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Australians lead Great Britain, U.S. in second and third
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Karen O'Connor helped boost the United States into third place after the second day of the dressage phase of the equestrian team three-day event Sunday. O'Connor, of The Plains, Va., had a personal best of 32.6 penalty points on Prince Panache, the third best score of the two days of dressage. "Timing is everything," she said. "He's been training great for the last three weeks, going from strength to strength." Australia held the overall lead with Britain second. Since the Aussies are traditionally weak in dressage and dominant in the next two jumping phases, they're in a strong position to win a three consecutive team three-day gold medal. Australia takes 112.6 penalty points into the demanding cross-country phase Monday, with stadium jumping to follow on Tuesday. Stuart Tinney added 36.0 on Jeepster to Australia's scores from Saturday, including Andrew Hoy's leading 30.6 on Darien Powers. They are followed closely by Britain with 115.2 and the United States with 125.4. "They've caught up," Aussie coach Wayne Roycroft said. "The best team is going to win because the cross-country course is going to test everyone. There will be no celebrations tonight." The Australians are hoping temperatures in the mid-70s, relatively warm for early spring here, will help the home team on the cross-country endurance test. "It might make some of the other nations conservative," Australian rider Matt Ryan said. "We're used to dealing with it." Britain's Pippa Funnell had the second best score Sunday of 32.0 on Supreme Rock. The three best scores from each team's four riders count for the total. Linden Wiesman of Bluemont, Va., was delighted with her dressage score of 48.4 on Anderoo, which was added to David O'Connor's 44.4 on Giltedge from Saturday. David and Karen O'Connor are married and veterans from the silver-medal team in Atlanta. "I hoped, maybe on a good day, we'd break 50," Wiesman said. "It was amazing cantering into that ring." Anderoo's speed as a grandson of the famed racehorse sire Buckpasser should help her fly around cross-country Monday. She said he washed out early from his first career as a runner. "He had serious speed but he didn't have the mind for it," she said. "He's been levelheaded here. He didn't care about the crowd." Wiesman, 25, is the youngest on a team of veterans, all living near each other an hour west of Washington. She trains with the O'Connors. The fourth teammate is Nina Fout of Middleburg, Va., riding 3 Magic Beans.
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