<html> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=unicode" /> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Helvetica; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536881799 -2147483648 8 0 511 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Baskerville; mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:auto; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Baskerville-SemiBold; mso-font-alt:"Times New Roman"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; 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mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> </head> <body> <div class=Section1> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:34.5pt;font-family:Baskerville; color:#00466A'>J</span></b><b><span style='font-size:28.0pt;font-family:Baskerville; color:#00466A'>OURNEY</span></b><b><i><span style='font-size:34.5pt;font-family: Baskerville;color:#57A0BF'>toExcellence</span></i></b><b><span Helvetica '><span style='font-size:31.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal> <span Helvetica '><span class=apple-style-span></span><b><i><span style='font-size:34.5pt;font-family:Baskerville;color:#57A0BF'>Press Release</span></i></b></span><b><span Helvetica '><span style='font-size:31.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </div> </div><div> <p class=MsoNormal> <span Helvetica '><span class=apple-style-span></span><b><span style='font-size:31.0pt;font-family:Baskerville-SemiBold;color:#00496A'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"; color:#00496A'>The Journey to Excellence Reaches a Turning Point and Wins</span></b><o:p></o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal><img width=200 height=300 src="121409pressrelease_files/image001.jpg" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025" /></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Helvetica Neue";color:#00496A'>Clarksburg, Maryland - December 14, 2009</span></b><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica Neue"'> -<span style='color:#060606'> </span></span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#060606'>On the heels of relocating to her new training facilities at Turning Point Farm in Clarksburg, Maryland, Barbara Strawson,&nbsp;</span><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#060606'>FEI&nbsp;</span></span><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;color:#060606'>Dressage&nbsp;</span></span><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#060606'>Competitor and Trainer,</span></span><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#060606'>&nbsp;went on the road to garner three prestigious year-end championships and two reserve championships. &nbsp;Within a two week span, Strawson won the Intermediare 1 Freestyle Final at both&nbsp;the Colonel Bengt Ljungquist Memorial&nbsp;Championships, as well as the Great American Insurance Group/USDF Regional Championships (Region 1). At the CBLM she also brought home the Intermediare 1 championship. Strawson was Reserve in the Prix St George Final at both the CBLM and GAIG/USDF Championship. &nbsp;Aboard Degas, the impressive 18-hand Hanoverian owned by&nbsp;Marianne Campano, Strawson also&nbsp;capped off the season by receiving the Most Elegant Rider Award for the second year in a row at the CBLM.&nbsp;</span></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin'><o:p></o:p></span><br> <br> </p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#060606'>In a recent DNN (DressageNewsNetwork) interview, Strawson commented on her Freestyle success. &quot;EquiChord has been practicing with me for a whole year on this Freestyle - I had never ridden a freestyle before, so the progression was really nice to see. To have taken him along and then to end up winning at the BLMs and GAIGS was very rewarding.&quot; &nbsp;Strawson also credits the support of her team and the overall philosophy of her training system - a program she recently brought to her new location. &nbsp;</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin'><o:p></o:p></span><br> <br> </p> <p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#060606'>&quot;Our goal is to provide each horse and rider with a balanced and consistent system based on individual goals,&quot; says Strawson. &nbsp;&quot;We offer quality care and attention to detail in all aspects - horse care, training, teaching, relationships. The team is always available to attend to the needs of horses and owners alike.&nbsp; We will be experimenting with a mix of programs at our new location, spanning from our basic full training to short term training for people who are in need of a tune-up or an intensive training period.&nbsp; For horses and riders alike, we provide a program that encompasses a variety of integrative methods to enhance the learning process.&nbsp; For example, riders will receive an evaluation&nbsp;and, in addition to traditional lessons,&nbsp;may receive lunge lessons, Balimo, Pilates, or massage work, and/or workshops in developing their freestyles, goal setting, etc. Horses also receive a variety of cross training and body work.&quot;&nbsp;</span></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin'><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:#060606'>Barbara Strawson, LLC, </span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#060606'>a corporation established in 2005,&nbsp;&nbsp;offers 20+ years of experience in training and competing horses from USDF Training Level through FEI Grand Prix.&nbsp; Earning her USDF Bronze and Silver medals as well as her USDF Silver Freestyle Medal, Barbara continues to seek out and provide excellent levels of education.&nbsp; Through her degree in Psychology from the University of Delaware and her certification in Balimo, Barbara exceeds the expectations and the varying training needs of both her riders and horses by providing each the necessary tools to achieve their goals.&nbsp; As an active competitor, Barbara has studied and competed in Europe under the tutelage of four-time Olympic gold medal winner, Nicole Uphoff-Selke, and is working towards representing her country internationally.</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin'><o:p></o:p></span><br> <br> </p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span Helvetica "; '><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin'>For more information, please contact:&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span Helvetica "; '><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin'><a href="mailto:charlie@equichord.com">charlie@equichord.com</a>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span Helvetica "; '><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin'>888-229-8975</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> </body> </html>