 5.Chance of a Lifetime (49) Judith Hawk 6.A Little Bit of Dixie (59.8) Beth Shelton. JR. NOVICE: 1.Sea K (37.5) Kailyn Mangrum 2.Spirit of Kildalton (37.5) Jordan Lemmond 3.RL Skiddles (51.5) Julie Tugwell 4.Ranger Heart (58) Mikaela Kantorowski. SR. BEG. NOVICE: 1.Aleah (36.8) Marissa Sauber 2.Sarah, Plain and Tall (37.8) Robert Price 3.Connor (39.4) Karen Mahaffey 4.Papillon (40.8) Lisa Taylor 5.Pucci (44.3) Pippa Moon 6.Quincy (45.2) Paul Dalpe JR. BEG. NOVICE: 1.McAuley (35.8) Sarah Brown 2.Pony Power (35.8) Shannon Petchul 3.Classical Blend (36.8) Kaitlyn McVeigh 4.Vanity Fair (36.8) Melanie Masciarelli 5.Ginger Snap (39.7) Kayela Smith 6.Holly Dolly (41.7) Nicole Lindamood. SR. MAIDEN: 1.Trigger (31) Andrea Ruting 2.Kris-Tee (34.8) Sabine Desper 3.Vanity's Revenge (34.9) Ashley Nee 4.Matto (36.7) Karen Mahaffey 5.Payback (37.1) Chris Padgett 6. Zoey (43.1) Sheila MacLachlan JR. MAIDEN: 1.Selena (35.5) Laura Lindamood 2.Cookie "N" Cream (35.5) Rebecca Mahaffey 3.Good Golly Miss Molly (42.6) Keely Ninness 4.Snickers (45.5) Noah Cameron 5.Golden Glory Cisco (65) Logan Schwartz.