Phyllis Grupe

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fritz and Phyllis Grupe of Stockton and Leslie Berndl of Newcastle were named this month to the 2011 United States Equestrian Federation Driver Training Long List.

Fritz Grupe made the Pair Horses and Single Horse disciplines, Phyllis Grupe the Single Pony discipline, and Berndl both the Single Horse and Single Pony disciplines.

The Driver Training Long List consists of 68 qualifications. It is established by the USEF on the basis of a driver/horse/pony combination achieving a total of 175 penalties or less for singles and pairs, and a total of 200 penalties or less for four-in-hands in a national competition at the advanced level in the U.S.; a European CAI; or a national European competition (for which the Driving High Performance Committee has given approval). This qualifying score must have been achieved in any of the previous two calendar years which indicates that those driver/horse/pony combinations are the strongest candidates for future teams. Long Listed driver/horse/pony combinations are eligible for USEF Training Programs and consideration to compete abroad.