Gladstone, NJ—August 7, 2002—The United States Equestrian Team (USET) is pleased to report that the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Board of Directors has voted overwhelmingly to adopt the Report and Recommendations of the Hearing Panel reviewing the status of USA Equestrian (USAE), formerly the AHSA, as the National Governing Body (NGB) for equestrian sport.

With 86 individual members of the USOC Board voting, 84 voted to adopt the Hearing Panel’s recommendations, one voted not to adopt and one voted to abstain.

In its report that was made public in June, the Hearing Panel determined that the USET has been, and is, primarily responsible for governing the international equestrian programs for the United States. The Hearing Panel ruled that USAE does not meet the criteria for recognition as the NGB having delegated many, if not most, of its responsibilities to the USET over the past half-century.

Shortly after receiving the Hearing Panel Report, the USET Board of Trustees voted to support the Hearing Panel’s recommendations, those now endorsed by the USOC Board of Directors, including the recommendations calling for the resignations of USAE President Alan Balch and USET Chairman Frank Lloyd and USET President Dr. Armand Leone, Jr. To date, the USA Equestrian Directors have not voted to support the USOC recommendations.