Aiken, SC - December 17, 2010 - The Salute to Driving fundraising event that is being held in Aiken, and Windsor, SC, February 19-21, 2011, will benefit this country's High Performance Driving programs. The exciting weekend event will feature a beautiful dinner and auction on Saturday evening, multiple driving clinics with some of the world's top trainers throughout the weekend, and a Combined Test Competition for all on Monday. In addition to supporting the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation, the Salute to Driving event is being held to help raise awareness and educate different audiences about the discipline of driving.

The fundraising dinner and auction for the Salute to Driving will be held on February 19, at Wendy O'Brien's Trout Walk Farm in Aiken. The affair will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with a beautifully catered dinner and full bar. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on fabulous items during the live auction. Some highlighted items include Brunch at the Green Boundary Club, two lessons with top driver Michael Freund at Sunshine State, Little Everglades or Live Oak, a dinner for eight presented by Jack Wetzel at his new log cabin, a week long vacation in a large Victorian Home on the beach in Cape May, NJ, and a Print "Patriots Barn" by Jamie Wyeth, signed and remarked by the artist. Throughout the night there will also be over 20 raffle items available including a photo shoot and dancing lessons.

Over the course of the weekend, other activities include driving clinics in Windsor, SC, held at three adjoining properties: Courage To Lead Farm owned by Beverley Lesher, Chateau Log Farm owned by Lisa Singer, and Suzy Stafford's new equestrian property. World-renowned trainer Michael Freund of Germany will lead the advanced level clinics, while talented trainer Larry Poulin will teach the lower level clinics.

On February 21, the Salute to Driving weekend will wrap-up with a thrilling Combined Test Competition open to all. Drivers will have the opportunity to compete in different divisions based on their skill level, complete with an awards ceremony. Throughout the day, there will be numerous demonstrations and displays such as displays of antique carriage and championship videos to help educate spectators on the ins-and-outs of Combined Driving. During lunch, there will be a wonderful Pas de Deux dressage demonstration featuring Phillip Dutton (under saddle) and Shelly Temple driving her National Champion pony. Several other activities to help guests better understand combined driving will be on going throughout the day.

The Salute to Driving has been spearheaded by Lisa Singer, Wendy O'Brien and Beverley Lesher, as well as many others involved with the driving community. "Our goal is to help educate and inform other disciplines and the general public about the sport of driving," commented Lesher. "The reason we are working hard to raise funds is because our particular sport is one of the smaller disciplines that holds World Championship competitions. It takes a lot more, even if you're driving a single, in terms of equipment and the cost to get to the event. Our goal is to continue to help fundraise so we are able to send our best and brightest competitors to the World Championship events. Sometimes people do not have the wherewithal to be able to handle the cost to ship a horse and all of the necessary equipment to Europe. We want to make sure, regardless of their financial position, that our discipline is sending the best representation for the United States."

The Salute to Driving weekend will be the can't miss event of 2011. With a beautiful dinner, expert clinics, and an exciting competition the Salute to Driving will surely be a weekend full of non-stop entertainment. For more information about the Salute to Driving event being held February 19-21, 2011 in Aiken, SC, please contact Beverley Lesher at 717-554-1241 or [email protected].

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (www.uset.org) is the non-profit organization that 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 call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.