USET Foundation Awards Gladstone Trophy to Eventer Bonnie Mosser
RELEASE: June 7, 2007
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Phelps Media Group
The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation is pleased to announce that Bonnie Mosser and Merloch were presented with the 2007 Gladstone Trophy on Sunday at the Jersey Fresh CCI***, which ran from May 31-June 3.
The Gladstone Trophy is awarded to the highest-placed American rider at the USEF CCI*** Spring Championship, held at the Jersey Fresh CCI***. In addition to being the highest-placed American, Mosser was also the overall victor of the division, finishing on a score of 48.7.
Mosser, partnered with Merloch, a gray nine-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, started the weekend in third place with a dressage score of 46.3. She added just 2.4 time faults on cross-country to her total, and her clean show jumping round catapulted her to the top of the standings for the win.
Of her success, Mosser laughed, "Well, it was a pleasant surprise that I won with Merloch, who is a new horse for me. I started competing with him this winter in February. He had been a horse in my program. He was a student's horse, and I just purchased him last winter from my student. So, it was definitely a nice weekend."
Mosser expressed her appreciation to the USET Foundation for assisting in the preparation of her horses for competition. "We've had support through coaching with Laura Kraut and Captain Mark Philips, so that's been very helpful. The funding from the USET Foundation is so important to making sure we can compete and represent our country at the highest levels."
The Unionville, PA, resident also won the Advanced horse trials, which were the selection trials for the Pan American Games in July. Riding Close the Deal, Mosser finished on a score of 47.0 for first place. She also rode her veteran partner Jenga in the division but withdrew him before cross-country.
"I would say that all three of my horses performed the best they possibly could at the time. Merloch won the three-star, Close the Deal won the Advanced horse trials for the Pan Am selection trials and Jenga was in that same division but did not run cross-country. I was very pleased with how all three of them had stepped up to plate and showed their best when it was the most important time," Mosser described.
The United States Equestrian Team Foundation supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America's elite and developing international high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.
For more information on the USET Foundation, please visit
www.uset.org.