February 4, 2006 – Nantes, France – JustWorld International was well represented at the CSI3* Nantes, France, held from January 27 to 29, 2006, with several Rider Ambassadors competing in its honour.

The greatest success story belonged to Philippe Rozier, winner of the Nantes Grand Prix. With 40,000 Euros up for grabs and several big names in attendance, the French competitor had his work cut out for him. Seven riders posted zero penalties in the opening round that saw the fences set at a height of 1.55m. Five were again able to repeat their faultless performances in the jump-off, but none were able to do it any faster than Rozier who stopped the clock at 34.56, almost a full second faster than Dutch challenger Eric van der Vleuten and his top mount, Audi’s Jikke.

Another JustWorld Rider Ambassador, Piet Raijmakers, Jr., had to settle for sixth although his time would have put him second had it not been for one rail down with Van Schijndel’s Optical, a horse he was riding for his father who was sidelined with an injury. The 23-year-old Dutchman, who was making his first international appearance for JustWorld International, and Optical also tied for the win in Saturday’s Prix Volvo Six Bar competition. Optical is owned by the Van Schijndel Boewgroup, sponsor of the Raijmakers family for 25 years, and now also a generous supporter of JustWorld International.

Another welcome addition to the JustWorld International family is Sophie Tobin of Great Britain. Riding Orion, Tobin captured victory in the 3,000 Euro Ladies Grand Prix, and also placed third riding Unicento.

Both Raijmakers, Jr., and Rozier made their first donations of the new year by giving a portion of their paychecks to JustWorld International, a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization founded to work as a catalyst for positive change in the developing world by helping underprivileged children. For Rozier, the win was a particularly special one as he had discovered that his selle francais mare, Héritière d'Adriers, had been suffering with a virus that had gone undiagnosed for several months. With the CSI3* Nantes victory coming hot on the heels of her recovery, it is obvious that the 11-year-old mare is back in fine jumping form, which is good news for her owner and JustWorld International supporter, Christian Baillet.

“I became a rider ambassador for JustWorld International because I feel it is crucial to raise awareness in the equestrian industry,” said Rozier. “I take pride in promoting the cause. I want to use my position of being in the spotlight as an international competitor to set an example and to help motivate youth to get involved, to look at the world around them and take the initiative to make it a better place.”

“I have known Philippe for a very long time, he is a very hard worker and always strives to do things right, whether it is with his horses or owners,” noted JustWorld International Executive Director, Jessica Newman. “Philippe is a great ambassador, always making himself available for autographs and always helping to promote JustWorld International by raising awareness among the people around him. And it is my pleasure to welcome Piet and Sophie to the JustWorld family; their desire to join us is touching. I did not know these two riders in my own competitive days, so learning about their interest in becoming Rider Ambassadors proves that we are successfully raising awareness in the horse industry and attracting more and more people that wholeheartedly believe in the cause.”

JustWorld International Professional Rider Representatives include Kevin Babington of Ireland, Christophe Barbeau of Switzerland, James Benedetto of the United States, Bruno Chimirri of Italy, Angela Covert-Lawrence of Canada, Bruno and Sophie Coutureau of France, Ryan Crumley of Ireland, Federico Fernandez of Mexico, Markus Fuchs of Switzerland, Herve Godignon of France, Francisco Guedes of Portugal, Pauline Guignery of France, Olivier Guillon of France, Imke Hofschroer of Germany, Candice King of the United States, Eric Lamaze of Canada, Rutherford Latham of Spain, Peter Leone of the United States, Robert Maguire of Great Britain, Giulia Martinengo Marquet of Italy, Titi Mills of Honduras, Eric Navet of France, Gregoire Oberson of Switzerland, Marie Pellegrin of France, Ludo Philippaerts of Belgium, Piet Raijmakers, Jr., of the Netherlands, Andres Rodriguez of Venezuela, Philippe Rozier of France, Celine Stauffer of Switzerland, Tim Stockdale of Great Britain, Ray Texel of the United States, and Marilyn Vorpe of Switzerland. Through various initiatives, including donating a portion of their prize money and giving clinics to benefit JustWorld International and encouraging their owners, sponsors and youth to follow their lead, riders are able to support the organization’s projects and programs.

Founded in 2002, JustWorld International raises awareness and funds in the equestrian community to support humanitarian projects that benefit impoverished communities and children in the developing world. Cooperating with local partners, JustWorld International implements sustainable, culturally sensitive education, health and vocational projects. JustWorld International trains and empowers international and local university student volunteers to create and realize these projects, providing them with hands-on experience in promoting social justice. With project sites located in Cambodia, Honduras, Kenya and Senegal, students are working for change in a wide variety of environments on behalf of JustWorld International. For more information on JustWorld International, please visit www.justworldinternational.org.