USOC Board Approves US Equestrian As
NGB For Equestrian Sport
Gladstone, New Jersey
and Lexington, Kentucky—October 21, 2003—Setting the stage for a new era for
equestrian sport, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors gave
final approval to a new National Governing Body (NGB) for the sport of
equestrian.
The new organization,
formed through the combination of USA
Equestrian and the United States Equestrian Team (USET), is formally called the United States Equestrian
Federation, Inc. and will be commonly referred to and marketed as U.S.
Equestrian. The final approval of the new NGB came at the USOC Board
meeting in Cleveland, OH on October 18 with the USOC Board of Directors
overwhelming in their support of the plans for U.S. Equestrian that will provide
the focus and management structure for sustained competitive excellence for our
athletes and sport. U.S. Equestrian officially commences business on
December 1.
“This is an exciting
time for our sport,” said U.S. Equestrian President David J. O’Connor, the 2000
Sydney Olympic champion. “U.S. Equestrian incorporates the strengths of
two respected organizations who led our sport so well in the 20th
century. Now, as we start a new millennium, we do so with unprecedented
unity and vision for the future that will enable our sport to grow and set new
standards for success. Never before in the history of our sport have we been so
well positioned to provide the services and promotion our membership deserves
and that will recognize and reward our extraordinary
athletes.”
John R. Long, formerly Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer of Churchill Downs, has been hired as U.S.
Equestrian’s first Chief Executive Officer. “Equestrian sports offer
something for everyone,” Long said. “Whether it’s the excitement of show
jumping, the grace and beauty of dressage or the thrills of cross country, there
is something that is sure to appeal to everyone. As we begin a new era for
our sport, I have no doubt that we will succeed in introducing equestrian sports
to new audiences and that our athletes will gain the recognition they
deserve.”
U.S. Equestrian is headquartered in
Lexington, KY. It operates its International High Performance Division
from the former USET headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, and its Drugs and
Medications Division from Columbus, OH, with a Drug Laboratory in Ithaca,
NY.
The first annual meeting of U.S.
Equestrian will be held January 14-18, 2004 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in
Los Angeles, California which will bring together for the first time the
members, committees, boards and sponsors of equestrian sport in celebration, and
to work in concert with one another to assure the future success of our
sport.
The vision of U.S. 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.
