Media Contact:
Diane Bartlett
Director of Marketing Communications
Phone: (703) 777-2414
FAX: (703) 777-3282
E-mail: dbartlett@morvenpark.org

LEESBURG, VIRGINIA (March 4, 2003) Both world-famous and up-and-coming equestrian riders and trainers will spend four days honing their eventing skills on the grounds of the Morven Park Equestrian Center north of Leesburg in Loudoun County, Virginia during the annual United States Equestrian Team (USET) Eventing Winter Training Session March 24-27, 2003. The individual training sessions are scheduled to run each day from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, and there is no admission charge for viewing the training sessions.

This year USET Chef d'Equipe Capt. Mark Phillips will be joined at the Morven Park Equestrian Center by world-renowned show jumping trainer and author George Morris on March 25 and March 26. Morris will focus on improving each rider's techniques during the final show jumping phase of the sport of eventing.

Among the famous riders attending the training sessions is local hero David O'Connor of The Plains, Virginia, who was recently named a 2002 Equestrian of Honor by the USA Equestrian organization. O'Connor was co-winner of the William C. Steinkraus Trophy, which is awarded to the year's best rider competing internationally in the "Olympic disciplines" of dressage, eventing and show jumping. O'Connor was also a member of last year's Gold medal-winning World Equestrian Games (WEG) eventing team.

WEG teammate John Williams will also attend the training sessions. William's individual fourth place helped his team earn the Gold medal at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Hattaras, Spain, and he was also the Advanced Division winner at last October's Morven Park CCI* and Advanced Horse Trials.

Some of the other elite equestrian riders who will be at Morven Park include 2002 US Eventing Association (USEA) Riders of the Year Darren Chiacchia and Bruce Davidson Jr., Lady Riders of the Year Karen O'Connor, Heidi White and Bonnie Mosser, and Young Riders of the Year Will Faudree and William Coleman III.

The USET has trained at the Morven Park Equestrian Center each year for over 15 years, beginning during the time when the facility was used as a school for riding instructors, known then as the Morven Park International Equestrian Institute (1967-1991). Since becoming an events facility, Morven Park has continued to donate its center for use by the US Equestrian Team. "The management of Morven Park has always been very flexible and accommodating to the USET," said Jim Wolf of the USET. "Their location is great, as many of the riders are from the northern Virginia area. But the staff of Morven Park is really what makes the training sessions workable."

An official training schedule will be available as the dates of the training session draw closer. For more information, call (703) 777-2890.

Morven Park is the 1,200-acre historic landmark estate of Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis (1918-1922) in Loudoun County, Virginia. The estate includes the historic Governor's Mansion, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting, the Winmill Carriage Collection, and the Morven Park Equestrian Center.

The Morven Park Equestrian Center is located just north of Leesburg on Route 15. From Leesburg, take Route 15 North towards Frederick, Maryland. Turn left onto Tutt Lane/Route 740. Follow Tutt Lane approximately one mile to the center's entrance on the left, and then follow the signs to the designated parking areas.