LEXINGTON, Ky. — It’s not the New Year yet, but eventers from California can start planning after the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) included them on the short lists for respective training and development programs in 2012.

Three California riders were named to the revised USEF Eventing High Performance Training Lists. These athlete/horse combinations will be invited to participate in training sessions this winter with U.S. Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor Capt. Mark Phillips. Preparation for and success at the 2012 Olympic Games were the Eventing Selectors and the High Performance Committee’s highest priorities in developing these lists.

The four-member “A-list” consists of Phillip Dutton (Pennsylvania) and Bruce Duchossois’ Mighty Nice, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding; Sinead Halpin (New Jersey) and Carriag LLC’s Manoir de Carnville, an 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding; Boyd Martin (Pennsylvania) and the Neville Bardos Syndicate’s Neville Bardos, a 12-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding; and Martin again with the Otis Barbotiere Syndicate’s Otis Barbotiere, a 9-year-old Selle Francais gelding.

The trio of Calfornians on the 19-member “B-list” include Tiana Coudray (Ojai) and Jatial Inc.’s Ringwood Magister, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding; Shannon Lilley (Gilroy) and The Lilley Group’s Ballingowan Pizazz, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding; and Jolie Wentworth (Martinez) and Tracy Bowman’s Good Knight, a 9-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding.

Other “B-list” members include Hannah Sue Burnett (Virginia) and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding; Jan Byyny (Virginia) and her own and Jo and Richard Byyny’s Inmidair, a 12-year-old New Zealand Thoroughbred gelding; Will Coleman (Virginia) and Jim Wildasin’s Twizzel, a 15-year-old Westphalian gelding; Buck Davidson (Florida) and Sharon Will’s Absolute Liberty, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred x Oldenburg Mare; Davidson again with Carl and Cassandra Segal’s BallyNoe Castle RM, an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding; Davidson again with Sherrie Martin’s The Apprentice, a 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding; Phillip Dutton (Pennsylvania) and Nina and Tim Gardner’s William Penn, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding; Dutton again with Team Rebecca LLC’s Ben Ben, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding; Will Faudree (North Carolina) and Jennifer Mosing’s Pawlow, a 12-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding; Faudree again on Jennifer Mosing’s Fernhill Gloster Rebel, a 10-year-old Irish Thoroughbred Gelding; Becky Holder (Georgia) and Melissa and Phil Town, and Tom Holder’s Can’t Fire Me, a 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding; Marilyn Little-Meredith (Maryland) and Raylyn Farm Inc.’s RF Rovano Rex, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding; Martin (West Grove, PA) and his and Faye Woolfe’s Ying Yang Yo, a 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding; Clark Montgomery (Georgia) and Holly Becker, Kathryn Kraft and Jessica Montgomery’s Loughan Glen. an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding; Karen O’Connor (Virginia) and The O’Connor Equestrian Syndicate’s Mr Medicott, a 12-year-old Irish Sport horse gelding; and Julian Stiller (United Kingdom) and her own and Jules Delvecchio’s Chapel Amble, a 14-year-old Hanoverian mare.

It is anticipated that training sessions will be held in California, Florida, and South Carolina; dates will be finalized and published this month. Training sessions will be open to the public. Auditors are welcome and asked to please be respectful of lessons and the property on which they will be held.

The USEF also accepted two California riders among 24 horse-and-rider combinations from 50 nationwide applicants into its Eventing High Performance program for 2012.

Accepted horse/rider combinations will be invited to participate in one training session with Capt. Mark Phillips, which may be held in conjunction with the High Performance Training List sessions. After the initial training sessions, some exceptional riders may be invited to participate in further training sessions with the High Performance Listed riders. Riders selected to participate in these training sessions will also become eligible for the Amanda Warrington Fund Grant. This $5,000 Grant will be awarded to a rider recommended by Mark Phillips and approved by the Amanda Warrington Fund Grant Committee.

Shannon Lilley (Gilroy) and her own Forgotten Emblem, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, and Maxance McManamy (Templeton) and two of her horses — Beacon Hill, a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding and also Project Runway, a 7-year-old Trakehner gelding – received invitations.

USEF will announce the training session dates and locations in January, once they have been confirmed.