Gladstone, NJ-May 4, 2000-The United States Equestrian Team (USET) has announced the top twelve placing dressage riders who have qualified to compete at the Olympic Selection Trials May 13-14 and May 20-21 in Loxahatchee, Florida.

Starting in September, the USET held thirteen Grand Prix Dressage qualifying competitions throughout the US, one of which was canceled due to extreme weather in Arizona. Riders vying for a spot on the Olympic Team were required to compete in a minimum of two competitions, with an automatic drop of the lowest score if riders opted to compete in more than two qualifiers.

The top five finishers from the selection trials, May 13-14 & May 20-21, will go to Europe to compete in two selection trials between June 21 and July 23. Competitors' scores in those two trials will be used to determine which four horse-and-rider combinations will be named to the USET's Olympic dressage squad and which one will be named the alternate.

Selection trials were originally scheduled to take place at the USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. However, USET officials opted to change the venue of the selection trials due to evidence that the West Nile Virus (WNV) had survived the winter and concern about possible restrictions on travel to Europe for horses that have been in New Jersey. New Jersey is generally regarded as a state with strong mosquito control and there is no actual evidence that horses in New Jersey are at risk. Still, USET officials felt that the possibility that Europe (EU) may place restrictions on horses from the Tri-State area, jeopardizing travel for the Team's dressage horses which are scheduled to go to Europe immediately after the Selection Trials, necessitated the change in venue.

By holding the trials in Florida, where there would be no travel restrictions on the horses following the selection trials, the USET was able to adhere to its season-long plan for bringing horses to the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in the best form for winning medals.

The riders who have qualified are:

                  

Sue Blinks of Mount Kisco, New York,    

    Flim Flam, owned by Fritz Kundrun,  Dressage Sponsor Corp.     

69.5665 

                         

Guenter Seidel of Del Mar, CA           

    Foltaire, owned by Dick & Jane Brown    

68.9755 

    Metallic, owned by Judith Bernier       

65.674 



Robert Dover of Flemington, NJ      

    Everest, owned by Jane F. Clark         

68.8995 

    Ranier, owned by Jane F. Clark          

67.9935 



Kathleen Raine of Laguna Hills, CA      

    Fidelia, Kathleen Raine               

67.8535



Christine Traurig of Carlsbad, CA       

    Etienne, owned by Robert D. Haas      

67.23



Steffen Peters of Escondido, CA         

    Grandeur, owned by Lila Kommerstad    

66.973



Tina Konyot of Palm City, FL            

    Justice, owned by Tina Konyot & Kooyman 

66.0935



Shelly Francis of Woodstock, VT 

    Pikant, owned by Hank Smith         

65.915



Michael Barisone of Loxahatchee, FL         

    Safir, owned by Susan Thomas        

65.2205 

    Dotato, owned by Michael Barisone       

64.656



Cherri Reiber of Toronto, Ontario       

    G Tudor, owned by Cherri Reiber     

64.72666667



Tami Crawford of Columbia, TN       

    Dakota, owned by Tami Crawford      

63.4215



Patty Mayer of Culver City, CA      

   Exakt, owned by Patty Mayer         

62.3935

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