Lexington, Ky. - The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) agrees that the cancellation of endurance competition at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) Tryon 2018, while extremely disappointing, was necessary.  Officials from the FEI, the President of the Ground Jury, the President of the Veterinary Commission, the Technical Delegate, and the Organizing Committee made the decision to cancel the endurance competition to protect the horses and athletes facing dangerous, unseasonal levels of heat and humidity combined with a deteriorating track following heavy rainstorms during the day. “Protecting horse and human welfare remain USEF’s paramount concern, and the Federation, of course, will support decisions at WEG consistent with that. Weather conditions are being carefully monitored as Hurricane Florence approaches the North Carolina coast, and the USEF has been assured that the organizer has solid preparations in place to deal with any further weather-related safety issues if they were to occur,” said Murray Kessler, President of USEF.

Will Connell, USEF director of sport, commented, “We are very proud of our horses, our team, and their crews. They persevered through difficult circumstances and poor conditions. The U.S. Endurance Team kept the welfare of their horses at the forefront and worked together.”