USA Equestrian, the National Equestrian Federation of the United States, today announced a re-structuring of its annual awards program for the year's top equestrians, and the commencement of voting for the overall title of Equestrian of the Year.

The Federation's Executive Committee voted for the re-structuring at its meeting on Friday, December 21, to reflect more thoroughly the breadth of equestrian sport across all breeds and disciplines. Henceforth, several divisional USA Equestrians of Honor will be awarded each year, for new trophies, prior to voting which selects the overall Equestrian of the Year. Last year's winner of the title was David O'Connor, Olympic Gold Medallist at the Sydney Games in Eventing.

Equestrians in the three Olympic disciplines compete for the new William C. Steinkraus Trophy, named for the USA's first Olympic gold medallist (1968) and 1993 Lifetime Achievement Award winner. The Executive Committee voted this year's winner to be Todd Minikus, from the Jumping discipline, based largely on his stellar performances throughout the year on the stallion Oh Star.

Competitors in the international non-Olympic disciplines compete for the Becky Grand Hart Trophy, named for the USA's first World Champion in that category. This year's winner is Bryant Pace, from Reining.

In the non-FEI breeds and disciplines, at least four annual trophies will be awarded beginning this year. For equestrians competing with horses or ponies across all the breeds in harness or for driving performance in non-international competitions, the Bill Robinson Trophy (named for the late horseman who dominated pony divisions in harness for decades), is awarded to Darrel Kolkman.

The Emerson Burr Trophy, named for the late 1998 Lifetime Achievement Trophy winner from the Fairfield Hunt Club, is for outstanding annual achievement in Hunter divisions in any breed, over fences. The winner is Daniel Robertshaw.

The C.J. "June" Cronan, Jr. Trophy, named for the nation's patriarch of showing all types of horses under saddle, is to be awarded in the under saddle show breeds. For 2001, the winner is Dena Lopez, twice consecutive winner of the Five Gaited World's Grand Championship (with CH Wild Eyed and Wicked) at the Kentucky State Fair, as well as this year's "Triple Crown" in that division: Lexington, Louisville, and Kansas City.

The Barbara Worth Oakford Trophy, named for the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, who competed at the top of all Western disciplines for decades, is for outstanding annual achievement in non-reining Western competition, regardless of breed. This year's winner is Bill Porcher, from the Arabian breed.

The Executive Committee determined that a new annual award be added for 2002, dedicated to outstanding achievement for equestrians showing any breed of horse in hand.

The USA Equestrians of Honor for 2001, Minikus, Pace, Kolkman, Robertshaw, Lopez, and Porcher are now finalists in the voting for Equestrian of the Year, to be announced and awarded on Friday night, January 11, 2002, in Charlotte, NC, at the Pegasus Awards Dinner. For information on attending the dinner, contact Deborah Martin, USA Equestrian Travel and Events Manager.