Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the USEF Youth Council are excited to announce that registration is now open for the first annual Youth Convention which will be held January 12, 2008. The convention will unite young equestrians from around the country and the focus will be on growing equine interest and participation in equestrian sports.

Held during the USEF Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY, the Youth Convention will feature many notable speakers involved in the industry, representatives from various college and university equestrian programs, as well as spokespersons from equine-related careers. This one-day convention will unite youth from around the country and help to grow equine interest and participation.

Plans for the convention are already underway and recently Jane Savoie has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for the convention. Savoie has an impressive list of accomplishments—she is a former member of the United States Equestrian Team and she has won nine Horse of the Year awards and three National Freestyle Championships. Savoie, who is an accomplished equestrian, coach, author and speaker, will focus her discussion on competing, the fear factor and how to overcome it.

In addition to the keynote address, there will be a number of star power forums held by such notable individuals such as Karen O’Connor, Olympic Medalist; George Williams, Vice President of United States Dressage Federation and Co-Vice Chair of the USEF Dressage Committee; Joel Kiesner, a distinguished Arabian horse trainer, artist/sculptor and winner of the 2006 Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman’s Association Horseman of the Year honors; Misdee Wrigley, President of the World Coaching Club and breeder of World Champion American Saddlebreds and rare Hackney horses; and Valerie Kanavy, winner of countless endurance awards and recent inductee into the American Endurance Ride Conference Hall of Fame, are among those that will be featured in different star-power forums.

The 2008 Youth Convention will provide an educational experience that no youth equestrian or enthusiast should miss. The convention will focus on the countless opportunities available to young people and give them the chance to meet other horse lovers outside of their respective disciplines and breeds. Registration for the one-day event will include admittance to the keynote address, choice of which panels to attend, a question and answer session with high profile equestrian athletes, as well as opportunities to gain insight from various career spokespersons and college equestrian program representatives. Also included in the event will be a light breakfast, lunch and a closing dinner and dance. The convention is limited to the first 100 applicants so it is recommended that those interested apply as soon as possible.

To register, visit the USEF website at www.usef.org and click on the Youth Council logo which will take you to the 2008 Youth Convention Registration Form. Registration forms can either be emailed or mailed to the USEF.

For further information on the USEF Youth Council, contact Joyce Hamblin, Director of National Affiliates, via e-mail at [email protected] or call (859) 225-6939.