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
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2008

By Joanie Morris

Lexington, KY - For the second time in three years, 21-year-old Laura Noyes has topped the United States rankings for the FEI World Cup(tm) Dressage Final for Young Riders. Noyes and her mount Synchro averaged 72.584% in their two best efforts in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle Test in a CDI-Y during the qualifying period (January 1, 2008 -October 27, 2008), and have earned themselves an invitation to Frankfurt, Germany for the Final, to be held December 18-21. Thanks to the generosity of the event organizer and sponsor, horse transportation and rider accommodations are provided at no cost to the competitors.

In 2006, Noyes and Syncro were chosen to represent the U.S. at the inaugural FEI Young Rider World Cup(tm) in Germany. However, they suffered some bad luck as Syncro developed an untimely hoof abscess which resulted in the pair being forced to withdraw from the competition.

The pair bounced back in 2008 and consistently turned in good results all season to stay on top of the U.S. rankings. They were the Reserve National Champions in the Young Rider Division at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions in San Juan Capistrano, CA. A month later, they attended the CN FEI North American Young Rider Championships at the Colorado Horse Park presented by Gotham North where they were part of the Region 8 Silver medal-winning team and won the Individual Gold medal with a score of 74.75%.

Following this victory, the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) awarded Noyes the Fiona Bann "Pursuit of Excellence" Memorial Trophy for earning the highest combined average score for all three tests (Team, Individual, and Freestyle), and NAJYRC officials voted to award Noyes the "Dressage Style" award, presented to the rider who displayed style not only when mounted, but in his/her manners and overall demeanor throughout the competition.

Noyes is a 21-year-old junior at Ohio Wesleyan University, where she is majoring in Zoology. Originally from Falmouth, Maine, she now trains with George Williams in Delaware, Ohio. She and Synchro, a 14-year-old Trakehner gelding, have progressed from First Level together.

ENDS

For complete information please visit the Federation website: http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsDisciplines/discipline/allDressage/wc YoungRiders.aspx or contact Gil Merrick, Managing Director of Dressage, gmerrick@usef.org.

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation(r) is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America by 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 human and equine athletes.