USEF Establishes The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award

WESTPORT, CT -- The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and The EQUUS Foundation have joined together to establish The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award which will be presented at the 2010 USEF Pegasus Awards Dinner during the Federation's Annual Meeting in January. The recipient of the Humanitarian Award will receive a $5,000 grant from The EQUUS Foundation to be awarded to the equestrian or horse-related charity of his or her choice.

"We are pleased for the opportunity to work with the EQUUS Foundation to recognize those exemplary individuals who are selflessly devoted to the welfare of horses and to the roles horses play in today's world", said John Long, CEO, United States Equestrian Federation, the national governing body of equestrian sport in the United States.

The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award is a celebration of the humanitarian achievements made by a member of the equestrian community. Specifically, the goal of this humanitarian honor is to spotlight and exalt the selfless dedication one individual or a group of individuals has made, whether on a regional or national scale. From improving the health and welfare of the horse to promoting and expanding the general public's appreciation and respect of the diverse role of horses not just in equestrian sports but also as aides to the general public, the recipient of this award will be someone who has devoted considerable personal time to make the lives and quality of life of our equine partners paramount.

"We have witnessed the extraordinary accomplishments our grant recipients have achieved, and we are so thankful to our many donors who have allowed us to award over $1.3 million in grants since our first awards in 2003. Millions of individuals are directly involved in the industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and volunteers. Tens of millions more participate as spectators or derive benefit from horses therapeutically. We hope this award will appropriately honor individuals who are seeking to create a more compassionate, educated America that values the role the horse plays in modern society and transform the way horses are treated and perceived", said Jenny Belknap Kees, Chairman of The EQUUS Foundation.

The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award is limited to individuals. Corporations, organizations, affiliate groups and businesses are not eligible. However, this may be amended in exceptional circumstances based on a case-by-case basis. While the winner of the award is limited to individuals, an organization may serve as a nominator. Posthumous nominees will not be accepted.

Those individuals who are professionally employed in a full-time manner by a company or entity whose sole purpose is to work for the aforementioned qualities and philanthropic ends will only be considered as an acceptable nominee in certain circumstances. These include if their contributions have been widely viewed as exception beyond their required work performance or if their achievements and dedication is noted as being far beyond the call of duty.

Any member of the equestrian community may make a nomination for an individual to be considered for The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award. This information will include the following: - An explanatory, written statement as to why the individual is worthy of the award; - Biographical information of the nominee; - Specific examples of their philanthropic work, including their involvement (time spent, duration of work, type of work, etc.); - Supportive materials such as written testimonials or letters from those who have been affected by the nominees contributions; and - Any additional materials deemed worthy by the nominator.

The nomination process for The EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award will close on November 9, 2009. The nomination form is available on the USEF website at http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/Nominations/EQUUS.aspx .

Nominations may be received by U.S. mail to United States Equestrian Federation, ATTN: Melissa Davis, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511, overnight carrier and via email to Melissa Davis at mdavis@usef.org.

For more information, contact The EQUUS Foundation at equus@equusfoundation.org.

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: equus@equusfoundation.org, website: www.equusfoundation.org.