Ridecamp: [RC] IntNewsGroup: USA EQUESTRIAN OFFICERS ISSUE RESPONSE TO USOC HEARING REPORT

USA Equestrian, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511-8483 Tel: (859) 258-2472 Fax
(859) 231-6662 Web site: www.equestrian.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2002

USA EQUESTRIAN OFFICERS ISSUE RESPONSE TO USOC HEARING REPORT

The officers of USA Equestrian, the National Equestrian Federation of the
United States, met Monday, June 10, 2002, and issued the following joint
statement upon a preliminary review of the recent report made by a hearing
panel to the United States Olympic Committee.

For over 80 years, USA Equestrian has served as the governing body for
equestrian sport in America.  To encourage broad participation in equestrian
sports, in order to field the highest quality representation of our country
possible in international competition, we have always pursued three primary
goals:
	*	Decision-making that is inclusive, transparent and open to
the public.
	*	Sound management of financial resources.
	*	Competition that is open, fair, and above reproach,
protective of the welfare of horses.

Everything that we do going forward will continue to focus on these
objectives.

Although the report is only a recommendation and has yet to be approved by
the USOC, USA Equestrian is gratified that the hearing panel adopted our
long-standing position that we should combine our organizational strengths
with those of the United States Equestrian Team.  We will weigh this and its
other detailed recommendations to the USOC board of directors very
carefully, while we evaluate their possible future impact on the sport as a
whole, and specifically our corporation.  As our evaluation develops, we
will share our own recommendations, the advice we receive, and any decisions
we make, with our fellow corporate directors and the larger equestrian
community.

Particularly at this time, we believe that experienced and effective
leadership throughout the sport is especially critical.  Leaving the
National Federation or any other organization with any significant
leadership vacuum would do those organizations as well as the entire sport a
disservice.  Therefore, all the duly-elected officers of USA Equestrian plan
to continue to play an active role in the organization's activities, while
the sport's governance structure is resolved.

The officers of USA Equestrian are Alan F. Balch, Judith Werner, Linda
Allen, Kathy Knill Meyer, David O'Connor, and Stephen O. Hawkins.

ENDS
For more information, please contact Sarah Holt, Public Relations on (859)
225 6974 or via email at sholt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx   USA Equestrian press
releases are available on our web site - http://www.equestrian.org.


USA Equestrian Inc., as the National Equestrian Federation of the U.S., is
the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship sports of
dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, and vaulting,
as well as 19 other breeds and disciplines of equestrian competition.  As
the country's largest multi-breed organization, the Federation has over
80,000 members and recognizes more than 2,800 competitions nationwide each
year.  It governs all aspects of competition, including educating and
licensing all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate at
these shows.
VISION STATEMENT
The vision of USA Equestrian is to provide leadership for equestrian sport
in the United States of America, promoting the pursuit of excellence from
the grass roots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe
competition and the welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be
the best national equestrian federation in the world.



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