Gladstone, NJ—February 27, 2003—Two-time Olympic medalist Guenter Seidel of Del Mar, CA, won the U.S. Grand Prix Freestyle Dressage Championship/U.S. League Final with an impressive score of 77.650% in the freestyle. Seidel’s win on Nikolaus 7 gave him the right to represent the U.S. at the 2003 Dressage World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden, March 27 - 30.

The U.S. Freestyle Championship was held in combination with the U.S. League Final for the Dressage World Cup on February 21 - 23, in conjunction with the Miami Dade Winter Dressage CDI*** held at the Tropical Park Equestrian Center in Miami, FL.

Seidel and Nikolaus 7 were part of the dressage squad that made history at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, by winning the team Silver Medal. That finish marked the best finish ever for a United States dressage team in any World Championship or Olympic Games.

The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent our country in major international competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers, vaulters and horses - and provides the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.