FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 3, 2008


By Joanie Morris and Stacey Meier

Lexington, KY - Continuing the successful partnership that delivered a host of dressage championships last year for the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), Collecting Gaits Farm renew their commitment to dressage as the title sponsor of the 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions. To be held in San Juan Capistrano, CA on two separate weekends, June 20-22 and June 27-29, this year the Dressage Festival of Champions will also serve as the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Dressage.

“Collecting Gaits Farm’s dedication to the sport of dressage over the past years has helped to grow the sport overall,” said John Long, USEF’s Chief Executive Officer. “In addition, their commitment to specific competitions, like the Festival of Champions, has helped to raise the level of competition by helping to significantly to grow the event with both horses and riders.”

For the last several years, Collecting Gaits Farm has supported the prominent Dressage Festival of Champions. This year, the Festival of Champions is even more important as the road to the 2008 Olympic Games for the U.S. dressage horses runs through the Festival. As it does every year, the Festival of Champions will showcase the nation’s 12 best horse/rider combinations competing for National Championship titles in the Junior, Young Rider, Young Adult “Brentina Cup”, Intermediaire I, and Grand Prix divisions. It is the Grand Prix Championship which will also serve as the official USEF Selection Trials for Dressage.

"Once again, my husband and I are very honored to participate as title sponsor of the USEF/Collecting Gaits Farm Dressage Festival of Champions,” said Shereen Fuqua, co-owner of Collecting Gaits Farm. “Each year, the riders and horse combinations become more elite as our sport continues to gain more experience, both in quality of the horses and the quality of training, in preparation for our National Dressage Championships. This year is a very special year for two main reasons— 2008 is the year of the Olympic Games and there is a fantastic turn out of twelve Grand Prix combinations competing in the USEF Selection Trials for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Dressage. The second reason that it makes for a very special year is that for the first time in four years, the competition will be held in San Juan Capistrano, California, which will offer new opportunities since it is being held on the West Coast.”

Located in Alpharetta, GA, a suburb of Atlanta, GA, Collecting Gaits Farm is owned by Jeff and Shereen Fuqua. The Fuqua’s enjoy giving back to the sport in order to encourage the growth of dressage in the United States. Collecting Gaits Farm also supports the Markel/USEF Young Horse Dressage National Championships, which will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY September 12-14.

Qualifying for all five Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions divisions is underway. Complete selection procedures, ranking lists, applications, media credentials, and competition information is now available on a new link within the USEF website: http://www.usef.org/contentPage2.aspx?id=dressagefestival.

For tickets and venue information please visit: www.dressageontheroadtohongkong.com.

For more information about any of these championships or programs please contact Jennifer Keeler, USEF National Director of Dressage, at [email protected] or (859) 225-2024.