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
December 21, 2006

Lexington, KY - New York's Brianne Goutal and Tennessee's William Harris have been named Junior Equestrians of the Year by the United States Equestrian Federation(r) and will be honored during the Federation's annual gala - The Pegasus Awards - on January 12, 2007, in Louisville, KY. It is the first time in over a decade that two youths have been named co-recipients of one of the Federation's highest honors - the Ruth O'Keefe Meredith Trophy, established in 1985 to honor a junior equestrian who has made outstanding contributions to equestrian competition while exemplifying exceptional talent, sportsmanship and dedication.

After reviewing the many candidates nominated for the Federation's highest youth honor, the Awards Committee found itself with two young equestrians who stood out and exceeded the demanding qualification criteria.

Goutal, 18, of New York City, has generated incredible buzz over the past year and rewritten the junior hunter/jumper history books with her incredible sweep of every major youth championship in the hunter/jumper world to date. In 2004, she won the USEF Talent Search Finals, the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Equitation Finals and was on the North American Young Rider Championships (NAYRC) Gold medal show jumping team. The following year, she won the USEF Medal Finals, the ASPCA Maclay Finals, and the Individual Gold medal at the NAYRC, where she was once again a member of the Gold medal team. For all her achievements, she was honored by the USET Foundation with the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Award, recognizing her as a young rider who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship and horsemanship.

Harris, 18, of Arrington, TN, has also created a name for himself, one that has stretched past his long dedication and participation in the world of Saddlebreds. In 2005, Harris and his mare, She's Bedazzled ADW, were crowned World's Champion in the highly competitive Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited Riders 16-17 division. The pair refused to rest on their laurels, and in 2006, they captured the Reserve World's Champion title for their division and placed third in the Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited 14-17 Championship. This added to three Reserve World's Champion titles he has received since 2001. The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) honored Harris, who also serves on several AHSA committees, with the Frank Ogletree Youth Award as an outstanding role model for his peers.

To qualify for the Junior Equestrian of the Year award, a junior equestrian must have competed at USEF-recognized shows over the past year and extol all the virtues of good sportsmanship and integrity while serving as someone who has not only excelled exceptionally, but shown a willingness and record of giving back to their sport.

For more information or for tickets to the 2007 USEF Annual Meeting and Pegasus Awards at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY, visit www.usef.org and click on the 2007 Annual Meeting icon near the top of the homepage. Tickets to the Pegasus Awards are limited.

END

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.