Lisa Singer of Chadds Ford, Pa., added the second World Championship selection trial to her 2005 resume, winning the advanced pair horse division at the Southern Pines CDE, April 14?17 in Southern Pines, N.C. Singer drove Mimi Thorington’s Morgan geldings, LR Ami Bengali and Count On Me, to a final score of 130.88.

“Overall I was very pleased with the Beasties’ performance,” said Singer, seven-time national pairs champion and member of five World Championship teams.

In dressage, Singer placed second to Southern Pines local Eleanor Gallagher, with only .22 points between them. “I was happy with how they went, though it wasn’t quite as terrific as the test they gave me at Live Oak CDE [Fla.],” Singer explained.

Singer put 5.53 points between herself and Gallagher during the marathon. “Count was listening to me much better during the marathon than at Live Oak, coming back when I asked him to,” Singer said of the flashy red chestnut with a powerful, ground-covering stride.

Singer placed second (79.21) to Californian Fritz Grupe (75.32) in the marathon. Grupe had been fourth in dressage but moved into third after the marathon, while Singer moved into first over second-placed Gallagher.

None of the advanced pair horses produced a clean round over the tough cones course, designed by Barry Hunter. Singer accumulated 9 penalties, still maintaining first, though Grupe drove an attacking 7.50 penalty course to move into second over Gallagher.

Singer’s Southern Pines win, combined with her Live Oak win, make for two selection trial triumphs, along with two fall observation trial wins at The Laurels (Pa.) and Gladstone (N.J.) in September. There are two selection trials remaining in May, the mandatory Garden State CDE (N.J.) and Bromont (Que.).

“I’ll be going to Garden State, but I’m not planning on Bromont. I would go if it were later in the summer, but I don’t want to tax my horses too much,” said Singer, who is aiming for the World Pair Championships in Austria this September.

Grupe’s hard work and attention to detail came through on the marathon and cones at Southern Pines, especially in the cones, which had greatly improved since Live Oak, where he dropped from first to fourth after a catastrophic 27.50 penalties in the final phase.

“My wife gave me a great tip [after Live Oak],” said Grupe with a laugh. “She told me to stay between the cones and go faster.” Grupe’s wife, Phyllis, who also drives, can give such advice as she has the perfect view from the groom seat of the carriage.

Grupe, 67, of Lodi, Calif., keeps his horses with coach Chester Weber, of Ocala, Fla. “Each month I’m home for a week taking care of business, then back to the East Coast for three weeks training. There’s no better way to learn than spending the time driving,” said Grupe.

He and Phyllis began driving draft horses for fun in the 1980s, competing Belgians in heavy hitch competitions.

It was through this pastime that he made his first connection with the Weber family, who were fellow heavy hitch competitors. But on a Carriage Association of America trip to the Windsor (England) CDE in 1997, Grupe got hooked on combined driving. “There was such excitement!”

He began competing a pair of Haflingers soon afterward. “I did well [in marathon] with the Haflingers, and it has carried over to the horses,” said Grupe, who owns four competition horses found in Europe by Weber.

“Max and Lloyd are Dutch Warmbloods, while Magnum and Peter are German Warmbloods,” Grupe said.

Magnum and Lloyd work together in both marathon and cones, but it is the marathon that brings out gushing enthusiasm from Grupe. “I love the rush [of marathon] and have to admit that I am amazed every time I see the horses move so nimbly through the hazards, especially for their size,” he said.

Though Grupe only began competing in advanced pairs just over a year ago at Live Oak, he gained valuable international experience last year at Windsor Castle (England), Watchtebeke (Belgium), Beekbergen (Netherlands) and Riesenbeck (Germany).