Monday June 26, 2006

United States Reining Team Announced for 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation® (USEF) is pleased to announce the reining team, sponsored by Adequan®, that will represent the United States in the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games held in Aachen, Germany, from August 20 to September 3, 2006, with reining competition being held September 1 and 3. The four horse-and-rider combinations and alternates are as follows:

• Matt Mills, of Scottsdale, AZ, riding Easy Otie Whiz, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion, owned by Out West Stallion Station and Bobbie Cook
• Aaron Ralston, of Silt, CO, riding Smart Paul Olena, a 12-year-old Quarter Horse stallion, owned by Meg Griffith-Ralston
• Tim McQuay, of Tioga, TX, riding Mister Nicadual, a six-year-old Quarter Horse stallion, owned by Jerry Kimmel
• Dell Hendricks, of Tioga, TX, riding Starbucks Sidekick, a six-year-old Quarter Horse stallion, owned by Adair Reiners, LLC
• 1st alternate: Tom McCutcheon of Aubrey, TX, riding Ruf Hearted Jac, a seven-year-old Quarter Horse stallion, owned by Sarah Willeman
• 2nd alternate: Crystal McNutt of Scottsdale, AZ, riding Dun With Caution, an eight-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, owned by RUR Performance Horses, LLC

The team was decided based on their rankings at in the 2006 Adequan®/USEF Open Reining Championship held last weekend at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. At a press conference held after the championship, the riders showed great emotion about their potential to represent the U.S. in Aachen and defend their Individual and Team Gold medals.

“What can you say, it’s the best thing in our industry that you can do, it’s the top of the heap,” said McQuay.

“It means a lot to me, too. Just the company that I am in now, you’ve got two of the most celebrated, most famous riders in NRHA on the team, and it’s nice to be sitting there next to them. You know, it makes you feel good,” stated Mills.

“I told my wife before the reining tonight that I wanted more on this team worse than I wanted to win the Futurity. It means an awful lot to be riding for the country,” said an obviously proud Hendricks.

Chef d’Equipe Jeff Petska is delighted with his new team and looking forward to sharing the experience of another Gold medal with them. “After being fortunate enough to win the Gold and to stand in that arena and hear the national anthem being played and knowing you had, my part in it was minute compared to the riders, but even with the role I played, just to stand in that arena and see them raise your flag and play that national anthem…I hope these guys get that opportunity. It’s something that growing up you watch the Olympics, and you watch and see folks stand on that podium…it’s an awesome feeling. I think we’ve got a strong enough group that we can take a good, hard run at it.”