LOUISVILLE, KY (January 16, 2007) — One of the country's leading horse show managers, Bob Bell, President of the South Carolina-based Classic Company, has been named to the Board of Directors for the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the National governing body (NGB) of Equestrian Sports in the United States.

Bell was officially "seated" for a four-year term on the board during the USEF's 2007 Annual Meeting, held January 11-14 at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, KY. Bell was named to the Board specifically to represent the Hunter/Jumper community along with leading Hunter rider Louise Serio and renowned rider-trainer Archie Cox.

"I'm very honored to be here," said Bell, who is also on the Board of Directors for the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA). "I'm thrilled to be able to represent the country's show managers. During the appointments, new members were divided into groups and assigned different tasks. Bell was consigned to the FEI Affiliates Group, which will oversee the USEF international and national activities in the eight FEI disciplines.

"Bob has been an influential member of the equestrian community for nearly two decades," said USEF CEO John Long. "As a volunteer he has served on the USHJA Show Managers Committee and played a vital role on the USHJA Mileage Task Force. He's a great thinker and will be a terrific USEF Board Member. I am looking forward to working with Bob during his term."

During the three-day event, the Board was presented with a "Strategic Plan" that included in its outline the role of Information Technology (IT) for the Federation and its affiliates. "I can contribute greatly to what the USEF can do in terms IT," said Bell, who has been developing IT programs to computerize horse shows since the mid 1980s. "The organization can go a long way in providing information," he added. "It will be very interesting to see how it will all integrate." Already underway are two initiatives to promote better membership service: an extensive redesign of the USEF web site and the installation of a new state-of-the-art telephone system.

A lifelong horseman, Bell has owned International Hunter Futurity horses, hunters, jumpers, and has been an avid fox hunter. He began managing his own shows in 1989, the first being the Charleston Summer Classic on Seabrook Island, NC. From there, requests for his management skills grew steadily. Prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics, the town of Conyers, GA, approached Bell for his expertise while constructing the Centennial Horse Park there for the Atlanta Games. His Classic Company now tours the country with USEF AA-rated shows, including seven weeks of competition throughout the year at the Conyers venue and events on the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC, and the show grounds in Gulfport, MS. Each winter the Classic Company manages a prestigious international competition in Jacksonville, FL, for the North Florida Hunter Jumper Association. Originally from New Jersey, Bell currently makes his home on Seabrook Island, SC, and Columbus, NC. When not managing horse shows, he can be found sailing his Classic Tartan sailboat, The White Star, along the east coast.

For additional information contact Cindy Grisolia at (347) 423-7322 (cindy@flashpointmediaservices.com) or Robbi Meisel (859) 734-3713 (robbi@flashpointmediaservices.com).