Florida's Abbott, 23, rides to victory

Meghan Abbott of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., rode Pancharan to victory in the $2,500 North American League adult amateur jumper class last night at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair.

Ten horses from the starting field of 21 jumped clear in the first round to return for the timed jump-off.

Abbott's time of 34.677 seconds with no faults edged out Rebecca Forbes of Stuarts Draft, Va., aboard Kick the Clouds, who finished in 35.536.

With 15 points for the win in last night's class, Pancharan tied for champion honors with Kick the Clouds, who had a first and a second.

"When I got Pancharan, he wouldn't go around a course," said Abbott, 23, a junior at Florida Atlantic University majoring in business. "The success we've had in getting him to go around a course is what pleases me."

"When I first got Kick the Clouds, I felt I had to be perfect," said Forbes, a 33-year-old emergency-room nurse. Kick the Clouds had formerly been a successful grand prix jumper.

Forbes has had Kick the Clouds for three years. She was also the champion adult amateur jumper aboard the horse at Devon last year.

The hunter competition began yesterday, with first- and second-year green and regular hunters as well as green and regular conformation hunters in action.

Scott Stewart of Flemington, N.J., began the defense of his leading hunter rider title with two wins, one on Ovation in second-year green and the other on West Point in green conformation. He also had five seconds: two on Castlewalk in first-year green, two on Highland Park in regular conformation, and one on Beyond in working hunters.

Competition in these classes will continue today and tomorrow.