The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce that Miranda (Randy) Cadwell has been awarded the Whitney Stone Cup, which is awarded annually to an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition and high standards of sportsmanlike conduct while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport.

The Whitney Stone Cup is given by the USET Foundation Executive Committee in honor of the late Whitney Stone, who served as president and chairman of the board of the USET. Whitney Stone led the USET from 1953 to 1973. He was instrumental in the creation of a civilian team when the Army retired from competitive horse sports after 1948.

Cadwell, who resides in North Carolina, competes in combined driving and won the Gold medal at the World Pony Pairs Driving Championship in Dorthealyst, Denmark, in July with her ponies Toby, Topaz and Rambo. Combined driving is similar to three-day eventing, where competitors participate in three separate phases. She also led the U.S. pony drivers to their first Team medal, a Bronze medal.

"It's a great honor to get (the Whitney Stone Cup)," she explained. "I don't know how many other drivers have won it, so I think it's pretty good that it's not being given to one of the more popular disciplines. They are considering every one that has been out of the country." She added that being considered among the great equestrians who have been given the award in previous years is "pretty unbelievable."

When competing at the World Championships, Cadwell said that while she expected to do well, she didn't anticipate taking the Gold. "Competing at Worlds was a lot of fun. We had a very good time. I thought I could expect to get a medal, but I never expected to get the Gold medal, no!"

The road leading to the championships was full of victories, as Cadwell won every national and international show in which she competed: Black Prong, Sunshine State CAI, Live Oak CAI, Sandringham UK and Saumur CAI France.

She noted that she has future plans to continue competing under the U.S. flag, which include attending the next pony world championships with either a single pony or again with a pair. In being awarded the Cup, Cadwell said she hopes that it will bring more awareness and recognition to the driving discipline.

In addition to competing, Cadwell spends much of her time coaching, teaching and promoting the sport. She has coached the USA Disabled Drivers team since 1998 and will continue to do so with the 2008 team. Cadwell is also a sought-after clinician and works with many junior drivers in the U.S. and around the world.

Her participation carries over into carriage and harness making, where she acts as a consultant to U.S. and international suppliers on the design, fabrication and implementation of many structural, safety and performance adaptations to assist in the special requirements of disabled carriage drivers for both pleasure and competition purposes.

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing international high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, please visit www.uset.org.