The first speaker at the first Congress of the newly formed International Event Organizers Association held in Amsterdam, December 4 and 5th, was an appropriate one. Six time Olympian, and the first American to win an individual gold medal in the equestrian sport of show-jumping William C. Steinkraus, presented an eloquent and enlightening speech outlining the evolution of the sport, and the influence of the horse in our world over the past century. The Honorary Bureau Member and former Executive Board Member of the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) author of several books on equestrian matters, television commentator and all round ‘renaissance man’, Steinkraus began the two day session of the IEOA Congress that attracted many of the top Horse Show organizers, FEI officials, press, and riders. Priorities for the New Millenium by William C. Steinkraus William C. Steinkraus – A Short Biography