AQHA PRESIDENT FRANK MERRILL NAMED TO USET FOUNDATION BOARD

America’s Horse, February 20, 2008 – On February 11, the United States Equestrian Team Foundation announced American Quarter Horse Association President Frank Merrill as one of its four new Board of Trustee members. The USET Foundation is the nonprofit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation. The organization’s programs are developed in the seven international equestrian disciplines of dressage, eventing, show jumping, driving, endurance, reining and vaulting. The programs train and support top athletes and horses to compete at the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games and other top international competitions.

The USET Foundation selects its Board of Trustee members based on their significant contributions to the performance horse industry and recognized Merrill for his more than 40 years of involvement with American Quarter Horses. Merrill has bred, owned and raised American Quarter Horse world champions and stakes winners and has participated in almost every AQHA discipline including racing, halter, roping, cutting, reining and other western and English events. Merrill has served on AQHA’s Board of Directors, Nominations and Credentials Committee, and the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

In addition to his mare Holme Maid placing third in the 1978 All American Futurity (G1), Merrill has won multiple championships in the National Cutting Horse Association. He also has owned and exhibited two American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame horses, Miss Jim 45 and Royal Santana.

With his wife, Robin, Merrill operated Windward Stud Ltd. in Purcell, Oklahoma, until October 2006 when the ranch sold. Currently, Merrill serves as CO-CEO of Cowan Select Horses LLC at Windward Stud Ltd. and lives in Purcell.

The other new USET Foundation board members are Melanie Smith Taylor, who helped the United States win Team Gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics aboard Calypso; Peter Welles, who has been active in promoting and enhancing equestrian sport in the United States and serves as a member of the United States Equestrian Team Foundation’s National Advisory and Development Committees; and Abigail S. Wexner, who is a lawyer and community activist involved in philanthropic work focused on children’s issues. For more information on the USET Foundation visit uset.org.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.