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Cream Ridge, NJ - June 8, 2007 - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that Lauren Kieffer and Tigger Too were presented with the 2007 Markham Trophy on Sunday at the Jersey Fresh CCI***, which ran from May 31 - June 3.

The Markham Trophy is awarded to the highest placed rider under the age of 21 at the USEF CCI*** Spring Championship, which was held at Jersey Fresh. Kieffer was partnered with Tigger Too, a chestnut gelding owned by her trainer David O'Connor.

Kieffer, age 20, finished 25th overall in the three-star division. She began the weekend on a score of 52.9, and added 21.6 time penalties to her score on cross country. With three rails for a total of 12 faults in the show jumping phase, Kieffer and Tigger Too finished on a score of 90.5. (Lauren and Tigger Too are pictured at the right jumping the Dock in the last water.)

Of her success this past weekend, she explained: "It went very well. He was really good in the dressage although he has a tendency to get tense. He was fabulous on cross country and didn't have a bad fence. It was my first three-star so I went quite slow, and we moved down a lot in the standings because of the time faults, but he was fabulous."

She continued, "It was quite an honor to win the Markham Trophy. It was very cool to see the names on it, and very cool to have your name put in the same place with all the people, who are now famous, who were awarded it before."

The trophy is named for Markham, a 16.2 hand black Thoroughbred gelding donated to the USET by Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Plumb. Their son Mike qualified for the 1964 Olympic Games on Markham and was scheduled to ride him in Japan. When Markham had to be put down during the air plane trip, the Olympic team alternate rider William Haggard offered to lend his horse, Bold Minstrel. The horse was then flown to Japan and Plumb rode him as a member silver medal winning three-day eventing team and placed 15th individually.

Kieffer was added to the Developing Riders list this year by the USEF and noted that it has given her an advantage in training.

"I think the USET Foundation does a lot for the sport with its funding that helps the Developing Riders program, giving riders an opportunity to advance in their training and preparation for big, international competitions," Kieffer said.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing international high performance horses and athletes in partnership with the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, please visit www.uset.org.