The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation presented 16-year-old Brianne Goutal of New York, NY, the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy on Saturday, April 23, at the FEI Budweiser World Cup in Las Vegas, NV. The special award recognizes a Junior/Young Rider who exemplifies the USET Foundation’s ideals of sportsmanship and horsemanship.

In 1983, Patrick Guerrand-Hermes, of the Paris-based saddlery and fashion company, presented a trophy to the USET in memory of his son, Lionel, a talented young rider who was killed in an automobile accident in 1981 at the age of eighteen. The USET has honored talented young equestrians with this award each year since.

After the presentation, Goutal stated that she had “stage fright” in front of the tens of thousands of fans at the arena, but was honored to be included at the event. “So many great riders got this award before me, whether it was an eventer or dressage rider; I’m just really excited and honored,” she remarked.

Goutal is a student at the Professional Children’s School in Manhattan. Although she “never understood until this year that the award could be given to riders from all three disciplines--show jumping, dressage and eventing,” she was “very happy to be chosen out of so many deserving people.”

Goutal had never been to Las Vegas before, so the trip had extra benefits for her as a rider and spectator. “I think it’s really exciting to see all the European riders here. Nick Skelton is an amazing rider, and the Beerbaums,” she commented.

Goutal has a long list of accomplishments in 2004 in the hunter/jumper discipline aboard her Dutch Warmblood, Onira. Goutal finished first at the $10,000 Welcome Stake at the Hampton Classic Horse Show; was a member of the Prix de States Gold-medal-winning team at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show; was reserve champion in the Junior Jumpers at the Devon Horse Show; and took four first-place finishes en route to being named the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) Junior Jumper Circuit Champion.

She hopes to keep moving up in the jumpers and do bigger and more difficult classes. She would also love to participate in more team competitions. “It is such a good experience to ride for a team and represent your zone or state. There is so much more pressure, but I love competing in them, and I’ll do as many as I can.” Goutal earned more team experience when she was a member of the Gold-medal-winning team at the North American Young Riders Championships in 2004.

Her horsemanship accomplishments are equally impressive. She won the 2004 WEF Equitation Championship for the R.W. Mutch Trophy and was second in the prestigious class in 2005; was first in the USEF Hunter Seat Medal and ASPCA Maclay classes at the Devon Horse Show; won the USET Show Jumping Talent Search Finals-East; won the Washington International Equitation Classic Finals; and was second in the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals and North American Equitation Championships. Goutal commented on her achievements, “I don’t know if I can ever repeat the success that I’ve had in equitation, but it would be awesome if I could even come close.”

Although Goutal still has two more years to compete as a junior, she has long-term goals in her sights. “It’s so hard to say that I want to go to the Olympics, because so much could happen in the interim. But I think it’s definitely a goal of mine to ride internationally and to reach the Olympics.” After attending the World Cup, Goutal thinks she would also like to ride at the prestigious event. “I’m going to try!” she said with a smile.~~~