United States Eventing Association

Lindsey Taylor Selected as First Honoree of the PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's Award

Vero Beach, FL - November 28, 2011: The Professional Riders Organization is very pleased to announce that Lindsey Taylor, head groom for Boyd Martin, has been selected as the recipient of the inaugural PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's Award. Lindsey will be honored December 9, 2011 at 6:00 PM at the PRO Awards Reception at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee site of the 2011 USEA Convention. Lindsey will receive an engraved silver bowl, a $5,000 cash award, and PRO will donate $500 to a cancer charity of Lindsey's choice in memory of Liz Cochran.

The PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's award will be offered annually to an outstanding groom of a professional member of PRO who has had a large influence on their rider's career and the health and well-being of the horses under their care. Nominees should epitomize the example set forth by Liz Cochran, who groomed professionally for Abigail Lufkin and sadly lost her life to cancer. The following criteria is used to evaluate the nominees: the groom always puts the horses first; immaculate turnout of horses at home and competitions regardless of level; communicates effectively with owners, riders, students and staff; rallies a positive stable atmosphere both at home and away; has an infectious, positive attitude; shares their knowledge of the job in a effort to educate others; demonstrates that no job is beneath them; is well presented in their attire and courteous in both manners and speech; and enhances their rider's career.

Karen O'Connor spearheaded the award envisioning formal recognition by fellow professionals that would not only honor the outstanding qualities of professional grooms, but also reward them with a significant cash prize. The nominees put forward by riders for the 2011 PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom's Award included Emma Ford (Phillip Dutton) and Nate Varcoe-Cocks (Will Faudree). Mark Hart, Chair of the PRO Awards Committee summed up what was a very challenging decision: "All of the nominees are extremely worthy of winning this award and it was very difficult to choose one winner. Given the incredibly trying circumstances that Lindsey faced this year with the fire in Boyd's barn, and the incredible way she has dealt with every situation she has been challenged with, the committee felt that this was her year to be honored in what we know will be a long career." Other members of the PRO Award Committee include: Mary Coldren, Rick Dunkerton, Faye Woolf, Joanie Morris, Evie Dutton, Laura VanderVliet and Sara Kozumplik.

In nominating Lindsey, Boyd expressively described her outstanding qualities: "I believe the events that led up to, during and after the Memorial Day barn fire separates Lindsey from the rest of the list of candidates. This lady was able to deal with the tragedy of the loss of the horses that died, also rehabilitating the injured ones that survived, whilst working out of a number of barns, and was still able to fulfill her energy of the competition horses that were unaffected, all at the same time without complaint, negativity, or fuss, which impressed me more than anything." In 2011 Boyd calculated that he had 175 eventing starts, which Lindsey groomed for, braiding 2,050 braids from the big international-three day events like Rolex, Burghley and Boekelo to horse trials like Sporting Days, Waredaca and Loch Moy. Boyd pointed out that during this time Lindsey worked nine weeks straight without a day off because "her commitment is bordering on the line of obsession."

For more information on the Professional Riders Organization, please visit www.professionalriders.org