Horses - USET CANCELS PLANS TO SEND TEAM TO SAMSUNG NATIONS' CUP FINAL - September 2001 - equiworld.net

USET CANCELS PLANS TO SEND TEAM TO SAMSUNG NATIONS' CUP FINAL

Gladstone, New Jersey - September 14, 2001- The United States Equestrian Team (USET) has announced that it has canceled plans to send a show jumping team to compete at the Samsung Nations' Cup Final scheduled for September 20-23 in Madrid, Spain.

"The safety of our horses and riders is always of utmost concern," said USET Vice Chairman Armand Leone, Jr. "There is an equally important reason not to send our athletes to participate in a competition at this time. Just as Major League Baseball, the National Football League and so many other sports organizations have canceled their games and competitions in the wake of this week's terrorist attacks, so too is the USET doing this out of respect for the victims of those attacks and the loved ones they've left behind."

Leone also cited a memo from the U.S. Olympic Committee that expresses concern about athlete travel. "While under normal circumstances this would be an important competition for us, the fact of the matter is, that given what's happened this week, competing in the Samsung Nations' Cup Final is simply not the right thing to do. The USET believes that showing proper respect, as well as protecting our athletes, are the overriding concerns."

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