USET Foundation Awards Markham Trophy to Young Rider Kelly Sult

PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Sult and Hollywood, winners of the Markham Trophy at the Fair Hill International CCI***. Photo (C) 2007 Shannon Brinkman.

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Elkton, MD - November 7, 2007 - The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that Kelly Sult and Hollywood were presented with the Markham Trophy at the Fair Hill International CCI***, which ran from October 18-21, 2007.

The prestigious Fair Hill Festival in Elkton, MD, hosted the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) CCI*** championship, which is one of two three-star competitions in the country. The Markham Trophy is awarded to the highest placed rider under the age of 21. Sult competed with her veteran partner Hollywood.

The pair began the weekend in 41st place after dressage with 62.4 points but leapt to tenth place in the standings after the cross country phase, thanks to a clear round with only 3.6 time penalties. Sult and Hollywood moved up to finish in eighth place on a final score of 66.0 with a fault-free show jumping round.

"It's a great honor to win the Markham Trophy," Sult said. "There were several other young riders there at Fair Hill that are very competitive, and I'm excited to get it. I've never had anything like that given to me."

She continued, "I didn't think I'd do as well as I did, but everything just played out in the end. It's a big jump, and it kind of makes you open your eyes and realize it's all for real. I was good enough to compete with some of the best riders in the U.S."

At age 21, Sult, of Erie, PA, has been riding since she was two. She competed this year the North American Young Riders Championships with Area VIII, but Fair Hill was her first three-star event. She has had her horse, Hollywood, for seven years and has brought him through the ranks herself.

"He is 15. I bought him when he was eight, and he was just standing in a stall. He never had really anything done with him, and when I bought him, it's just been me. I brought him up with the help of my dad. He's never ridden, but he helps me with him quite a bit. He just reads the books and helps me on the ground when I'm riding," she explained.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing international high performance horses and athletes in partnership with the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, please visit www.uset.org.

This photo may be used free of charge only in relation to this press release.

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