Lexington, KY - The USEF High Performance Reining Committee has innovative plans for 2008. Chaired by Jerry Kimmel and boasting a prolific group of reining experts, the committee is focusing on fundraising and promotions of its programs. Looming on the radar screen are the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010 in Lexington, KY, which marks the first time the Games have been held outside of Europe. The U.S. Reining Team will be attempting to defend the Team Gold Medals won at the past two World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Jerez, Spain in 2002 and in Aachen, Germany in 2006.

“The USEF High Performance Reining Committee is busy raising money to support the USEF Reining Team. We have made some progress but still have quite a ways to go,” said Kimmel. “Our goal is to be sure we field a team at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games. We will need support from the reining community for this to happen. The team will be representing the United States and all of us as reiners to the rest of the world.”

2008 is a landmark year for the sport of Reining. Not only has it been included in the North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) this summer, but the first World Championships outside of a World Equestrian Games (WEG) will be held this fall in Italy.

“We will be competing in Maneribo, Italy in September of 2008 at the FEI World Reining Championships. The U.S. team will be represented by the four top competitors at the Adequan/USEF National Open Reining Championship presented by Equine Motorcoach in June at the NRHA Derby,” said Kimmel. “Our committee members are also working on the NAJYRC and we expect a large turnout in Colorado for the championship. We have been discussing a program for our developing riders to introduce new people to the FEI competition and familiarize them with the process of competing in those events.”

The Reining Committee is made up of a unique group of very experienced proponents of the sport. The committee members include riders (professional and non-pro), trainers, owners, both the President and the Senior Executive Director of the American Quarter Horse Association and a member of the World Equestrian Games Foundation.

The committee members and their credentials are listed below:

Sherry Adams, Owner and USET Board of Directors Member

Casey Hinton, Rider/Trainer

Bill Hughes, Arabian Horse Association Board Member and USEF Board of Directors Member

Becky Jordan, Non-pro rider, WEG Foundation Member

Jerry Kimmel (Chair), Owner

Pete Kyle, Rider/Trainer

Tom McCutcheon, Rider/Trainer

Colleen McQuay, Owner

Tim McQuay, Rider/Trainer

Frank Merrill, President of AQHA

Don Treadway, Senior Executive Director of Marketing and Membership, AQHA

ENDS

For more information, please contact Director of Reining Programs, Courtney Barnett at 859.225.6919 or [email protected].