WESTPORT, CT - With equestrians representing the dressage, eventing, hunter, jumper, and polo communities, the EQUUS Foundation's signature event at the Winter Equestrian Festival, Fete Cheval, promises to be the most entertaining event for horse enthusiasts this season in Wellington, Florida.

The Fete Cheval presented by Spy Coast Farm will be held on Friday, March 9, 2012, and feature cocktails, an auction, dinner in the exclusive International Club with a ringside view of the evening's entertainment in the International Arena.

"What makes the Fete Cheval so unique is that it is all about fun, and lets very serious riders demonstrate their natural competitive spirit in games that they all recall from their youth," said Elizabeth Press, co-chairing the event with Hillary Dobbs and Patricia Keenan, " - games like Musical Stalls, Sit a Buck, and others."

The riders so far include Max Amaya, Derek Braun, Saer Coulter, Gabriel Crespo, Nick Dello Joio, Hillary Dobbs, Jimmy Fairclough, Sandy Ferrell, Weston Gracida, Brianne Goutal, Patricia Griffith, Ashley Holzer, Charlie Jayne, Paige Johnson, Laura Kraut, Marcia Kulak, Anne Kursinkski, Peter Leone, Robert Orthwein, Alexa Pessoa, Rodrigo Pessoa, Kim Prince, Havens Schatt, Louise Serio, Jessica Springsteen, Scott Stewart, Shane Sweetnam and Jimmy Torano.

Sadly missing from the action this year will be McLain Ward, who has supported this event every year. "We extend our best wishes to McLain for a speedy recovery. We will miss him at our 2012 Fete Cheval, but look forward to his return at our 2013 event," said Lynn Coakley, EQUUS Foundation President.

McLain Ward and Louise Serio at the 2011 Fete Cheval. Photo courtesy of Phelps Media Group.

Ralph Caristo, David Distler and Susie Schoellkopf will be on hand serving as Officials for the evening, and the talented and knowledgeable horse show announcer, Brian Lookabill, will serve as Emcee.

Coakley continued, "We are so grateful to Wall Street Farm and Heidi and Steve Lengyel for donating the horses for this year's event." Wall Street Farm's IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association) team of riders will be serving as volunteers, along with juniors from the Gleneayre Equestrian Program, an EQUUS Foundation grant recipient, and juniors competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

"It's not often that young riders have the opportunity to meet all these great equestrians at one time. It's a thrill for them, and so incredibly helpful to us to have their youthful energy available," added Coakley.

Wall Street Farm IEA Team. Photo courtesy of Wall Street Farm.

With experienced horses and the enthusiastic support of Wendy Coren and Dave Lundquist of Equalign who will be coordinating the riders, this year's Fete games will be new, refreshing and utilize a larger portion of the International Arena. The EQUUS Foundation and Equestrian Sport Productions welcome the general public to come watch the games, free of charge.

However, the EQUUS Foundation raises its funds almost entirely from event attendance, and is seeking the support of individuals and organizations to help fulfill its mission to improve the quality of life of horses, foster the use of horses to serve those in need, and educate the general public on the horse's unique ability to empower, teach and heal. The EQUUS Foundation is the national organization solely focused on both horse welfare and the bond between horses and people in the sport, recreational and therapeutic communities.

Tables of six for the Fete Cheval are available as follows: Gold Medal Front Row $5,000; Silver Medal $3,000 and Bronze Medal $2,000; individual seating starts at $200 per person. To RSVP online, visitwww.equusfoundation.org/fete or contact us by phone at 203-259-1550 or email at equus@equusfoundation.org.

Fete Cheval Fast Facts

WHEN: Friday, March 9, 2011
7 pm Cocktails & Auction
8 pm Dinner in the International Club &
Games on Horseback
in the International Arena

WHERE: Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Wellington, Florida

RSVP:
Onlinewww.equusfoundation.org/fete
Phone 203-259-1550
E-Mailequus@equusfoundation.org.
Mail Click here to download mail-in form.

Attire
Casual Chic

Title Sponsor
Spy Coast Farm

Co-Chairs
Hillary Dobbs
Patricia Keenan
Elizabeth Press

Riders:
Max Amaya
Derek Braun
Saer Coulter
Gabriel Crespo
Nick Dello Joio
Hillary Dobbs
Jimmy Fairclough
Sandy Ferrell
Weston Gracida
Brianne Goutal
Patricia Griffith
Ashley Holzer
Charlie Jayne
Paige Johnson
Laura Kraut
Marcia Kulak
Anne Kursinkski
Peter Leone
Robert Orthwein
Alexa Pessoa
Rodrigo Pessoa
Kim Prince
Havens Schatt
Louise Serio
Jessica Springsteen
Scott Stewart
Shane Sweetnam
Jimmy Torano
(At Print Time)

Emcee:
Brian Lookabill

Officials:
Ralph Caristo
David Distler
Susie Schoellkopf

Horses Donated By
Wall Street Farm
Heidi & Steve Lengyel

Rider Coordination
Equalign
Wendy S. Coren, D.C.
David N. Lundquist, D.C.

Committee
Jill & Vincent Abbatiello
Patricia Adikes-Hill
Katharine & Mark Bellisimo
Bobbie Braun
Flavia Callari
Mary & Mike Carpenter
Alexandra Cherubini
Jane Forbes Clark
Beth Congel & Doug Ulrich
Ellen & Daniel Crown
Debi & Lou Dobbs
Gray & Jerry Fadden
Gregory W. Gingery
Becky & David Gochman
Sheila & Eric Goetzmann
Ellen & Bob Healey
Catherine & Steve Herman
Stephanie & John Ingram
Jenny & Timmy Kees
Marylou D'Addario Kennedy
  & Sean Kennedy
Lisa & Robert Lourie
Elizabeth Monaco & Neil M. McCarthy
Caroline Moran
Celene & Marc Oken
Ginny & Steve Orthwein
Kathryn L. Quirk Esq.
  & Dr. Denise Quirk
Juliet & Sam Reid
PJ & Suhail Rizvi
Katie & Jim Robinson
Clea & Kurt Soderlund
Beth & Michael Strauss
Jenny & Kermit Sutton
Visse Wedell
Carlene & Andrew Ziegler

About The EQUUS Foundation, Inc.
The EQUUS Foundation, a national charitable foundation established in Connecticut in 2002, is dedicated to improving the quality of life of horses, fostering the use of horses to enrich the lives of people in need and educating the public about the horse's unique ability to empower, teach and heal. The goal is to transform the way horses are treated and perceived and build a more compassionate America that values the magical and powerful bond we have with horses.

The Foundation accomplishes its mission by providing financial support through the award of grants to horse-related charities across the United States; operating a network of equine organizations and equine enthusiasts; providing scholarships to award volunteer service on behalf of horses, offering insight on the management and financial practices of horse-related charities through a thorough review of their operations; and conducting information outreach to educate the public about horses.

Horses have a way of making us feel everything from excitement to joy to tranquility. Age is not a limitation - horses are aiding children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. By bonding with these gentle giants, we learn to take control of our lives and become more capable of facing life's challenges. No other animal can make us feel the breadth of emotions that our equine partners do.

The Foundation awarded its first grants in 2003 to seven local horse charities. Recognizing that horses are enriching the lives of millions of people of all ages every day, in 2008, the Board of Directors made a commitment to expand nationally, and also adopted the name, "Horse Charities of America", to more clearly convey its commitment to all equine charities.

The Foundation funds a broad range of programs, most of which are directly involved with horse rescue and welfare, or are providing equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) to the public. The Foundation also funds programs with its Alliance partners that educate the public about horses, provide services that benefit the equine community, and help stimulate advocacy and volunteerism.

Thanks to the generous support of individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundations who share our vision, participation at our signature events, and our Horse Whisperers named grant program, the Foundation has grown exponentially and has awarded nearly $2 million in grants, achieving national recognition as the primary organization solely focused on both horse welfare and fostering the horse-human connection in the sport, recreational and therapeutic communities.

To receive news of our programs and activities, sign up at www.equusfoundation.org/signup. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. For more information, 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.

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