The 2010 World Driving Championship began this morning with the first of four sessions of dressage.

after this morning’s session, the reigning World Champion, Ysbrand Chardon (NED), is currently in the lead with a dressage score of 35.97

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Jim Fairclough (USA) drove his dressage test with two full sisters as his wheelers (both owned by Jane Clark), and two horses leased from Keady Cadwell as his leaders; he was the first of the three U.S. team members to go, and is currently in second place with a score of 51.97

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driving for Australia (although he lives in Ohio), Gavin Robson is currently in third place with a score of 55.30

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Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich drove his team of Lusitanos to a score of 64.64

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aren’t they beautiful? (why, yes, I love the Baroque horses!)

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we had a good crowd in the main grandtand at the Driving Stadium for this morning’s dressage tests

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before lunch, legendary driver and coachman George Bowman (GBR) gave a dressage demonstration with Misdee Miller’s coaching team, put to her French Shooting Break