Ocala, FL – Following an exciting marathon day at the Live Oak International, Lisa Singer has grabbed the lead in the 2013 USEF National Pairs Championship with a score of 133.07. Drivers had near perfect weather as they contested the second phase of competition held on the picturesque Live Oak Plantation.
Singer (Chadds Ford, PA) drove consistently over the championship level course which hosted seven intricate obstacles. Using the experienced gained representing the U.S. in World Championship competition seven times, she posted the fastest time in the Morgan Stanley sponsored fourth obstacle in FEI Pair Horse competition.
“One of them is pretty new to me; I’ve only been driving him three and a half months and he got pretty tired at the end in the second to last hazard,” said Singer. “But I was really happy with both of them they both really tried for me. I’m really happy.”
If Singer can maintain her lead in Sunday’s cone phase she will earn her ninth USEF National Pairs Championship.
Lying second in National Championship competition is the driven dressage winner Misdee Wrigley-Miller. The 2012 Reserve National Champion drove a confident marathon but incurred penalties for having a groom down in the fourth obstacle and therefore relinquished her day one lead. She heads into the cones phase less than two points behind Singer on 134.24.
Leading the Live Oak International’s FEI Pair Horse division which is being sponsored by Scott and Kathi Dancer is Canada’s Rae Fischer on a score of 126.67.
Driving competition concludes in the John Deere Arena on Sunday with the cones phase.
In addition to the USEF National Championship, Live Oak International also hosts Four-in-Hand, Pairs, Singles, and Pony driving competition at both the FEI and Intermediate levels. For a second year, it will host world class jumping competition in conjunction with the driving. The USEFNetwork.com presented by Smartpak will host wall-to-wall coverage of the marathon on Saturday and Sunday’s cones, in addition to Saturday’s $50,000 Live Oak International CSI 2* Grand Prix and the $33,000 CSI 2* Hollow Creek Farm Winning Round on Sunday. The live stream, video-on-demand, photos and news can be found here.
Visit the Live Oak International website here.
Follow the 2013 U.S. Driving Team here.
By Helen Murray