This is the final opportunity the 15 short listed horse and rider combinations eligible to be selected for the 2004 Olympic team will have to impress the Selectors. Only five horse and rider combinations will be selected to compete in Athens. During the Final Mandatory Outing competitors receive training through a scored combined test from the Selection Committee. In this phase the overall quality of the performance is more important than the actual score. For example, if a horse has performed well throughout the tests but knocks down a rail in the show jumping phase that will obviously affect the score; however, the Selectors may choose that horse and rider combination because of its strong overall performance.

WHO:	The 15 short listed horse and rider combinations eligible for the 2004 Olympic Eventing Team
WHAT:	The Final Mandatory Short List Outing
WHEN:	July 13th, 2004. Dressage begins at 10:00 am. Cross Country at 3:00 pm. Stadium Jumping at 9:00 pm.
WHERE:	The Horse Park of New Jersey, Allentown, N.J. For directions, go to www.horseparkofnewjersey.com
WHY:	The final determination of the five horse and rider combinations that will be on the 2004 Olympic Eventing Team in Athens. The final five will be announced on July 16th. Five alternates will also be selected and will travel to England to train with the team prior to the Olympic Games.

ENDS

For more information, please contact Maria Partlow, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications on (859) 225-6941 or via email at [email protected]. USEF press releases are available on our web site – www.usef.org.