uset _press_releases

Eventing Developing Rider Training Schedule (01-17-03)
Eventing Winter Training List (01-17-03)
USET Explains Withdrawal of USOC Challenge (01-16-03)
Balch Continues to Undermine USET Services to Athletes (01-13-03)

United States Equestrian Team Announces Schedule of 2003 Eventing Developing Rider
Training Sessions with David O’Connor

Gladstone, NJ—January 17, 2003—The United States Equestrian Team (USET) will host three eventing training sessions for developing riders in January and February, 2003. The training sessions will be conducted by USET’s Developing Rider Coach, Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor who captained the 2002 Gold Medal-winning World Equestrian Games eventing team.

The USET’s Eventing Developing Rider Program is available to riders of any age who aspire to compete at the highest levels of the sport. To qualify, each horse/rider combination must have completed a CCI** or above. Precedence is given to riders without prior team experience.

Aspiring Developing Riders have submitted applications and two recommendation forms each, including at least one from a rider who has competed at the CCI**** level. The USET Eventing Selectors are reviewing all applications and will determine which applicants will be invited to participate in this program.

The schedule for the 2003 Eventing Developing Rider Training Sessions is as follows:

· January 27-29 at Longwood Farm, Ocala, FL

· January 30-February 1 at Winter Brook Farm, Southern Pines, NC

· February 11-13 at Galway Downs, Temecula, CA.

Auditors are welcome free of charge. Voluntary contributions to the U.S. Equestrian Team would be greatly appreciated.

The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent our country in major international competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers, vaulters and horses - and provides the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.

United States Equestrian Team Names 2003 Eventing Winter Training List

Gladstone, NJ—January 17, 2003—The United States Equestrian Team (USET) is pleased to announce the 18 riders and 29 horses invited onto the 2003 Winter Eventing Training List. The riders on the 2003 Winter Training List are invited to participate in 2003 Winter Training List Training Sessions with Capt. Mark Phillips, Sandy Phillips and George Morris, three of the sport’s most successful trainers.

The training sessions are designed to give riders and horses the opportunity to work with these top trainers early in the year prior to the spring eventing season, Burghley and the Pan American Championships, building on the USET’s successes in Olympic and World Championship competition.

The following riders and horses have been named to the 2003 Winter Training List:

RIDER HORSE(S)

Darren Chiacchia R.G. Renegade, Power Ty, Windfall (any 2)

William S. Coleman III Second Hope

Robert Costello Dalliance

Dorothy Crowell Radio Flyer

Bruce Davidson, Jr. Mystic Mike, Class Touch

Will Faudree Antigua

Jonathan Holling Lion King

Brittany Kart Semper Fidelis

Marcia Kulak Horton Who

Gina Miles McKinlaigh

Beale Morris Eastern Shore, Pathfinder (any 1)

Bonnie Mosser Jenga

David O’Connor Rattle N’ Hum, Texas Pride, Tigger Too (any 1)

Karen O’Connor Jokers Wild, Upstage (any 1)

Kimberly Severson Royal Venture, Winsome Adante

Amy Tryon My Beau, Poggio, Woodstock

Heidi White Northern Spy

John Williams Carrick, Sloopy

The following alternates were also named to the Winter Training List:

East Coast Ranked Alternates

1st Nathalie Bouckaert Mr. Mullins

2nd Jan Thompson Task Force

3rd Stephen Bradley From

4th Shannon Ewing Adrenaline Rush, Moments Notice (any 1)

5th Sean McQuillen Could You Just

6th Sara Kozumplik As You Like It

7th Lynn Symansky No It Tissant

8th Sarah Cousins Topspin, Absolute (any 1)

9th Ashley MacVaugh All’s Fair

10th Jan Thompson Shared Dreams

West Coast Ranked Alternate

1st Natalie Rooney Aladdin

Together with the trainers, riders will be able to decide on what areas to work during these sessions. Training sessions are planned for the following days at the locations indicated:

January 27-29 Winter Training List Longwood Farm

(Captain Mark & Sandy Phillips) Ocala, Florida

Jan. 30 – Feb. 1 Winter Training List Tanglewood Farm

(Captain Mark & Sandy Phillips) Southern Pines, NC

February 3-4 Winter Training List Tanglewood Farm

(Mark Phillips & George H. Morris) Southern Pines, NC

February 10-11 Winter Training List Maple Leaf Farm

(Captain Mark Phillips) Seattle, WA

February 12-13 Winter Training List Galway Downs

(Captain Mark Phillips) Temecula, CA

February 20-22 Winter Training List Longwood Farm

(Captain Mark & Sandy Phillips) Ocala, FL

(Sandy Phillips – Feb. 20-21 only)

February 24-25 Winter Training List Longwood Farm

(Mark Phillips & George H. Morris) Ocala, Florida

March 10-12 Winter Training List Tanglewood Farm

(Captain Mark & Sandy Phillips) Southern Pines, NC

(Sandy Phillips – March 10-11 only)

March 12-13 Winter Training List Casa De Los Caballos

(Sandy Phillips) Scottsdale, AZ

March 21-22 Winter Training List Galway Downs

(Captain Mark Phillips) Temecula, CA

March 24-27 Winter Training List Morven Park

(Capt. Mark Phillips & George Morris) Leesburg, VA

(George Morris – March 25-26 only)

Auditors are welcome free of charge. Voluntary contributions to the U.S. Equestrian Team would be greatly appreciated.

USET Explains Its Withdrawal of USOC Challenge

Maintains Commitment to Mission of Serving U.S. Athletes

Gladstone, NJ—January 16, 2003—On January 15, the United States Equestrian Team (USET) withdrew its Challenge before the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) in order to facilitate a more rapid resolution to the equestrian governance dispute. Believing it could best serve this country’s equestrian athletes, as it has for more than a half-century, by defusing the extremely adversarial situation that has prevented USA Equestrian and the USET from being able to find common ground to resolve this matter, the USET withdrew the Challenge.

“What matters most to virtually everyone in the sport of equestrian is that the turmoil that has been hurting all of us ends by bringing the sport into compliance with the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act,” said USET President Armand Leone, Jr.

“The USET’s withdrawal of the Challenge is in no way connected to the recent decision of the Superior Court of New Jersey,” Leone continued. “Nowhere in the judge’s decision did the court find that the USET lacked proper authorization or proper documentation to continue with the Challenge. However, complaints against USA Equestrian that athletes have filed with the USOC, as well as the Complaint filed by the USET, have put the issues of non-compliance squarely before the USOC Hearing Panel. In addition, the USOC Membership and Credentials (M&C) Committee, in a separate proceeding, is also reviewing USAE’s non-compliance with the Sports Act.

“Since the matter of getting equestrian into compliance with the Sports Act is being addressed on these two fronts, the challenge was not playing a role in expediting a resolution. Given that it was no longer necessary, the USET withdrew its challenge. We hope this step will help to create an atmosphere that will assist in resolving the equestrian governance dispute.”

Balch Continues to Undermine USET Service to Equestrian Athletes

Gladstone, NJ—January 13, 2003—USA Equestrian (USAE) President Alan F. Balch, in another in a continuing series of steps designed to deflect attention from his organization’s being out of compliance with the requirements of a National Governing Body (NGB), has forced a delay in action by the United States Equestrian Team (USET) to approve and implement programs for 2003.

USET President Dr. Armand Leone, Jr. received a letter from Balch on Sunday afternoon, January 12, demanding that the USET not hold its annual membership and Board of Trustees meetings scheduled for Monday morning, January 13. He claimed that the USET did not have a valid Board to call these meetings based on a ruling by a New Jersey Court on Friday, January 10, that all actions, including election of a Board of Trustees, at its October, 2001 annual meeting were null and void.

Rather than give Balch an opportunity to initiate further unnecessary and wasteful litigation, the USET immediately adjourned both meetings on January 13 without taking any action.

“This is yet another example of Alan Balch throwing up smokescreens to divert attention from the real issue, namely USAE’s lack of compliance with the requirements of being an NGB,” said Leone.

“The New Jersey Court did rule our October, 2001 meeting invalid based on a technical requirement, but everything connected with that meeting, as with all our meetings, was completely above board,” Leone continued. “To slow service to our sport’s athletes is a shame, but rather than put the USET in a position of having to face further litigation from Alan Balch, we thought it more prudent to defer any actions scheduled to be conducted at these meetings to a later time pending further evaluation of the judge’s opinion.

“Meanwhile, the USET calls upon the Board of USAE to end its support of Alan Balch and his disruptive actions as cited by the U.S. Olympic Committee in its letter of December 23, 2002. Only then can we end this ridiculous waste of resources that is hurting our sport.”

In its letter to USAE Executive Director Lori Rawls on December 23, 2002, the USOC said that it was, “Concerned about a failure by USAE to acknowledge its obligations as an NGB, a lack of candor and cooperation by USAE leadership in its oral and written submissions to the Committee, and USAE’s efforts to disrupt, rather than further, the efforts of the Committee to conduct its compliance review.”

The letter also said that, “Rather than accept questions and positions taken by others as opportunities to move the sport forward, USAE’s behavior has been destructive and has often been mean spirited, contrary to the fundamental principles of the Olympic movement.”

Leone said that Balch’s actions related to the USET meetings underscored two further points made in the USOC letter, namely that, “A primary focus of USAE’s response was to attack USET,” and that, “USAE has become so consumed with issues of turf, power, control and winning against USET at all costs that it has ceased to conduct USAE in the best interests of the sport of equestrian, the United States athletes who compete in sport of equestrian, or the Olympic movement in the United States.”

Leone urged the USAE Board of Directors to listen to the call of the USOC that “USAE leadership has lost all perspective concerning the situation and needs to step back and reconsider its current and ongoing course of conduct. USAE has wasted its resources, the resources of the USET, the resources of the Committee, and the resources of several offices of the USOC.”