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[RC] IntNewsGroup: USOC Board Approves US Equestrian As NGB For Equestrian Sport - Lori & Rick Stewart

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For further information, please contact:           

Marty Bauman, United States Equestrian Team, (508) 698-6810, uset.pr@xxxxxxxxxxx or

Sarah Holt, USA Equestrian, (859) 225-6974, sholt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

USOC Board Approves US Equestrian As NGB For Equestrian Sport

Gladstone, New Jersey and Lexington, Kentucky—October 21, 2003—Setting the stage for a new era for equestrian sport, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors gave final approval to a new National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of equestrian.

The new organization, formed through the combination of USA Equestrian and the United States Equestrian Team (USET), is formally called the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. and will be commonly referred to and marketed as U.S. Equestrian.  The final approval of the new NGB came at the USOC Board meeting in Cleveland, OH on October 18 with the USOC Board of Directors overwhelming in their support of the plans for U.S. Equestrian that will provide the focus and management structure for sustained competitive excellence for our athletes and sport.  U.S. Equestrian officially commences business on December 1.

“This is an exciting time for our sport,” said U.S. Equestrian President David J. O’Connor, the 2000 Sydney Olympic champion.  “U.S. Equestrian incorporates the strengths of two respected organizations who led our sport so well in the 20th century.  Now, as we start a new millennium, we do so with unprecedented unity and vision for the future that will enable our sport to grow and set new standards for success. Never before in the history of our sport have we been so well positioned to provide the services and promotion our membership deserves and that will recognize and reward our extraordinary athletes.”

John R. Long, formerly Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Churchill Downs, has been hired as U.S. Equestrian’s first Chief Executive Officer.  “Equestrian sports offer something for everyone,” Long said.  “Whether it’s the excitement of show jumping, the grace and beauty of dressage or the thrills of cross country, there is something that is sure to appeal to everyone.  As we begin a new era for our sport, I have no doubt that we will succeed in introducing equestrian sports to new audiences and that our athletes will gain the recognition they deserve.”

U.S. Equestrian is headquartered in Lexington, KY.  It operates its International High Performance Division from the former USET headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, and its Drugs and Medications Division from Columbus, OH, with a Drug Laboratory in Ithaca, NY. 

The first annual meeting of U.S. Equestrian will be held January 14-18, 2004 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California which will bring together for the first time the members, committees, boards and sponsors of equestrian sport in celebration, and to work in concert with one another to assure the future success of our sport.

 

The vision of U.S. 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.