USET PAC News Release

["Steph Teeter" <steph@endurance.net>]

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Contact: Marty Bauman, (508) 698-6810, uset.pr@verizon.net
> Joanna Smith, (908) 234-1251, jsmith@uset.org
>
>
> HEATHER BERGANTZ WINS GOLD AT PAN AMERICAN ENDURANCE CHAMPIOHSHIP
>
> Gladstone, NJ -August 26, 2001- Three riders representing the United
States
> won the individual medals at the 100-mile Pan American Endurance
> Championship on August 25, 2001 in South Woodstock, Vermont.  Heather
> Bergantz, of San Jose, California won the individual Gold aboard Skip
> Lightfoot's Crystals Charm by a twenty-one minute margin in a ride time of
> 10 hours 39 minutes and 42 seconds.  The Silver medal went to United
States
> Equestrian Team (USET) veteran Melissa Crain of Franklin, TN riding her
> 15-year-old Arab Charbiel in a ride time of 11:00:50.  Rita Swift of
> Worthington, WV riding Just Cass took the Bronze in a ride time of
11:48:13.
> The story of Bergantz and Crystals Charm reads like a fairy tale.  The
> 9-year-old Arab gelding also known as "Big Red" was rescued from the
> slaughterhouse and purchased by Lightfoot for $600 over three years ago.
> After realizing Red's potential, Lightfoot called on Bergantz to take over
> training.  Since then the pair has been making a name for themselves on
the
> Endurance circuit winning the Haggin Cup in 1999 and now the Pan Ams.
> Bergantz feels they have much more to do.
> "Red has really come into his own this year", said Bergantz.  "As long as
he
> is sound next year he is going to the World Championships.  Next year he
> will be really tough, he's not at the top of his game yet."
> With United States riders dominating the Championship, the team
competition
> was fierce among the five squads represented.  The Gold medal went to the
> USA East squad of Brenda Baird, Stagg Newman, Dina Rojek and Meg Sleeper.
> The USA Central team with Shelley Bridges, Roberta Harms, Tracy
Webb-Hoskins
> and Janice Worthington took the Silver and Pacific North came in third for
> the Bronze with Marie Mallon, Dennis Summers, Karen Vilander and Jazon
> Wonders.
> The Green Mountain Horse Center played host to nine nations with 88
> competitors. The international competition had representatives from
> Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, Romania and
> Venezuela in addition to the United States.
> The USET paid the entry fees and provided funding for uniforms for all
U.S.
> riders in the Championship.
> 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.
>