Sunny Demedy, from France, has had many successes in endurance. She began riding at the age of 6, and quickly turned to competition. Her ride record includes a French Team Gold medal at the WEG in 2002 on Fifi du Bagnas. Demedy trains endurance horses full-time. Her mount for the President’s Cup will be Galicia.

Katie Smith, Great Britian, was a member of the British Endurance Team at the WEG in 2002.

The youngest of the US contenders traveling to the United Arab Emirates to ride in the 2004 President’s Cup, Alexandra Luck from Las Cruces, NM, has packed a lot into her 16 years. Alyx has been riding since she was 2 years old, and competing in endurance rides since 1996 with over 7,950 AERC miles to her credit.

No stranger to top competition, Alyx won the 2002 Mount Adams FEI Pre-ride for the 2003 Pan American Endurance Championship. In 2003, riding the 1989 grey mare, Mommesin ( FA Staccato x Mama), she finished eighth at the PAC, contributing to the USA Mountain Zone Team Silver Medal. In October, 2003, Alyx riding Mommesin won the 2003 AERC National Championship 100-mile Ride. Mommesin, owned by Alyx in partnership with Bev Scott, will be her mount for the President’s Cup ride. This will be the second time that Alyx visits the UAE. In 1999 Alyx rode in the World’s Most Preferred Children’s Ride in Dubai, where she took 5th place.

Alyx is on the Reserve List for the 2004 World Endurance Championship, trying for a spot on the squad that will represent the United States. Alyx will graduate from High School this year, and plans to study to be a Veterinarian.

Heather Reynolds, from Morgan Hill, CA., has found a home in endurance riding. As a young rider, Reynolds learned from riding with many of the top riders, among them, 3 times World Champion, Becky Hart.

In 2001, Reynolds won the Vermont Pan American Championship riding Skip Lightfoot’s Crystals Charm (Red) in a ride time of 10:39. In 1999 Red finished 7th at the legendary California Tevis Cup Ride and also received the Haggin Cup Best Condition award, earning himself the name of "The Big Red Machine".

Reynolds upped the stakes on the two for one feat in 2003 riding the 1994 Chestnut gelding, Master Motion (Crystal N Motion x Autumn Splendor), who became the 5th horse in 50 years to win both the Tevis and the Haggin Cup in the same year.

Reynolds President’s Cup mount is Master Motion (Split), who is from the same breeding line as the competitive Red, (same dam), and is also owned by Skip Lightfoot. Reynolds works in a private school when she is not training horses.

Reynolds now has over 10,145 AERC recorded miles.

Valerie Kanavy, from Fort Valley, Virginia, has been competing in endurance since 1972, and now has over 14,285-recorded AERC miles. She is a solid International competitor, having medalled in three World Endurance Championships. In 1994 at The Hague, she won individual Gold Medal and BC on Pieraz; in 1996 in Kansas she earned an Individual Silver Medal on TK Fire N Gold’ and in 1998 she won the individual Gold Medal in Dubai on High Winds Jedi.

Kanavy competes in many off-continent competitions, and has been invited every year to ride in the President’s Cup in the UAE. She also gives endurance seminars on her Virginia farm where she raises many of her own endurance stock.

Kanavy’s mount for the President’s Cup is, In the Cards (ZT Ali Baba x Samanza). The 1995 gray gelding they call Ace, is a Samtyr grandson on his dam’s side. He is owned by Danielle Kanavy McGunigal and was bred by Dianne Waldron.