Wellington, Fla. – May 10, 2007 – The Equestrians’ Preservation Society said today that a proposal to move the Winter Equestrian Festival to Section 34 in Wellington “raises more questions than it answers and presents what would most likely be insurmountable hurdles, particularly regarding environmental concerns,” according to Jean Goutal, president of the Society and one of its founders. “It’s impractical and, worse yet, fails to address the immediate needs for the 2007/08 Festival.” The move was announced last week by Stadium Jumping, Inc., and endorsed by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

“We are particularly disappointed and frustrated since The Society had expended considerable time and effort to develop an interim solution that could have kept the Festival and the Wellington equestrian community intact at its current location, even if the current disputes and litigation remain unresolved in the near term or longer,” said Mr. Goutal.

The Society had received pledges from landowners – representing approximately 200 acres of show grounds directly adjacent to the current show grounds – to make the properties available immediately to Stadium Jumping for horse shows.

Mr. Goutal said he had been in talks with the USEF since mid-March regarding possible solutions and The Society’s proposal and was “surprised and disappointed” by the USEF’s support of the proposal for Section 34. (The full text of Mr. Goutal’s response to the USEF regarding the Section 34 announcement is attached to this press release.)

“The USEF appears to be blind to the benefits of the Society’s plan: immediate availability of superior, larger show grounds right next to the existing location. I again call on the USEF to answer the critical questions of how and where the next Winter Equestrian Festival will be run, as well as the longer term issues with the viability of Section 34.”

The Society said that the land it had proposed to the USEF is already zoned for equestrian activities and has necessary permits in place for water management, etc. “The land could have been used by Stadium Jumping for the next several years, if needed. In addition, the cost to Stadium Jumping to lease this larger package of contiguous properties would have been less than their current cost to lease the existing 70-acre show grounds,” said Mr. Goutal. The Society has also been working on funding efforts to help make necessary improvements on the properties well in advance of the 2007/08 Festival and was confident in its ability to raise the money needed.

The Society had provided its proposal to the USEF first, and at the USEF’s request, had agreed not to make its communications with the USEF public nor to share details of the proposal with other parties prior to a meeting with the USEF. The USEF had scheduled a meeting with The Society on May 4 – the same day that the announcement regarding Section 34 was released. “The Society’s dealings with the USEF have been in good faith, yet our meeting with them was cancelled at the last minute and the USEF instead made a unilateral decision – even with our proposal in its hands – that ignores the efforts of the Society and the wishes of its constituency, the equestrian community which supports the USEF,” said Mr. Goutal.

Mr. Goutal said that The Society’s alternative plan was superior to that proposed last week by Stadium Jumping. “We have been working hard the past two months to fulfill our role as facilitator and to find a way to keep the Festival in its current location in Wellington,” said Mr. Goutal. “Our plan would have enabled the Festival and our community to stay where we want to be, even if the various disputes surrounding the current show grounds and property issues take more than a few months to iron out.”

Mr. Goutal said that the properties were available immediately and that work could begin right away to make improvements necessary to upgrade the sites to superior competitive condition. Mr. Goutal noted that an additional benefit of The Society’s plan is that the Festival could continue to use existing infrastructure, saving both Stadium Jumping and the Village of Wellington from having to erect duplicate facilities.

“We will continue to work with all involved parties toward a permanent solution. We now call on the USEF and Stadium Jumping to answer the questions we have raised and to tell us how they will continue to provide our equestrian community with appropriate show grounds and facilities for this season and for the next few show seasons,” added Mr. Goutal.

The Equestrians’ Preservation Society is a not-for-profit charitable foundation dedicated to the advancement of equestrian sports and the preservation, enhancement, growth and protection of equestrian centers nationally. Over time, The Equestrians’ Preservation Society will expand its activities to generate broader recognition and appreciation of equestrian sports nationally. For more information on The Equestrians’ Preservation Society and membership details, please visit The Society’s Web site at www.equestrianspreservationsociety.org.