Contact:
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.
4047 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8483
Tel: (859) 258-2472
Fax (859) 231-6662
Web site: www.usef.org
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2007

Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation announced a change to the horse-and-rider combinations it will be sending to Hong Kong for the test event at the Sha Tin race course in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. The test event will be held at the CCI** level August 11-13, 2007.

Buck Davidson, 30, from Ocala, FL, will ride Cassandra Segal's 7-year-old Irish Thoroughbred Ballynoe Castle RM. This combination was second at the Jersey Fresh CCI** in June and were the winners of the Red Hills CIC** in March.

Four-star rider, Laine Ashker, 23, of Crozier, VA will replace Kim Severson, who withdrew her horse, Tsunami, for a minor veterinary reason.

Ashker will ride Anthony Patch, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. Anthony Patch has been consistent at the Intermediate level over the past two seasons, including winning the Open Intermediate at the Ocala Horse Trials this spring.

Running a test event before an Olympic Games has become common, especially in places that are unaccustomed to running a CCI. The venue for the Olympics is being built at the Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong and multiple countries from around the world have been invited to send horses.

ENDS

Joanie Morris

For more information please contact Joanie Morris, Communications Manager, High Performance at jmorris@usef.org.

As the National Governing Body (NGB) of Equestrian Sport, the United States Equestrian Federation(r), Inc. (USEF) is the regulatory body for 28 breeds and disciplines, including our country's international teams competing in the disciplines of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, para-equestrian, reining, show jumping and vaulting. With over 87,000 members, it is the country's largest multi-breed organization and annually license more than 2,800 competitions nationwide. The USEF governs all aspects of competition, including education and licensing of all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate shows.

Vision Statement: The vision of United States Equestrian Federation(r) is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its horses, and embracing this vision, to be the best national equestrian federation in the world.