Developing Future U.S. Equestrian Team Members at the George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session

The EQUUS Foundation and the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament have joined forces to promote the importance of excellent horsemanship at the George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session, which will be held January 5-9, 2010 in Wellington, Florida. The mounted sessions will be held in the Grand Prix Ring on the South Grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

George Morris, the legendary horseman and chef d’équipe of the Olympic gold medal show-jumping team in 2009 in Hong Kong, will lead a select group of top young riders in a comprehensive program in horsemastership not just involving mounted sessions but also sessions conducted by experts on such topics as stable management, veterinary care and nutrition. The aim of the training session is to develop a pipeline of young “horsemasters” for future U.S. Equestrian Teams.

Speaking to the 2009 young riders, Morris said, “”Knowledge is power. I’ve always loved education. And still by my bedside, I always have a horse book. Don’t ever underestimate education. We have a problem today and that’s called horse show, horse show, horse show, horse show, horse show, horse show. That’s competition. That’s competitive education. That isn’t basic education. That isn’t necessarily horsemanship or horsemaster education.”

The eligible riders for the 2010 session will be announced on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament based in part on their ranking on the NATIONAL EQUITATION COMPUTER RANKING (http://www.ryegate.com) and performance.

Auditing of the educational sessions is free and open to the public, as are the coffee and doughnuts provided each morning. In addition to The EQUUS Foundation, The George Morris Horsemastership Training Session presented by the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament is supported by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA), and The USET Foundation and the following organizations: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Equestrian Sports Productions (ESP), Practical Horseman, and Purina Mills.

For additional information on the George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session, contact Connie Sawyer at [email protected]

About The EQUUS Foundation, Inc. The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., established in August 2002, as a 501(c)(3) national charitable foundation, seeks to raise public awareness of the value of the horse in society through education and the awarding of grants to charities that use the horse to benefit the public, promote the health and welfare of horses, and elevate the equestrian sport as a whole.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, which is responsible for the selection of the grant recipients. The Board includes: Jenny Belknap Kees, Chairman, Catherine Herman, Vice Chairman, David T. Goodwin, Secretary/Treasurer, Lynn Coakley, President, David Distler, Gray Fadden, Richard Mitchell DVM, Clea Newman Soderlund, and Visse Wedell.

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, The EQUUS Foundation helps thousands of people and horses each year. Over $1.3 million in grants have been awarded since the first awards in 2003. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Contact The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., at 168 Long Lots Road, Westport, CT 06880, Tele: (203) 259-1550, E-Mail: [email protected], website: www.equusfoundation.org.