December 17, 2013 — The USEF Executive Committee and the High Performance Working Group have approved a replacement recommended by the Eventing Eligible Athletes and the Eventing High Performance Committees to the Eventing Selection Committee. Kim Severson will be replaced by Deborah Furnas on the committee, while Phyllis Dawson has been named as a substitute selector.
Following a fifth-place finish at The Dutta Corp Fair Hill International CCI3*, a USEF Selection Trials for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Severson plans to contest the 2014 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover. In November, she was named to the National List with her own Fernhill Fearless and will take part in High Performance Winter/Spring Training Sessions with U.S. Eventing Team Coach David O’Connor.
Furnas began working for U.S. team veteran Torrance Watkins in 1984 before working for Olympian Stephen Bradley from 1989-1993, including assisting him at the 1992 Olympic Games. She then transitioned to Bruce Davidson’s famed Chesterland farm during the heyday of Davidson’s success, serving as the lynchpin of that operation from 1993-2001. During this time Furnas also served as the U.S. Stable Manager at the 1994 FEI World Equestrian Games in The Hague, The Netherlands. She has assisted in coordinating the Canadian eventing team efforts since the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, becoming the Stable Manager in 2007. Furnas played an integral part in the Canadian success at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games where they earned Team Silver.
Dawson began her career in eventing in 1973 reaching the highest level of the sport in 1977. She has competed at many of the most prestigious international competitions throughout the world including representing the U.S. at the 1988 Olympic Games and the 1997 FEI European Championships. Dawson operates her own training and breeding facility, Windchase Farm, out of Purcellville, Va. To learn more Dawson and Windchase visit; http://www.teamwindchase.com/index.html
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