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Countdown
to the Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, Presented by
State Line Tack
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Gladstone,
NJ—June 13, 2002—The 12th annual Bayer/United States
Equestrian Team (USET) Festival of Champions, presented by State
Line Tack, returns to the USET Olympic Training Center in Gladstone,
NJ, June 20 – 23. It is the only event in the country to
showcase five equestrian disciplines at the international level
with the nation’s best horses competing for championship
titles in show jumping, dressage, combined driving, endurance,
and reining.
Also
at this year’s Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, the equestrian
sport of vaulting will be featured with a world-class demonstration.
Fans will have a first-hand look at some of the young vaulters
who compete in the newest USET discipline. Vaulting will be one
of the seven disciplines to hold World Championships at the World
Equestrian Games in Spain this September.
One of the headline competitions at the Festival is the $75,000
USET Reining Championship, presented by Bayer, that will serve
this year as the final selection trial to pick the U.S. team for
the first-ever Reining World Championship to take place at the
World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain in September.
Also
on this year’s reining schedule is the very popular Invitational
Freestyle where reiners perform in costume, doing dynamic routines
set to music. Five countries will battle for highest honors in
the Cosequin Nations’ Cup, an internationally sanctioned
team competition that will feature teams from, Japan, Mexico,
Brazil, U.S. and last year’s gold medal winning country,
Canada. Two more reining competitions, the USET Futures Championship,
which plays host to the finest developing riders in the country,
and the Reining Young Rider Medal Final Class round out the division.
The
Festival also hosts the final selection trials for the 2002 Singles
Driving World Championship to be held in Conty, France, in August.
Combined Driving is one of the most beautiful sports at the Festival,
featuring the elegance of dressage on Friday, the thrilling marathon
phase, which will be taking place on Saturday, and the culminating
cones competition on Sunday.
Other
divisions in driving include the Advanced Pair of Horses, Advanced
Pair of Ponies and Advanced Single Pony. The Bayer/USET Festival
of Champions Driving Division is managed by the Gladstone Equestrian
Association, producers of the annual Gladstone Driving Event each
fall.
Along
with important selection trials, the Festival will also host the
USET Intermediaire I Dressage Championship. Riders and horses
from all over the country are expected to participate in this
division. Classes begin on Thursday, June 20 and continue each
day throughout the Festival.
Another
marquee attraction is the Fleet Show Jumping Division featuring
the $50,000 Rolex/USET Show Jumping Championship. A who’s
who of the sport is expected to participate, including Olympic
veterans and national champions.
The
top junior and amateur-owner show jumpers in the country will
vie for top honors in the USET Junior and Amateur-Owner Show Jumping
Talent Derbies, both presented by BET on Jazz. The USET Show Jumping
Talent Derbies are part of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper
Classic Series, that determines which junior and amateur-owner
riders will qualify to ride at the 2002 National Horse Show.
The
most demanding event of the Festival is the 75-Mile USET Endurance
Championship and Ambassadors Series Ride, sanctioned by the American
Endurance Ride Conference, which takes place in and around the
USET grounds. The finest horses and riders from the U.S. and Canada
will be on hand. In addition to competing for the USET Championship,
riders will be riding for points in the FEI Ambassadors Endurance
Series, which offers a $1,000,000 bonus.
The
Festival is also pleased to present the National Disability Sports
Alliance (NDSA) Championship for Riders with Disabilities, presented
by the National Horse Sports Foundation, for the second year.
Competition begins on Thursday, June 20, with the preliminary
warm-up, followed by the Individual Championship to take place
on Saturday, June 22. The most popular event of the division,
the Musical Freestyle, will be performed on Sunday, June 23.
On the weekend, a popular place for the young and the young at
heart will be the Pedigree Children’s Corral, presented by
the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Along with the fun children
can have getting their faces painted, they can enjoy the Petting
Farm where they can see a variety of animals up close and personal.
They can learn about those animals and others, including horses,
through educational activities presented by members of the State
4-H National Team.
In
addition to the exciting competition, there will be on-site equestrian-related
demonstrations and exhibitions, a wide range of gourmet dining
options and an outstanding Country Fair with top-quality products
for the home and stable from more than 70 vendors.
Admission
is $10.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 6 – 12 years of
age, and free for children under 6. Parking is $5.00.
The
Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, presented by State Line Tack
is the number one choice for a weekend of family fun. It is four
days of impressive equestrian competition, exciting activities
and entertainment, and a beautiful country atmosphere. To learn
more about this spectacular event please call the Festival Hotline
at (908) 234-0555 or visit the USET on line at www.uset.org
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
.
