December 12, 2004 – San Francisco, California – Canada’s Nicole Shinton was named the 2004 United States Eventing Association (USEA) Intermediate Adult Amateur Rider at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention held December 2-5, in San Francisco, CA.

Shinton was recognized for her outstanding season with The Grey Pony, her 13-year-old New Zealand thoroughbred gelding. Together, they earned more points than any other horse and adult amateur rider combination competing at the intermediate level in the United States. A resident of Uxbridge, ON, Shinton spends approximately half of the year competing in the United States in order to pursue her competitive goals, and was the only Canadian recognized for her accomplishments at the USEA Awards Luncheon.

“I am thrilled to have received this award, and especially to have been recognized within the highly-competitive American eventing scene,” noted Shinton, 31, who received her award from outgoing USEA President, Kingman Penniman. “The award means a lot to me, especially in a sport where hard work and dedication isn’t always measured in terms of ribbons.”

“I have been really proud of The Grey Pony all year, not only because of what he has accomplished, but because he has progressed into a better horse at every show that we have attended,” continued Shinton of her partner of two and a half years. “He is always phenomenal at home when we are schooling, and he's finally developing trust and focus at the horse trials when it really counts. I always knew he had it in him, and I am looking forward to moving up to the advanced division with him in Florida this winter.”

Together, Shinton and The Grey Pony enjoyed several top ten finishes at the intermediate level in 2004, including a fourth place finish at the Pine Top Spring Horse Trials in Georgia. In May, the pair made their two-star debut, placing 36th in the CCI** Jersey Fresh Three Day Event in Allentown, NJ, and, in October, they were the highest-placed Canadian combination at the CCI** Radnor Hunt International Three Day Event held in Malvern, PA. The Grey Pony, having been rescued from slaughter for $300 in New Zealand, has developed quite a fan following, both in New Zealand and now here in North America.

In addition to topping the 2004 USEA Intermediate Adult Amateur Rider rankings with The Grey Pony, Shinton also tied for seventh place in the rankings with two of her other mounts, the nine-year-old New Zealand thoroughbred gelding, King Billy, and Pamela, her 11-year-old English thoroughbred mare. Shinton is ranked second overall in the Adult Amateur division, combining results from all levels, and is currently in 47th position in the USEA’s Rider Ranking list, which includes all eventing competitors, professional and amateur.

More than 500 members attended the 2004 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention. Other winners included Winsome Adante, ridden by Kim Severson, as the USEA Horse of the Year, three-time Olympic Gold Medallist Phillip Dutton as the USEA Rider of the Year, and Severson, an Individual Silver and Team Bronze Olympic Medallist, as the USEA Lady Rider of the Year.

Shinton has made a meteoric rise to the top of eventing sport after turning her interest to the Olympic discipline four years ago. In that short amount of time, she has gone from competing at the entry level to doing her first advanced horse trial this year. She and her husband, Alan, make their home on a 160-acre farm that includes a 23-stall barn and indoor and outdoor riding arenas, and they are currently building a cross-country course with two water complexes.