Gladstone, New Jersey—January 31, 2002—Robbie Boyce of Gainesville, TX was named the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Athlete of the Month for January following his victory in the Intervet Qualifier for the USET Reining Championship at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO on January 23.

Boyce earned the highest score of 147 with Smart Shiner, owned by Carol Rose, beating a field of veteran USET reiners which included Guy Vernon, winner of the first selection trial in 1999 for the premiere $100,000 USET Reining Championship, presented by Bayer. Others in the field included Clint Haverty and Pete Kyle, both of whom represented the U.S. in international Nations’ Cup competition in 2001.

In addition to qualifying for the Intervet/USET Semi Finals to be held during the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby in Oklahoma City, OK in May, Boyce is also a candidate in the World Equestrian Games (WEG) team selection process.

“Smart Shiner performed well at the show and I was impressed by the exceptional level of reining,” commented Boyce following his win.

Last year Boyce was the NRHA Derby Intermediate Open Champion on Smart Shiner.

The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent our country in major international competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers and horses - and provides the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.