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Merriam
Wins USA National Combined Driving Singles Championship
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Driving
and Eventing Champions met in Elkton, MD, to compete at the Fair
Hill International CAI-B and CCI***, October 24-27. The CAI-B
included six driving divisions, with 11 U.S. drivers competing
in the Single Horse division for the USA National Combined Driving
Singles Championship. The Champion single horse driver was Fred
Merriam of Newfane, Vermont, driving Gaitwood Lightwing (Morgan:
TOFR Black Wing x Gaitwood Leflame) owned by Nick Mercede also
of Newfane. This combination recently returned from France after
winning an Individual Bronze medal at the World Singles Driving
Championship in Conty, France, held August 29 - September 1.
The
Reserve Champion in the USA National Combined Driving Singles
Championship was Nancy Johnson of Lincoln, Massachusetts with
her own Canequin's Look Out (Morgan: Equinox Locomotion x Roman
Elite). In the CCI***, David O'Connor of The Plains, Virginia,
and his Sydney Olympic Individual Gold medal partner, Custom Made
(Irish Sport Horse: Bassompierre xx - Purple Heather, by Ben Purple),
rode their way to a storybook ending. O'Connor had announced that
this event would be Custom Made's final competition, and they
finished this final event in style, winning over Australia's Phillip
Dutton, riding Dusky Moon (Australian Thoroughbred: Dusky Heir
x Moonlust).
USA
Equestrian Inc., as the National Equestrian Federation of the
U.S., is the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship
sports of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show
jumping, and vaulting, as well as 19 other breeds and disciplines
of equestrian competition. As
the country's largest multi-breed organization, the Federation
has over 80,000 members and recognizes more than 2,800 competitions
nationwide each year. It governs all aspects of competition, including
educating and licensing all judges, stewards, and technical delegates
who officiate at these shows.
VISION STATEMENT
The vision of USA Equestrian is to provide leadership for equestrian
sport in the United States of America, promoting the pursuit of
excellence from the grass roots to the Olympic Games, based on
a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its
horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best national equestrian
federation in the world.
www.equestrian.org
.
