Gladstone, NJ-January 2, 2003-Two-time Olympic Medalist Leslie Howard of Westport, CT, was named United States Equestrian Team (USET) Athlete of the Month for December after she finished in third place in the Show Jumping Top Ten Final at CSI-W Geneva, Switzerland, December 12 - 15.

Howard and Priobert de Kalvarie were among a group of six to go clear in the first round of the competition and nearly pulled off a victory but a rail down at the last fence during the second round left them in third place. Howard was the only female and the only American invited to compete in the Top Ten Final that is open to the top 10 riders of the FEI/Gandini World Jumping Rankings.

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.