Jonathan Wentz 2011 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Champion in Saugerties, NY (Lindsay Y McCall )

Gladstone, NJ - United States Para-Equestrians from California to New England will be making their way to Gladstone, New Jersey for the 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage Paralympic Selection Trials and National Championships. The Trials and National Championships will take place at the USET Headquarters June 10-13, 2012. Although the final count of riders is not official at this time, this may be one of the largest attended Selection Trials and National Championships for the Para-Equestrian discipline. Athletes will compete over three days demonstrating their Team, Individual, and Freestyle Tests. The National Championship scores will be calculated using 40% of the Team Test, 40% of the Individual and 20% of the Freestyle Test Scores. With only four spots for the United States Paralympic Team that will head to London, the competition will be tenacious. Riders will compete under FEI Ground Jury Carlos Lopes (5*) POR, Anne Prain (5*) FRA, and Marc Urban (5*) BEL. Equestrians will be seeing these judges again if they qualify for London with Lopes and Prain who are members of the ground jury and Marc Urban who will be the Assistant Technical Delegate. The Paralympic Equestrian events take place in London, England at Greenwich Park August 30-September 4, 2012.

FAST FACTS: 2012 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage Paralympic Selection Trials and National Championships

WHAT: Para-Equestrian Dressage Selection Trials for London Paralympics

WHEN: June 11-13, 2012 (jog occurs June 10)

SHOW MANAGER: Kim Keenan Stordahl

QUALIFICATION FOR PARALYMPIC SELECTION TRIALS

The athlete/horse combinations will be ranked based on their overall performance at the Selection Trial, by weighting the FEI Para- Equestrian Dressage test scores from the Selection Trial as follows (Final Rankings):

- Individual Championship Test = 40%
- Team Test = 40%
- Musical Freestyle Test = 20%

If there is a tie in the Final Ranking of the Selection Trial, the tie will be broken based upon the highest score earned by the athlete/horse combination in the Individual Championship Test at the Selection Trial. If a tie remains thereafter, it will be broken based upon the highest test score earned by the athlete/horse combination in the Team Test of the Selection Trial. If a tie still remains thereafter, it will be broken based upon the Musical Freestyle Test score awarded by the president of the Ground Jury to the horse/athlete combination in the Selection Trial. If a tie still remains thereafter it will be broken based on the majority vote of the Selectors .