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USET
Names Lauren Hough November Athlete of the Month
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Gladstone,
NJDecember 4, 2002Sydney Olympian Lauren Hough of
Wellington, FL was named United States Equestrian Team (USET)
Athlete of the Month for November for winning the $100,000 National
Horse Show Jumper Championship on the final day of the 119th annual
National Horse Show in Wellington, FL. The Championship was a
qualifying class helping to determine which U.S. show jumpers
will earn the right to compete at the 2003 Budweiser World Cup
Final next April in Las Vegas, NV.
Hough
maneuvered her 2000 Sydney Olympic mount Clasiko, a 12-year-old
brown Holsteiner gelding, to his first grand prix victory, going
clear in the jump-off round in 42.08 seconds, beating out 1992
Olympic individual Bronze Medalist Norman Dello Joio who finished
second with a time of 48.98 seconds on Glasgow.
Its
very difficult going first in a two-horse jump-off, especially
with Norman behind you, said Hough, who won last years
Grand Prix at the National Horse Show aboard Windy City. Clasiko
is not a very fast horse, but hes been going great.
The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization
that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest
possible standard to represent our country in major international
competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships.
To accomplish this, the USET seeks out and nurtures the development
of talented athletes - riders, drivers and horses - and provides
the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest
potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908)
234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org
.