United States Eventing Association

The Eventing Committee and the Grand Prix Award committee wish to announce the success of this year's Preliminary division United States Pony Club Eastern Championship competition and USEF/USEA event held in Lexington, VA July 23 - July 26, 2009. We were delighted to have four strong teams of Preliminary riders.

All of these riders and stable managers are perfect examples of the Pony Club members for which this award was created according to the stated purpose of the Award.

We first wish to congratulate the members of the first place three rider team for their outstanding win at the championships. The team consists of:

Sophia Sacksen, overall 1st place finishing on her dressage score
Laura Crowl 2nd place
Kyle Smith 7th place.
Rachael Sacksen was the stable manager.
The four-man team won by 27 USPC points and by 31 USEA/USEF points.They had only one rail for the entire team in Show Jumping. Well done!

The Eventing Committee and the Grand Prix Award committee wish to name the highest placing member of the 2nd place USPC team to fill the available spot as she has earned a position on the Grand Prix trip to Ireland as well.
Congratulations go to Victoria Long! (overall 4th place USEA/USEF.)

Due to the generosity of some individuals, a separate scholarship is being offered to two other riders. The backers of the scholarship have offered this in the spirit of Pony Club and their enthusiasm for the success of the preliminary division. They wish to offer this same opportunity to the first alternate according to her scores on the USPC 2nd place team, Melissa Fox.

In addition, Melissa has been to Championships ten years in a row and nine of those were for Evening. Furthermore they wish to offer this opportunity to Katherine Sunderland, who is the overall 3rd placed USEA/USEF individual rider and the highest placed rider on the USPC third placed team. This scholarship is not part of the Grand Prix Award, but is being offered in addition to the Award for the year 2009.

Congratulations again we wish them all a great time in Ireland and look forward to hearing all about the trip.

Katie Graham
USPC Eventing Committee Chair