Pati Pierucci Letter to Members

Hello and welcome to everyone Already a lot has happened - new members keep joining and we keep forming ideas for our first year as a new association My first task at hand, as Executive Director of USPRE, is to thank everyone for getting involved and for being excited about this resource for the promotion of our horses in the sports and performance environment As you know, we emphasize the riding performance of the PRE With that as an overall goal for USPRE, we have developed a number of exciting programs for our members that I am pleased to announce:

1. A 2008 Dressage Year End Awards Program: This program is based on dressage scores achieved in Open USDF dressage classes and is awarded at all levels from Training through Grand Prix, both Open and Adult Amateur, as well as Young Riders and Juniors Scores are averaged Requirements posted on the website
2. Horse and Rider of the Year Awards in both Dressage and Exhibition We have recognized USPRE member Margaret Carrera's Rociero XV as our 2007 recipient of this award for Dressage
3. USPRE-sponsored High Point PRE Awards at Dressage Shows We would like to invite all Regional Dressage Associations to consider applying for this sponsored award for one or more of your shows where you have a constituent of PRE horses

We are initiating this program in Wellington this winter with two shows:

• The Palm Beach Derby, February 28-March 2, 2008; High Point FEI Young Horse, Five 5 and Six 6 Year Old;High Point Adult Amateur FEI level
• The Gold Coast Finale, April 12-13, 2008; High Point National level and High Point FEI level, both Open and Adult Amateur

Please let us know if you are planning to compete in these shows 4A Seminar for Riders of the PRE with International Grand Prix Rider and Spanish Team Member Victor Alvarez on Monday, February 11th 2008 in Wellington, Florida followed by a reception for all USPRE members and friends later that evening More information to follow In addition, USPRE also plans to sponsor a number of breed shows, including for now Fiesta Midwest in Ohio in June, and a High Point Award for Highest Scoring PRE in the Open Breed classes at the Devon Breed Show in late September We will keep you posted on these as the year progresses For my part, I feel honored that I've been asked to take on this role and I approach my position in this organization with the highest level of commitment I came to the PRE through my own personal path I had ridden and competed in FEI and international level dressage on warmbloods for all of my career The day I sat on my first PRE changed my life and career forever I am both a professional but also a mother of three children, and when I discovered the PRE, I found a horse that would not only allow me to continue to compete against the top competition in the country, but also would allow me to ride with comfort for many years longer than some of my counterparts I am committed to USPRE because, simply, I am committed to the PRE as a breed of sport horse that can compete alongside any other breed What we have needed prior to now was a place for people, like myself, to come to for answers-for education, support, ideas, and information I will do my best to bring to the members of USPRE all the knowledge and joy that I have gleaned from my years of having the privilege of working with these wonderful horses I would also like to say a special word of appreciation for our Honorary Board For those of you in our community, you are well aware that people such as these don't join up to every new organization that comes along Each and every one of these people have in some way contributed, through training, treating, studying, endorsing, and other ways, to the world of the PRE At a later date, I will spend a little more time introducing all of you to each of our Honorary Board Members via this website, but for now I'd just like to express my gratitude and excitement to have them all be so supportive of USPRE and our horses In conclusion, thank you all again for your time, interest and commitment to USPRE I want you all to know that I want to make myself available, as your Executive Director, to answer any questions or help out in any way I can I hope that my excitement about our new organization will continue to spread and I wish you all the best of luck this year with your PRE's ! See you soon ! Pati