The inaugural Sallie B. Wheeler/USA National Hunter Breeding Championship will be held August 31, 2002 in conjunction with the Warrenton Horse Show in Warrenton, Virginia. Classes will be offered for yearling colts and fillies, two-year-old colts and fillies, three-year-old colts and fillies and Best Young Horse. The winner will be awarded the Dave Kelley Perpetual Trophy and will be named USA National Hunter Breeding Champion. The Belcort Farm Perpetual Trophy will be presented to the leading handler of the day, and the J. Arthur Reynolds Perpetual Trophy will be presented to the breeder of the grand champion.

Any horse one year to three years of age in accordance with Article 108 of the 2002 USA Equestrian Rule Book, that is in good standing and recorded with the USA Equestrian, and whose owner is in good standing and recorded with USA Equestrian, may enter. A panel of three judges, Rick Abbott, Jack Towell, and Rodney Jenkins will adjudicate the classes in traditional breeding style.

Triple HOTY points will be awarded to the 1st through 4th place ribbon winners if there are 1-10 entries and 1st through 6th place ribbon winners if there are 11 or more entries in their respective classes.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this exciting new championship. If you are interested in sponsorship or in making a donation for this event please contact Scott Carling in the USA Equestrian office at 859-225-6928.

If you have any questions please contact Whitney Neidert at the USA Equestrian office at 859-225-6967.

For more information, please contact Sarah Holt, Public Relations on (859) 225 6974 or via email at sholt@equestrian.org. USA Equestrian press releases are available on our web site - http://www.equestrian.org/ .

USA Equestrian Inc., as the National Equestrian Federation of the U.S., is the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship sports of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, and vaulting, as well as 19 other breeds and disciplines of equestrian competition. As the country's largest multi-breed organization, the Federation has over 80,000 members and recognizes more than 2,800 competitions nationwide each year. It governs all aspects of competition, including educating and licensing all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate at these shows.

VISION STATEMENT
The vision of USA Equestrian is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America, promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grass roots 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.