Lexington, KY - Frank Chapot, the six-time Olympic show jumping rider who has been Chef d'Equipe of the Unites States Show Jumping Team since 1980, has decided to retire.

Under his leadership the team has won nine Olympic medals and nine Pan American Games medals, which includes the first-ever team gold medals at the 1984 Olympics and at the World Championships in 1986, as well as the silver team medal at the both the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea and the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. The team also won the 1997 FEI Nations' Cup World Series Championships. At the 2004 Olympic Games last month in Athens, Greece, Chapot led the US Team to a silver medal, and Chris Kappler to the individual bronze.

Chapot himself has won two Olympic silver medals and one bronze. He has competed on over 46 winning Nations' Cup teams and has also been a course designer, judge and timber race rider. In 2001 the USEF recognized him with their Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Frank has been invaluable in the development of our high performance show jumping program putting us on the board as an international power. While he will not be acting as chef d'equipe, we look forward to his continuing input for the betterment of our Show Jumping programs," said Dr. Armand Leone, Jr. USEF Vice President for High Performance.

The United States Equestrian Federation has appointed a Search Committee charged with developing a job description for the new Chef d'Equipe, conducting the search, and making a recommendation to be reviewed by the appropriate USEF committees. The Search Committee members are Eric Straus, Chairman, Norman Dello Joio, Anne Kursinski, George Morris, Karen O'Connor, Jessica Ransehousen, and Robert Ridland.

ENDS
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