USET Foundation Honors Gold Medal Club Members at Budweiser World Cup

Gladstone, NJ- April 27, 2005 - On Saturday, April 23, at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV, the USET Foundation honored its Gold Medal Club Members with a special brunch and ceremony. When guests arrived, they were greeted with posters of many top USET riders, including Beezie Madden, Chris Kappler, David O’Connor and Robert Dover. The brunch was hosted by Parry and Peggy Thomas.

Guests dined on the fabulous fare at tables decorated with USET flags and mingled with other riders, owners and equestrian supporters. Some of the guests included: Jane Clark, Robin and Jerry Parsky, Allan and Jill Shore, Fran Steinwedell, Carlene Blunt, Lauren Hough, Brianne Goutal and family, Dick and Jane Brown, Debbie and Bob McDonald, Bert and Diana Firestone, Jane Thomas, Marilyn Adams, Marcia Williams, Louise Otten, Walter Straus, Mason Phelps, Ron Neal, Klaus Balkenhol, Karin Offield, Mike Zucchini, Patrick Guerrand-Hermes, Dr. and Mrs. Craig Ferrell and Chris and Jenny Kappler.

Armand Leone Jr., president of the USET Foundation, made a speech that honored the members of the Gold Medal Club. “The United States Equestrian Team Foundation would like to pay tribute to members of the Gold Medal Club, our most loyal and generous supporters. These members have been a vital and essential source of support and we offer them our heartfelt thanks,” he said.

Leone went on to add, “We especially honor those who in the year 2004, celebrated ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five year anniversaries as Gold Medal Club members. We extend to them our deepest gratitude for their steadfast loyalty and exceptional generosity.”

Among those specially honored at the brunch were ten year members, Dr. and Mrs. Craig Ferrell; 15 year members, Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Brown; and 25 year members Jane Forbes Clark and Walter Straus.

USET Foundation executive director Bonnie Jenkins also made a small speech. She vowed to “take it personally to implement programs” that would help riders in the high performance programs and make the United States Equestrian Team the best in the world.

About the United States Equestrian Team Foundation

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (www.uset.org) is the non-profit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite an developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.

Photo Credit: USET Foundation executive director Bonnie Jenkins and Gold Medal Club Brunch host Parry Thomas. Photo by Kenneth Braddick.