There’s still time to vote for America’s Favorite Equestrian

Chester Weber

The results of Round 3 of America’s Favorite Equestrian are in. Four equestrians in each of the eight disciplines that participated in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have moved onto Round 4.

Dressage: Debbie McDonald followed by Steffen Peters, Guenter Seidel and Courtney King-Dye.

Driving: Chester Weber followed by Tucker Johnson, Rochelle Temple and Suzy Stafford.

Endurance: Becky Hart followed by Dave Rabe, Julie Suhr and Bill Wilson.

Eventing: Tiana Coudray followed by Boyd Martin, Kimberly Severson and Phillip Dutton.

Jumping: Anne Kursinski followed by Beezie Madden, Margie Engle and McLain Ward.

Para-Dressage: Jennifer Baker followed by Mary Jordan, Jonathan Wentz and Robin Brueckmann.

Reining: Andrea Fappani followed by Tom McCutcheon, Shawn Flarida and Tim McQuay.

Vaulting: Megan Benjamin followed by Katherine Wick, Devon Maitozo and Ali Divita.

Keep Voting! One more equestrian with the lowest number of votes in each discipline will drop off the list at the end of Round 4 on September 30, 2011. Don’t let it be your favorite! All it takes is a $5 gift to The EQUUS Foundation to keep your favorite in the running for America’s Favorite Equestrian.

Steffen Peters

How to Vote:
Visit www.equusfoundation.org/vote

For a $5 contribution, you can select your favorite equestrian (listed by discipline) and follow the instructions provided to use mobile texting to vote. After texting your vote, you must reply YES to confirm your vote and $5 donation.

You can also vote using an online form or vote by mail.

All donations received by the EQUUS Foundation will be used in support of horse-related charitable causes.

How it Works:
Round 4: Voting ends on September 30, 2011. In each featured discipline, the three equestrians with the most votes will continue to Round 5, the final round.

Round 5: Voting ends on October 31, 2011. America’s Favorite Equestrian will be selected based on the athletes with the highest number of votes recorded in each of the eight disciplines.

Winner Selections:
The athlete from each discipline with the most votes will join the ranks of America’s Favorite Equestrian. These winners will be announced in November 2011 at the National Horse Show, taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.

About America’s Favorite Equestrian:
The EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) jointly launched the charitable mobile texting competition in celebration of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the eight international disciplines represented on the field of play.

Beezie Madden

The objective is for America’s Favorite Equestrian to be an ongoing program with all equestrian disciplines/breeds represented and the winners recognized in a permanent “Hall of Fame”. For this inaugural program, the disciplines competing in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games were selected for the program, with the many of the equestrians selected by the respective Recognized Affiliates of USEF.

The EQUUS Foundation has pledged to award a minimum of $10,000 in grants in support of USEF programs within these eight international equestrian disciplines. The discipline generating the greatest number of votes will receive an additional $5,000 grant award for its USEF-affiliated association subject to raising sufficient funds. Donations raised over $15,000 will be used to support horse-related charitable causes.

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; Jane FitzGerald, Secretary/Treasurer; Lynn Coakley, President; David Distler, David Goodwin, Patricia Keenan, Frank Madden, Richard Mitchell DVM, Clea Newman Soderlund, Susan Weber and Visse Wedell.

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, The EQUUS Foundation helps thousands of people and horses each year. Over $1.5 million in grants has been awarded since the first awards in 2003. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. For more information, visit www.equusfoundation.org