Posted, Sunday, June 25, 2006

2006 Adequan®/USEF® Open Reining Championship Decides Team for FEI World Equestrian Games - Aachen
by Jeannie Blancq Putney, for USEF photos by phelpsphotos®.com

Americans Sending Powerful New Reining Team sponsored by Adequan® to Defend World Championship Gold in Aachen

Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY – The US Reining Team won the innagural FEI event in Reining at the 2002 World Equestrian Games , Jerez, an experience for Chef d’Equipe Jeff Petska which will be forever imbedded in his mind. "To hear the national anthemn, on the Gold Medal podium was an incredible experience." When asked what he thought about his potential new U.S. Reining Team for the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games sponsored by Adequan®, Chef d’Equipe Jeff Petska “I’m excited, I knew looking at that list, no matter how it came down, we were going to have a fantastic team. The first horse tonight came in and marked a big score and you never know what is going to happen from there.

Everybody continually stepped up, and these guys had some great runs. As a chef, you watch the horses show and you’re only focus is that the soundest horses and the horses that look like they’re the best prepared make the team, and I think we’ve got an excellent group here. I feel real good about our chances, and I’m proud of these guys. They’ve done a great job and I’m looking forward to having a lot of fun with them.”

It was a night of upsets at the Kentucky Horse Park during the 2006 Adequan®/United States Equestrian Federation® Open Reining Championship, which was also the selection trial for the U.S Reining Team for this summer’s World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Twenty-seven of the finest reiners our nation has to offer competed in what many believed was one of the most competitive reining competitions ever held. The top four finishers will comprise the United States Reining Team sponsored by Adequan® pending the approval of the USEF Executive Committee.

Meet the Team....