Gladstone, New Jersey - April 6, 2001 - The United States Equestrian Team (USET) has elected Dr. Armand Leone, Jr. as President. Leone, who has previously served as the Team’s Vice Chairman and Secretary, was elected at the Team’s Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL on April 2. He succeeds Finn M.W. Caspersen who retains his position as Chairman of the Board.

Leone is the seventh person to serve as USET President since the Team was founded in 1950. A former Grand Prix Show Jumping competitor, Leone has remained active with the USET. He is the eldest of three brothers who have successfully competed on the Show Jumping Grand Prix circuit, and all have represented the USET on several occasions. In addition, Leone’s father, Dr. Armand Leone, Sr., served as Treasurer on the USET Board from 1994-1998.

The new USET President is a physician and Board Certified Diagnostic Radiologist, as well as an attorney. He is admitted to practice medicine and law in New Jersey and New York, and is a Fellow of the College of Legal Medicine and a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.

"I am honored and grateful to have been elected USET President. I hope to build upon the success the Team has experienced under Finn’s guidance as President and lead us into the 21st century.

"My first priority as President is to bring our USOC challenge to a successful conclusion and to unite the equestrian sports community in the United States to work together for the good of the sport," said Leone.

"We filed the challenge, as most people know, because the United States Olympic Committee found the AHSA out of compliance with the Ted Stevens Amateur Sports Act, the Act of Congress that established this country’s laws regarding National Governing Bodies for amateur sports. The USOC, which Congress empowered to determine who best serves a sport as NGB, stated that the AHSA ‘cannot effectively govern the sport.’

"We obviously feel that equestrian sports will best be served with the USET as NGB, but while we await the USOC decision, I think it is important that we carry on as best we can, serving our athletes and promoting our sport.

"It seems that every time I turn around the AHSA has issued yet another divisive press release full of accusations against the USET that are inaccurate. This does not help equestrian sports in any way. Rather than in-fighting, we should all continue to work for the good of our sport while the USOC makes its decision. I see no benefit to bad-mouthing the AHSA, especially in light of the fact that the AHSA can play a key part in the USET plan for governing the sport."