April 13, 2006 – Norwood, North Carolina – Stuart Black and Fleeceworks Starlight scored an impressive victory in the CIC*** division of The Fork Horse Trials held April 6-9.

Hot of a victory one week earlier in an Open Intermediate Division of the Morven Park Horse Trials in Virginia, Black and Fleeceworks Starlight extended their winning streak in North Carolina.

With the CIC***-W World Cup Qualifying division also being held alongside the CIC***, all riders performed the same dressage test and were judged by the same officials. At the end of this opening phase, Black and Fleeceworks Starlight had posted a score of 37.8 penalty points, a score only bettered by CIC***-W participants Darren Chiacchia and Windfall II, the eventual winners, and American Olympian Kim Severson and Winsome Andante. They would be the only penalty points that Black would incur, going on to enjoy a faultless stadium jumping performance on Saturday followed by a clear cross-country round on Sunday. In total, 45 riders contested the CCI*** division, but Black was in a league of his own, finishing more than 20 points ahead of his nearest rival.

"The dressage was judged concurrently with the World Cup Qualifier division, and to earn a place right behind Darren and Kim really shows how much Fleeceworks Starlight has grown up and come into her own," said Black of his Holsteiner/Thoroughbred-cross mare. "Even though she is still only nine years old, she is so much stronger now. Her movement is fabulous, and she can collect herself. It was wonderful to learn that she can keep up with the mature horses that have the mentality and the movement to win at the top levels."

Black also credited the help he received from American dressage legend, Robert Dover, in warming up for his test. "He didn't need to help me since I am only an alternate on the training list due to Fleeceworks Starlight's injury last fall, but he was kind enough to and he was just fantastic. Robert is so positive and encouraging, and that got me really excited. She has so much talent for the dressage, and that is essential in today's eventing sport - you have to be in the thick of things right from the very beginning."

Due to unstable weather conditions, show organizers opted to hold the show jumping portion of the competition on Saturday and move cross-country to Sunday. The scheduling change had no effect on Black and Fleeceworks Starlight, who made easy work of the course.

"She was so exuberant in show jumping, she was clearing everything by at least six inches - she was actually showing off a little bit!" laughed Black, who is not surprised by her talent given that her sire, Cavalier, was a well-known international show jumping competitor.

On Sunday, Black was the only competitor to successfully solve the cross-country puzzle envisioned by course designer Captain Mark Phillips. With not even a time penalty to add to their dressage score of 37.8, Black and Fleeceworks Starlight added the CIC*** The Fork victory to their ever-growing list of accomplishments. After winning both the CCI** Colorado Horse Park Three Day Event as well as the CCI** Radnor Hunt Three Day Event, Fleeceworks Starlight was named the 2004 ‘Intermediate Horse of the Year’ and the ‘Mare of the Year’ by the United States Eventing Association . In 2005, the pair represented the United States at the CCI**** Luhmühlen Three Day Event in Germany where they enjoyed a clear cross-country performance.

Fresh off his victory, Black is now turning his attention to the future. The upcoming CCI**** Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event is one possibility, while the CCI*** Jersey Fresh Three Day Event at the end of May is another.

"We want to try our best to get picked for the World Equestrian Games squad," explained Black, who successfully competed at the 1998 World Equestrian Games for Canada. "Hopefully, if we were to choose Jersey Fresh over Rolex, the selectors would bear in mind that last year, as an eight-year-old, she jumped the four-star course at Luhmühlen without a problem, but unfortunately couldn't finish due to some bad luck. No matter what happens, I think Fleeceworks Starlight is pretty widely known as one of the hottest young horses in the country, and I will try to do her justice."

Meanwhile, back at The Fork Horse Trials, Black made a second trip to the winner's circle with an exciting new mount, Fleeceworks Mystere du Val. Purchased in France from current World Champion Jean Teulere and imported only two months ago, the six-year-old selle francais gelding is already showing great promise. With an impressive final score of 31.9 penalty points, Black and Fleeceworks Mystere du Val topped a division of Open Preliminary.

Mystere du Val is owned by Beatrice and Gui Rey-Herme of R.H. Equine. Together with Black, they have developed a business that sees them travel to France several times a year to purchase five and six-year-old prospects, as well as more experienced horses, to develop and sell. Fleeceworks Mystere du Val is a product of one of those buying trips, but one that Black plans to continue riding, saying, "He is such an athlete and he has an enormous jump."

A two-time Canadian Olympian, Black became an American citizen in the fall of 2004 and was immediately selected by the United States Equestrian Federation’s High Performance Committee to participate in its training program. He is based in Bluemont, VA, where he operates a training and sales business with his wife, Momi, who is also an international eventing competitor.

Fleeceworks, designers and manufacturers of high quality sheepskin products for equestrian use, sponsor several of Black's horses including Fleeceworks Starlight. For more information, please visit www.fleeceworks.com.