Lexington, KY - The United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce that the following riders have been invited and have elected to compete at the World Endurance Championship Test Event in Malaysia, November 9-11, 2007. Unlike the Championships (scheduled for November 2008) where the Federation sends a team based on a selection procedure that is recommended by the High-Performance Discipline Committee and approved by the Federation, riders attending the Test Event were invited by the Organizing Committee. The test event serves the purpose of proving that the course and the infrastructure and organization of the Organizing Committee are up to the standards of a World Endurance Championships.

The riders who were invited and have accepted are:

Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Breed/Sex/Owner
—Kathy Brunjes/54/Bethel, ME/Theatric/9/Arabian/G/Kathy Brunjes
—John Crandell III/45/Star Tannery, VA/Heraldic/9/Arabian/G/John Crandell, Jr.
—Heather Reynolds/29/Los Gatos, CA/C P Magestic/12/ Arabian/G/Heather Reynolds
—Meg Sleeper DVM/38/Frenchtown, NJ/H H Saba Shams/8/Arabian/G/Ann Crandell

The U.S. contingent of horses and riders shipped over to Malaysia to acclimate for the test event on October 15.

“We have experienced, talented riders there,” said Vonita Bowers, Director of Endurance.

U.S. team veteran Kathy Brunjes and Theatric are currently second on the ranking list behind John Crandell. Crandell and Heraldic, picked up first-place finishes at the Goethe 100, the Old Dominion 100, the Tevis and the AERC 100-mile Championship in 2006, and at Fort Howes and the AERC 100-mile Championship in 2007. In second place and tied with Brunjes on the ranking list is Meg Sleeper. Sleeper was a member of the U.S. squad at the 2006 fEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen. Saba Shams won the Old Dominion 100 this year, and finished second at the Tevis Cup in 2007. This will be Sleeper's first competition with Saba Shams. The fourth U.S. rider is Heather Reynolds. She is a past Tevis Cup Winner, and she has finished first at the Pan American Championship, as well as the IAHA Championship. She is currently seventh on the ranking list and will be riding C P Magestic. Magestic has several wins in 50- and 100-mile competitions.

The USEF will send the following support staff: Dr. Todd C. Holbrook of Tulsa, OK, as team veterinarian, and Vonita Bowers, USEF Director of Endurance as acting chef d’ equipe. Both Holbrook and Bowers have served in their respective capacities at regional championships in the past.

ENDS

For further information, contact Vonita Bowers, Endurance Director, at (859) 825-6001 or by e-mail at [email protected]