Annual USA Equestrians of Honor Announced; Equestrian of Year Voting Begins

USA Equestrian, the National Equestrian Federation of the United States,
today announced a re-structuring of its annual awards program for the year's
top equestrians, and the commencement of voting for the overall title of
Equestrian of the Year.

The Federation's Executive Committee voted for the re-structuring at its
meeting on Friday, December 21, to reflect more thoroughly the breadth of
equestrian sport across all breeds and disciplines. Henceforth, several
divisional USA Equestrians of Honor will be awarded each year, for new
trophies, prior to voting which selects the overall Equestrian of the Year.
Last year's winner of the title was David O'Connor, Olympic Gold Medallist
at the Sydney Games in Eventing.

Equestrians in the three Olympic disciplines compete for the new William C.
Steinkraus Trophy, named for the USA's first Olympic gold medallist (1968)
and 1993 Lifetime Achievement Award winner. The Executive Committee voted
this year's winner to be Todd Minikus, from the Jumping discipline, based
largely on his stellar performances throughout the year on the stallion Oh
Star.

Competitors in the international non-Olympic disciplines compete for the
Becky Grand Hart Trophy, named for the USA's first World Champion in that
category. This year's winner is Bryant Pace, from Reining.

In the non-FEI breeds and disciplines, at least four annual trophies will be
awarded beginning this year. For equestrians competing with horses or
ponies across all the breeds in harness or for driving performance in
non-international competitions, the Bill Robinson Trophy (named for the late
horseman who dominated pony divisions in harness for decades), is awarded to
Darrel Kolkman.

The Emerson Burr Trophy, named for the late 1998 Lifetime Achievement Trophy
winner from the Fairfield Hunt Club, is for outstanding annual achievement
in Hunter divisions in any breed, over fences. The winner is Daniel
Robertshaw.

The C.J. "June" Cronan, Jr. Trophy, named for the nation's patriarch of
showing all types of horses under saddle, is to be awarded in the under
saddle show breeds. For 2001, the winner is Dena Lopez, twice consecutive
winner of the Five Gaited World's Grand Championship (with CH Wild Eyed and
Wicked) at the Kentucky State Fair, as well as this year's "Triple Crown" in
that division: Lexington, Louisville, and Kansas City.

The Barbara Worth Oakford Trophy, named for the winner of the Lifetime
Achievement Award in 1996, who competed at the top of all Western
disciplines for decades, is for outstanding annual achievement in
non-reining Western competition, regardless of breed. This year's winner is
Bill Porcher, from the Arabian breed.

The Executive Committee determined that a new annual award be added for
2002, dedicated to outstanding achievement for equestrians showing any breed
of horse in hand.

The USA Equestrians of Honor for 2001, Minikus, Pace, Kolkman, Robertshaw,
Lopez, and Porcher are now finalists in the voting for Equestrian of the
Year, to be announced and awarded on Friday night, January 11, 2002, in
Charlotte, NC, at the Pegasus Awards Dinner. For information on attending
the dinner, contact Deborah Martin, USA Equestrian Travel and Events
Manager.

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 77,000 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.