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McLain
Ward Named USET Athlete of the Month for May 2002
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Gladstone,
NJ—June 3, 2002—McLain Ward of Brewster, NY was named
the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Athlete of the Month
for May 2002 after he tied for fourth place in the Show Jumping
World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany and won the $75,000 Grand
Prix of Devon. The World Cup Final is show jumping’s most
prestigious annual individual competition and the Grand Prix of
Devon is one of the country’s biggest Grand Prix events.
At the Show Jumping World Cup Final, Ward, riding Viktor, a 12-year-old
German Warmblood gelding owned by Ward and Harry Gill, finished
behind the new World Cup champion Otto Becker and runner-up Ludger
Beerbaum, teammates on Germany’s Gold Medal team at the 2000
Sydney Olympic Games, plus the third-place finisher, three-time
World Cup champion Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil.
Ward
returned to the U.S. and rode Viktor to first place in the $75,000
Grand Prix of Devon, in Devon, PA. He topped a field of 32 of
the country’s top show jumpers by turning in two penalty-free
rounds and the fastest time in the tie-breaking jump-off.
Ward
also placed second in the $35,000 Old Salem Grand Prix in North
Salem, NY aboard his 12-year-old gelding, Flyer.
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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