Down Under in Chester County

There is a decidedly local (as in my neck of the woods) feel to the U. S. Olympic Equestrian Team in the person of Phillip Dunn, an Australian native who, thanks to his new U. S. citizenship, will be competing for Team U. S. A. Having won a pair of gold medals for Australia at previous Olympics, he asked permission from his parents before he switched allegiances. Dutton and his wife own a farm right down the road from Roy and Gretchen Jackson and in close proximity to Penn's New Bolton Center.

The rolling hills of this beautiful horse country are also home to Michael Matz, Bruce Davidson (a member of several U. S. Olympic Equestrian teams) and horse trainer Michael Dickerson, among others, and it was their presence, plus the close proximity to top notch vets, farriers and in general, all things horsey, that attracted Dunn to this neck of the woods back in 1991. He started out working for Bruce Davidson and gradually began to develop a following of his own.

He met and married his wife Evie, fathered three daughters (whom they are now raising) and ended up buying the farm on which he once rented space. He stables 55 horses at True Prospect Farm, gives riding lessons and trains his horses. The competition in Hong Kong is expected to be to fierce and challenging--made even more so by the city's heat, smog and humidity. Chester County horses certainly know about heat and humidity but pollution is virtually non-existent in the rolling hills of the Brandywine. Because of all these unknowns, the medals are up for grabs.

"The U. S. has been in a bit of a rebuilding phase," Dutton told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "But I think we'll have a good chance. With the heat and conditions in Hong Kong, it should be an open field."

Here's wishing out new native son a good showing and safe journey.