Gladstone, NJ
December 15, 1997

Equestrian teams and enthusiasts from around the world will be watching the eighth annual Bayer/USET Festival of Champions at United States Equestrian Team (USET) headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, June 18-21. The reason - the best equestrian athletes in the U.S. will compete in selection trials for a chance to represent the Stars and Stripes at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome, Italy, September 30-October 11.

The Bayer/USET Festival of Champions is a four day equestrian celebration benefiting the U.S. Equestrian Team, which offers something for everyone. In addition to equestrian competitions showcasing world-class horses and riders, families can enjoy entertaining equestrian demonstrations from the sport's leading professionals, a falconry demonstration, blacksmith demonstration, educational clinics conducted by the sport's most successful competitive legends and a fantastic Country Fair with a special children's section-all in the beautiful country atmosphere of Hamilton Farm in New Jersey's Somerset County.

The USET's annual showcase event continues to spotlight the best athletes who have all qualified to compete at the highest levels in four equestrian disciplines-Show Jumping, Dressage, Combined Driving and Endurance. The Fleet/USET Show Jumping Division, featuring the $100,000 Rolex/USET Show Jumping Championship, presented by Ethel M Chocolates, will be even more exciting this year as it offers three of the eight rounds of selection trials determining which athletes will ride for the U.S. in the World Equestrian Games.

The brightest young Show Jumping stars of the USET will shine in the $15,000 Cosequin/USET Junior/Amateur-Owner Talent Derby, presented by BET on Jazz. In addition, for the first time, the top four finishers from the East and West coast BET/USET Show Jumping Talent Search Finals, presented by Sooner Trailer, will be asked to go head to head to determine the best of the best.

The Combined Driving events, sponsored by the Gladstone Equestrian Association (GEA), will offer spectators a chance to observe mandatory selection trial for the spectacular four-in-hand World Championship. The four-in-hand division exhibits skilled carriage drivers as they effortlessly maneuver marvelous teams of four horses each through intricate obstacles. Driving fans, new and old, will also be able to catch the nation's best drivers in the singles and pairs divisions.

Winding through all the excitement will be the 50-mile route for the USET Championship Endurance Ride, sponsored by Sooner Trailer. Simultaneously beginning their journey the competitors will see the distance separating the thrilling mass of horses and riders grow around every bend during this mounted marathon. Some of the best veterinarians in the country will be choosing the nation's fittest horse/rider combinations to compete in the desert climate of the December 1998 Endurance World Championship in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai.

In addition to selection trials for the 1998 World Equestrian Games, the USET Grand Prix and Intermediaire I Dressage Championships, sponsored by Miller's Harness Company, will feature optimum Dressage with the challenging Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and the beautiful musical Freestyle event. Always a crowd favorite, the Dressage division will also include World Equestrian Game selection trials.

The U.S. Paralympic Equestrian Team will add another exciting new element to the Bayer/USET Festival of Champions this year. Accomplished in international competition, the disabled athletes will be paired with Olympic veterans and other able-bodied athletes for a dynamic team competition. Riders from each discipline will be joined by a Paralympic athlete creating four teams of five riders each. Spectators will be able to pick a team and root for them throughout the entire Festival.

Those interested in expanding their knowledge of horsemanship will have the wonderful opportunity to learn from the foremost talents in the industry. George Morris, the world renowned teacher, will teach a show jumping clinic and four-time Olympian Robert Dover will conduct a Young Rider's clinic in Dressage.

Over 70 vendors offering a wide variety of restaurants and shops will add to the family fun with an irresistible collection of products for all ages and interests. A special children's section will continue to delight the youngest spectators with special events and surprises.

Volunteers, who are always needed, travel to USET Headquarters from as far away as Washington State and are able to enjoy a party, hosted by the USET, in honor of their tireless efforts which make the Bayer/USET Festival of Champions an extraordinary event. Tickets for the Festival are $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children 6 to 12 years old. Admission is free for children under the age of 6. Auditing fees for clinics are $35.00 in advance and $40.00 at the door.

To find out more about how you and your family can spend a few beautiful days in the country while experiencing some of the best equestrian competition in the world, please call the Festival hotline at (908) 234-0555, or the USET at (908) 234-1251. Please look for more Festival information in the coming months on USET ONLINE at http://www.uset.com.