USET Foundation Benefit Hosted by Jami Heidegger and Show Circuit Magazine at HITS Indio Desert Circuit
Equestrian News Release
INDIO, CA – March 7, 2006 – Jami Heidegger, publisher of Show Circuit Magazine, hosted a benefit party for the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Indio, California, on Friday, March 3. More than 300 invited guests filled the VIP tent overlooking the Grand Prix ring and enjoyed music by a contemporary Latin jazz trio, hors d'oeuvres and refreshments, as well as presentations by U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe George H. Morris, USET Foundation Executive Director Bonnie B. Jenkins, and President of HITS, Inc. Thomas G. Struzzieri. Patrons of the party also generously participated in a silent auction of 19 donated items, which netted almost $30,000 for the USET Foundation.
Tony Hitchcock, Senior Vice President of HITS, welcomed the many guests before he turned over the microphone to Morris, the evening’s featured speaker. “We’re so thrilled that Jami made this party possible. It seems like the perfect convergence of interest with George Morris’s and Jami’s desire to promote the sport here on the West coast – and of course [HITS’s] desire to unveil our new ten-million-dollar equestrian park.” As part of the festivities, HITS Inc., unveiled plans for the new HITS Desert Equestrian Center at the conclusion of the speakers’ presentations.
George Morris delivered the keynote speech to an attentively hushed crowd. “Why is high performance so important?” Morris began. “It is our national pride.” Morris outlined his plan for America’s international success in show jumping. “We have an obligation to participate with the rest of the world,” he stated. Morris named several competitions that he considered “musts” for the U.S. show jumping team to participate in, including the Nations’ Cup in Wellington, Florida, the Samsung Super League, the Spruce Meadows Masters, the World Equestrian Games, and the Pan American Games. Morris noted that he is looking to the West Coast. “We want to jump-start the West Coast!” Morris said enthusiastically to a round of applause.
USET Foundation Executive Director Bonnie B. Jenkins followed Morris’s speech. “As a past student of George’s, I know it will take discipline, hard work, and even an element of fear to raise the funds to make sure we can fully implement George’s vision and show jumping High Performance plan,” she said and added with a smile, “Fear because I fear to think what George will do if we don’t raise the funds!”
Wrapping up the evening, upon Struzzieri’s signal the beige curtains dropped to reveal site plans for the new 250-acre HITS Desert Equestrian Center in Thermal, California, which is scheduled to open in January 2007. “The fact that we have Roy Wilson, the Riverside County Supervisor, to help keep this project on a fast-track, and that we have George Morris talking about potentially having trials at the new facility, will greatly advance the West Coast presence in this sport,” said Struzzieri.
In concluding remarks, Jami Heidegger expressed her appreciation to all the guests for attending and making the evening an extraordinary success. She proposed a toast to the successful and glorious future of show jumping, which was met with an affirmative ovation.
The non-profit United States Equestrian Team Foundation supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international, high-performance athletes and horses in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation. For more information about the USET Foundation or to make a donation, please call (908) 234-1251 or visit its website at http://www.uset.org.
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