Phillip Dutton’s flawless show jumping round earned him his third Fair Hill International CCI*** win, this time on Annie Jones’ The Foreman. Dutton and the 8-year-old U.S. Thoroughbred, who came off the track five years ago, didn’t come close to touching a fence over Sally Ike’s course. Dutton also jumped clear on August Vettorino’s Amazing Odyssey, to finish fifth.

“He can be nervous and excited in an atmosphere, and today was the best he’s been in a ring with atmosphere,” said Dutton, who kept his foot on the gas yesterday to record the only cross-country round inside the time. “It’s a very rewarding win for me. I’ve had the horse from when he was right off the track, and the owner has had faith in him and me. He’s a likeable horse and a bit of an underdog.”

Royal Venture just barely grazed fence 11, a vertical on flat cups, which fell repeatedly throughout the day, and he and Kim Severson finished second for Plain Dealing Farm. As Dutton rides for Australia, Severson still claimed the national title.

“When watching this morning, I saw it come down a lot,” said Severson of the vertical at fence 11. “I’m not sure [the horses] could define it from the rail behind it. He got there as well as any other fence.”

Dutton watched the first part of Severson’s round, which went so smoothly he assumed she would jump clear. “That jump [fence 11] was about the lowest on course, but it came down quite a bit,” he said. “It was just unlucky for her.”

But Severson wasn’t disappointed with “Vinnie,” who has survived three colic surgeries in the last year. “He was nearly dead a year ago,” she said. “I don’t care if he’d pulled every rail; he’s still amazing.”

Stuart Black held onto third place with a clear round on Elkins Wetherill’s Fleeceworks Blackout, who looked unaffected by yesterday’s efforts, jumping even harder when he came to deep spots at fence 2 and fence 6.

“It’s been a very emotional fall for me,” said Black, a former Canadian who just received his U.S. citizenship a month ago. “Mr. Wetherill has stuck by me when I was sick [with Crohn’s Disease] and supported me with my appeal [regarding the Canadian Olympic team] this summer. There is not a better man on earth.”

Amy Tryon and My Beau, her Olympic reserve horse, remained in fourth place with a clear round. Mary Grantham, who entered the ring in fifth place, had an unfortunate four fences down aboard Ides Of March, taking down the triple bar at fence 4, the oxer at fence 8, the liverpool at fence 9 and the oxer six strides after the liverpool at fence 10. She fell to 11th place, allowing Amazing Odyssey to move up to fifth.

A clear round from Laine Ashker (who sung the National Anthem with her mother, Valerie Ashker, this morning), aboard Eight Saint James Place, moved the pair from Crozier, Va., up to sixth and gave Ashker the top young rider title. Sarah Cousins/Buzzby (10th) and Amy Barrington/Platinum (12th) also moved up with clear rounds.

Just one rail from Molly Hooper/Kiltartan and Karen O’Connor/Jokers Wild (in the 15-year-old’s final three-day) also moved them up the standings, to ninth and eighth places, respectively. Hooper also scored the top first-timers award. Although Hooper hasn’t ridden in a three-star before, she’s a regular at all the top international events, where she grooms for Severson.

The sportsmanship award went to Gillian Clissold, of Nokesville, Va., and her Sportscar. Announcer Brian O’Connor called Clissold, a former professor, “the ultimate amateur.”

The vets awarded Will Coleman the best conditioned award for Second Hope, who finished seventh. Andrew Temkin, of Menlo Park, Calif., earned the adult amateur award for a 27th-placed finish with Bucephalas, Susanne Andreotti, of Granite Bay, Calif., and Macy, an 8-year-old, gray Thoroughbred, earned the top mare award, for 14th.

Before the show jumping, the U.S. bronze-medal three-day Olympians received recognition–Severson, Tryon, Darren Chiacchia and John Williams (with his arm in a sling after a fall Friday from a young horse separated his shoulder). The fifth team member, Julie Richards, was not able to be present.
The day began with the sad news that Presto, who fell yesterday with Allison Springer at fence 9, had to be euthanized last night at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. He was unable to use his hind legs or stand due to neurological deficits, and a necropsy will be performed on Oct. 18, said veterinarian Cathy Kohn. The Chronicle staff expresses its sympathy to Springer and “Spot’s” owner, Kaiti Saunders.