An American Quarter Horse and a Trakener took top honors at the Five Points Horse Trials held at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford September 11-13.

Over 300 competitors, from as far away as Idaho, rode the newly designed cross-country course.

The cross-country course ran in the reverse direction of what it has been for the past nine years, providing a challenge for competitors in memorizing the John Williams designed course.

Cross-country is one of three phases of a three-day event. The others are dressage and show jumping.

Marc Donovan designed the brightly colored and inviting show jumping course.

Linda Dreher of Vass and her 17 hand Quarter Horse, Remington, scored the best dressage score (23.80) of the event and won the Preliminary Rider division despite incurring four penalty faults in the stadium phase of the three day event. Dreher and Remington, whose final score was 27.80, finished four points ahead of Jane Murray and Tako.

Dreher credits a recent surgery to improve her horse's breathing for the best dressage score of Remington's career.

Dr. Jock Tate of Vass performed the surgery at the N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh.

"I credit all the good folks at N.C. State, who did a great job," said Dreher.

Remington was only one of two horses at the preliminary level to make the time in the cross-country phase.

"It was a long course six and a half minutes instead of five minutes. Due to the surgery in June, I didn't have as much time to leg up my horse. But it didn't prove to be a problem. It was a great course and fun to ride. My trainer, Gina Fiore, has helped me so much, especially with show jumping."

Remington's bloodlines do include some thoroughbred blood. He's a descendant of Dash for Cash. "Remington's registered name is Pick a Weapon -- so I did," quips Dreher. "I picked a Remington."

In the Novice Rider A division, Doreen Schlicht and her Trakener Classico had one of the best dressage scores of the day (27.40) giving them a cushion after incurring some cross-country time faults and allowing them to keep the lead and win the division with a final score of 29.80.

"The time limit was difficult in my division," said Schlicht. "Only half the horses made the time, which is unusual for a novice division. It was a tough course and asked some different questions. Plus the course was set up backwards from what it usually is. There were some steeper down-hills. I had to walk the course twice to make sure I wasn't missing any fences."

Schlicht, a former hunter rider, didn't have any trouble with the stadium phase, putting in a double-clear round. "A lot of people in my division had time faults. I kept going and didn't do my hunter thing and slow down in the corners."

This marks the sixth year the Five Points Horse Trials has run at the Carolina Horse Park.

Organizer Dana Diemer credits her volunteers with keeping everything running smoothly throughout the three-day event.

"I particularly want to mention Katherine Austin, who along with her "Redneck Debutantes," did an outstanding job of decorating the cross-country course and particularly the Duck Pond. They named the Duck Pond "Flamingo Road," decorating it all in pink, to raise breast cancer awareness."

Many local riders pulled top ribbons.

For full results, go to www.carolinahorsepark.com.