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Gunner
Wins Intervet/USET Reining Semi-Finals
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Gladstone,
New Jersey—May 23, 2002—Bryant Pace of Hasbrouck Heights,
NJ and Gunner, owned by Debra Sloan of Newfoundland, NJ, won the
2002 Intervet/U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) Semi-Finals for the
USET Reining Championship presented by Bayer. The Semi-Finals
were held during the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA)
Derby.
The
quintessential show horse, Gunner was “on” for an appreciative
Oklahoma State Fairgrounds crowd. To the cheers of the crowd,
the distinctive American Paint Horse stallion exhibited his trademark
stops and spins and marked a 225.5 to win the event and $6,080.
Gunner
was the 1996 NRHA Futurity Reserve Champion, the 1998 National
Reining Breeders Classic Reserve Champion and the 2001 USET Reining
Champion. With over $165,000 in winnings, he is the second highest
money earner in NRHA history. He was selected by the USET as the
2002 USET Breyer model horse.
According
to Pace, the popular stallion was brought back from an intended
retirement in order to compete in the qualifying events and a
chance to ride on the USET World Championship squad at the World
Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.
The Reserve Championship of the Intervet Semi-Finals ended in
a tie between Pete Kyle on Chexys Doctor Pepper, owned by Art
and Carol Hurt and Darren Stancik on Chocolate Chic Olena owned
by Carter Smith. Both scored 224.5 to win $4,864.
The top twenty riders in the Intervet Semi-Finals advance to the
$75,000 added USET Reining Championship, Presented by Bayer at
the 2002 Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, presented by State
Line Tack, June 20-23, in Gladstone, NJ.
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 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
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